OBJECT OF MARJOLET: The object of Marjolet is to be the first player to score 500 points.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players
MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52 cards, a way to keep score, and a flat surface.
TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game
AUDIENCE: Adult
OVERVIEW OF MARJOLET
Marjolet is a trick-taking card game for 2 players. The goal of the game is to score 500 points before your opponent does.
The game is played over a series of rounds. The game’s rules change once the draw deck is exhausted and remained changed for the last 6 tricks of a round.
SETUP
If you are modifying a deck to play the game remove all cards 6 and lower. This leaves you with a 32-card deck.
The first dealer is chosen randomly and passes to the non-dealing player for each new deal. The deck is shuffled, and the dealer then deals each player a hand of 6 cards. the remaining cards form a draw deck. The top of it is revealed and determines trumps and is placed next to the draw pile. if the revealed card is a 7, the dealer immediately scores 7 points.
Card Ranking and Values
The ranking for this game is Ace (high), 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7 (low).
Only Aces and 10s have point values associated with them. They are all worth 10 points when won in a trick.
Cards are also used to form melds in the game, however and these are also scored. These melds include a meld of 4 aces worth 100 points, a meld of 4 kings worth 80 points, a meld of 4 queens worth 60 points, a meld of 4 jacks worth 40 points, a marriage (king a queen of the same suit) of trumps worth 40 points, a non-trump marriage worth 20 points, trump jack and trump queen worth 40 points, and a meld of trump jack and any non-trump queen worth 20 points.
Melded cards can still be played to tricks and used in other melds.
GAMEPLAY
The game starts with the non-dealer. They may lead any card they wish to the trick. The following player may play any card they wish.
The trick is won by the highest trump played, if applicable. If no trumps were played, the trick is won by the highest-ranking card of the suit of the originally led card. The trick is collected into a score pile and the winner leads to the next trick.
The winner of a trick may also declare any melds they wish from their hands before the next trick. These melds are played face up in front of the player who melded them. Melds are scored to the player’s score when they are declared. The winning player then draws from the stock, followed by the other player, and the next trick is started.
The 7 of trumps has different properties as well. If a player holds it in their hand after they have won a trick, they may exchange it for the card revealed for trumps. This scores this player 10 points immediately. They may also choose to keep it and play it to a trick. Playing it to a trick also scores the player 10 points, whether or not they lose the trick.
After the game is played through, and the draw pile exhausted, the winning player will draw the last card of the draw pile, and the other player will receive the revealed trump. Each player will now take all their melded cards into their hand. The rules for the remaining tricks change.
The following players must follow suit if able, and all players are required to win a trick if possible. If you cannot follow suit you must play a trump if you can, and no melds may be declared.
SCORING
Once all tricks have been played and won the points are scored. Aces and 10s are scores, and players should have scored melds as they were declared. The winner of the last trick scores 10 points, and if a player wins all of the last 6 tricks, they score 50 points. the player to win the 10th trick also scores 10 points. The player who drew the revealed card scores 10 points.
END OF GAME
The game ends when a player scores 500 or more points. They are the winners. If both players score over 500 in the same round the player whose score is higher wins the game.
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