KLAVERJASSEN

OBJECT OF KLAVERJASSEN: The object of Klaverjassen is to score the most points by the end of the game.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players

MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52-cards, a way to keeps score, and a flat surface.

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game

AUDIENCE: Teens, Adults

OVERVIEW OF KLAVERJASSEN

Klaverjassen is a trick-taking card game for 4 players in partnerships of 2. The goal of the game is to be the team to score the most points by the end of the game.  A game consists of 16 rounds, and each round is scored before the next starts.

SETUP

The deck must be modified first by removing all cards 6s and lower. This leaves a deck of 32 cards. 

The first dealer is chosen at random and passes to the left for each new round. The dealer will shuffle the deck and deal each player a hand of 8 cards. this can be done in groups of 3,2 and 3 cards or two groups of 4 cards.

Card Ranking and Values

The card ranking differs between the trump suit and the other suits. The trump suit is ranked Jack (high), 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, and 7 (low). The other suits rank with Ace as the high card followed by 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, and 7 being the low card.

Card also have values associated with them when won in tricks. these values also differ from trump and non-trump suits. For the trump suit jacks are worth 20 points, 9s are worth 14 points, aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points and 8s and 7s are worth nothing.

For the non-trump suits, aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points, and jacks are worth 2 points. 9s, 8s, and 7s are worth nothing.

TRUMP CHOICE

For this game, there are 3 ways to choose trumps. These should be discussed before the game and one should be chosen. There is the free choice, the Utrecht, and the random trump. The team of the player who chooses trumps becomes the declaring team and is responsible for winning more points during the round to score.

The free choice starts with the player to the dealer’s left (or the dealer according to some variations) who may choose a trump suit or pass. the clockwise from them a player will have the same choice. If all players pass the starting player must choose trumps.

Utrecht means the player to the dealer’s left must choose the trump suit.

In random trump, a second deck is shuffled, and the top card is revealed. This card determines the trump suit. The player left of the dealer may accept this trump suit or pass. Clockwise around the table players will receive the same choice. If all pass player may, before the game, decide to either reveal a second card the player to the left of the dealer must use as trumps or allow the player to the left to call a trump suit as long as it is not the same as the suit of the first revealed card.

GAMEPLAY

There are two rule sets for this game one derived from Amsterdam and the other from Rotterdam. These rules are used to determine when a player can or must play trumps to tricks.

Irrespective of the ruleset they all start with the player to the left of the dealer. They may lead any card to the first trick and all other players must follow suit if able. If all players follow suit or no trumps were played the trick is won by the player to play the highest card of the suit led. If there are trumps played to the trick, the highest-ranked trump wins the trick. The winner of the trick leads the next. In both game types players allowed to signal their partners as long as the signaling types were discussed before the game out loud.

Amsterdam

In the Amsterdam rules if you cannot follow suit you must follow these rules hen playing to the trick. If the opposing team is currently winning the trick and you can beat them by playing a trump or a higher trump, then their you must. If you cannot beat tier trumps you must play a card of a different suit. You are not allowed to undertrump, or play a lower-ranked trump then the opponent unless that is all that is available to you.

If your team is currently winning the trick and you cannot follow suit you may play any card to the trick. If your team is currently winning with a trump, however, you may not play a lower-valued trump unless that is all that is available to you.

If trumps were led then all following players must play a higher trump than the current one if possible, even if your team is currently winning the trick. If you cannot play a higher trump you must play a lower trump. If no trumps are available to you, you may play any card.

Rotterdam

In the Rotterdam rules if you cannot follow suit you must always play a trump if available to you. you must also always beat the highest trump if possible. If you have no trumps you may play any card.

Bonus Points

Certain tricks can be achieved, which will earn the winners bonus points if declared. There are 7 types and they each have their score. If a bonus trick is won that team must declare it to score the points. Otherwise, it is not scored in the game, which can be useful if you are the declarers and know the other team will be scoring more than you.

The first type is a run of three consecutive cards of the same suit. If three of the four cards are consecutive and of the same suit you can call this an earn an additional 20 points.

The second type is a run of 4 consecutive cards of the same suit. This is worth 50 points.

A run of 3 consecutive cards of the trump suit that includes a king and queen is worth 40 points.

A run of 4 consecutive cards of the trump suit including the king and queen is worth 70 points.

It is worth 100 points for 4 of a kind of kings, queens, aces, or 10s.

It’s worth 200 for a four of a kind of jacks.

Finally, a trick containing the king and queen of trumps is worth 20 points.

SCORING

Scoring is done after each round. Each team scores their bonus points along with the points for the cards won in tricks. if the declarers score higher than the other team both teams score their points. if they did not than the opponents score all points including all bonus points.

END OF GAME

After 16 rounds the game ends and the team with the highest score wins.

Amber Crook
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