The Deal and play are counter-clockwise; the cards are counted in groups of 3.
Three Player
Deal
Deal 8 cards to each player, 6 to the Talon, and 8 more to each player.
Bids
| Bid | Value | Simplified Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trischaken | 30¢ | 1 | Take as few points as possible. |
| Single | 30¢ | 1 | Exchange three cards, and take over half the points (36+). |
| Double | 40¢ | 2 | |
| Triple | 50¢ | 3 | |
| Quadruple | 60¢ | ||
| Quintuple | 70¢ | ||
| Solo | $1.20 | 4 | Leave the Talon unseen, and take over half the points. |
| Solo-Slam | $9.60 | 32 | Leave the Talon unseen, and take every trick. |
Bidding is one round, with priority. Bids of Double to Quintuple may only be used to outbid the previous bid on the table; anyone may jump to Solo at any time. If someone wins the bid with a Single, he may, if he chooses, declare Trischaken; if all pass Trischaken is played.
Eldest leads to the first trick.
Trischaken
Trischaken is a negative game where everyone plays for himself, and the goal is not to take points. [The Talon is unused, and does not contribute to anyone’s score.] There are no bonuses.
Underplay is permitted; there is no need to head the trick. The only difference from usual play is that the Pagat must be played as one’s last trump.
The player who takes the most points has lost, and pays 30¢. If one person takes no points, he is payed the value by the other two. If all three tie, there is no payment.
Single, Double, Triple, Quadruple, and Quintuple
The six cards of the Talon are exposed in two groups of three. The declarer may take either set and add them to his hand, the remaining three cards counting toward his opponents. He then discards three cards which will count for him in the end. They may not be Kings or Trull cards, and may only be trumps if necessary not to discard Kings.
Solo
All as in a Single, except that the Talon cards count for the opponents, unseen, and all bonuses are doubled.
Announcements
Birds, or Slam may be announced to double their value won or lost; an announced bonus or the Game may be Doubled as well. All bonuses are doubled in a Solo.
Score
Besides the Game, the following bonuses are scored.
| Bonus | Value | Simplified Value | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kings | 10¢ | 1 | Capture all 4 Kings in tricks. |
| Trull | 10¢ | 1 | Capture all three Trull cards in tricks. |
| Mondfang | 10¢ | 1 | Take the 21 with the * |
| Slam | $2.40 | ×4 | Take every trick. |
| [with 40] | 20¢ | 1 | Take at least 40 points. Must be announced to score. |
| [with 50] | 40¢ | 2 | Take at least 50 points. Must be announced to score. |
| Birds | |||
| Pagat Ultimo | 40¢ | 1 | Take the last trick with the I. |
| Eagle | 60¢ | 2 | Take the penultimate trick with the II. |
| Cockatoo | 80¢ | 3 | Take the antepenultimate trick with the III. |
If won, the value (as appropriately doubled) is payed be each to the winner; if lost, the value is payed to each opponent. In a Slam, all other Bonuses are canceled, even for Birds.
Card Ranks and Values
The cards rank as follows from high to low in each suit:
| ♣♠ | ♥♦ | Trumps | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King | R | R | 4 | ’Scuse | * | 4 | |
| Queen | D | D | 3 | Mond | XXI | 4 | |
| Knight | C | C | 2 | XX | |||
| Jack | V | V | 1 | XIX | |||
| 10 | 1 | ... | |||||
| 9 | 2 | III | |||||
| 8 | 3 | II | |||||
| 7 | 4 | Pagat | I | 4 | |||
To count the number of Card Points taken, add up the point values from the counting cards (the face cards, the ’Scuse, Mond, and Pagat), and count in addition 1 point for every three cards.