AVINAS


AVINAS

OBJECTIVE OF AVINAS: The objective of Avinas is to win points in order to avoid penalties.


NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 Players


MATERIALS: A modified 52-card decks, a way to keep score, and a flat surface.


TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game


AUDIENCE: Adult


OVERVIEW OF AVINAS

Avinas is a trick-taking card game meant for 4 players in two fixed partnerships. Players will win tricks and score points based on the cards won. Dependent on points acquired teams may be penalized for not completing goals. No points are awarded for completing goals. 

The players are trying to keep from being penalized to win the game because the game is won not by gaining points but by being penalized less.

The game is played over a series of rounds until a team reaches a certain number of penalties. 

SETUP

To set up for Avinas a 52-card deck will need to be modified into a 32-card deck. The cards 6s and below will be removed leaving Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s, 9s, 8s, and 7s. 

Partners should sit opposite each other and the first dealer should be chosen randomly. The dealer will become the next player to the left of the previous for each round after. 

The dealer will then shuffle the deck and deal each player 8 cards in groups of 4 cards. The 4th card and 8th card of the opposing team are flipped, and the dealer will look at the 4th and 8th card of their and their partner’s hand as well. These cards are only exposed to the dealer and partner of the dealer if they are sevens. 

The game differs depending on if and how many 7s are revealed during this. 

Card Rankings and Values

The game has a different ranking for the trump and non-trump suits. 

For trumps, the ranking is Queen of clubs (high), 7, Queen of spades, Queen of hearts, Queen of diamonds, Jack of Clubs, Jack of spades, Jack of hearts, Jack of diamonds, Ace, 10, King, 9, and 8 (low). 

For all other suits, the ranking is Ace (high), 10, King, 9, 8, and 7 (low).

There are values attached to cards for some parts of the game. The aces have a value of 11 points. 10s have a value of 10 points. Kings have a value of 4 points. Queens have a value of 3 points. Jacks have a value of 2 points. All other cards have no value.  

DETERMINING THE DECLARER

There are two ways to determine who will declare the trump suit. If during the deal, there was at least one seven revealed they are used to determine trump and declarer. If there was only one 7 reveled than that player is declarer and the suit of the seven is trump. If there were multiple sevens revealed, then the last 7 dealt determines the declarer and trump suit. 

If no 7s were reveled, then the player to the dealers left will say a number of one suit they hold in their hand to be a possible trump suit. They will not say the suit though. For example, in my hand, I have 5 hearts so I would declare 5. Then all other players will either pass or declare a higher number. If all pass the dealer moves to the left and cards are redealt. If one or more players also declare a number, the highest declaration becomes the declarer and first player. If it is later found that the player holds less than they declared if the trump suit, their team loses the round.

GAMEPLAY

The game is played based on how many if any 7s were revealed but tricks are played the same no matter what. Tricks are played with players following suit of the led card if able and if not, they may play a trump or any other card. Highest trump wins, but if no trumps then the highest of the suit led. The winner of a trick leads the next trick.

If at least one 7 was revealed than the declarer of trump starts the round by leading the first trick. Before this, though either the declarer or their partner may knock on the table, this means their team will try to win all 8 tricks to double the number of penalties for the loser. The other team then also gets to chance to knock. The penalties will be doubled again. 

The first trick is then led by the declarer and must be led by a trump. Then the winner of that trick will lead the next they must also lead the trick with a trump if possible. If they can’t then they may lead a card either face up or face down. If face down, they will make a facial expression to tell their partner if it’s a valuable card or not. The other players follow suit as if a trump had been led. The highest trump wins the trick and once all other cards are played the facedown card is revealed. 

If no 7s are revealed the player who declared plays the first card of the trump suit. This card should be of the suit you used to become declarer. If it is a jack or a queen, the player to the declarers left has to ask what the trump suit is. If no 7 was revealed, then players do not need to play through all 8 tricks. The declarers may stop the game anytime whether they are winning or losing.

Once all tricks have been played or the round has been stopped scoring begins.

Scoring

Scoring happens two ways depending once again on 7s.

If there were 7s revealed in the deal, then rams are scored. These are written on a score sheet by first canceling rams on the other team’s sheet and then marking the remaining on theirs. Only one side should have rams marked on their sheet.

To determine who gains rams you must determine if the declarer’s team one or not. To win the declarer’s team must gather 61 points or if a knock was made all tricks must have been won. 

If the declarer wins then the other team receives rams according to the number of 7s revealed. These correspond 1 for 1. So, if all four 7s were revealed 4 rams are scored to the other team. If the declarer loses then double the number of points for revealed 7s are scored to the declarer’s team. 

If a knock is successful for the declarer the other team receives 2, 4, 6, or 8 rams. But if unsuccessful the declarers receive 4, 8, 12, or 16 rams. If both teams knocked and the declarer was successful the other team scores 4, 8, 12, or 16 rams. If not then the declarers receive 8, 16, 24, or 32 rams. 

If no sevens were revealed, then penalties, called pips, are scored by writing the number of penalties received on the score sheet. 

If the declarer’s team received 61 points or higher than they have won, and the opposing team receives pips dependent on their score. If 31 points or more, they receive one pip. If fewer than 31 points but still some points than 2 pips are received. If no score is made than 3 pips are received. 

If the declares dis not get 61 then they receive pips according to their score. If more than 31 points they receive 2 pips. If less than 31 but still some points scored, then 4 pips are scored. If no points are received, then 6 pips are scored.

Pips are never canceled, and 12 pips or more scored by either team ends the game.

END OF GAME

The game is played until 12 pips or more are scored by either team. If the other team has no pips, then the team with pips loses the game. They are traditionally not allowed to play the game any longer for the rest of the day.

If both teams have pips though then the winner is the team with a lesser number of rams. If there have been no rams scored, then the team with the lesser amount of pips wins. 

Nakoa Davis