Auction – The process of determining the contract by calls in a certain order.
Bid – An undertaking to win at least the number of tricks indicated by the bid with a partner and trump denomination to be determined according to the designation (trump bid), or an undertaking not to win more than a certain number of tricks, if any, playing alone (solo bid).
Call – A bid, a joining of bid or pass.
Contract – The highest bid of the auction, in trump games indicating how many tricks the declarer's side shall win, and in solo games indicating how many, if any, tricks the declarer or declarers are allowed to win.
Covered card – A card put on the table face down after the exchange but before the start of play in a trump game, substituting a card of the partner card suit, considered as having the lowest value of that suit.
Deal – The process of shuffling the cards and distributing them to form the hands of the players and the widow.
Declaration – The process of determining the trump suit and partner card.
Declarer – The player or players having the highest bid of the auction.
Declarer's side – In trump games, the declarer and his partner.
Defenders' side – The players who are not declarer or declarer's partner.
Denomination – A trump suit or no trumps in a trump game determined according to the designation.
Designation – The part of a trump bid or contract which is not a number indicating how the trump denomination is determined.
Exchange – The process of substituting three cards from a player's hands with the three cards of the widow.
Follow suit – Play a card of the suit that has been led.
Game – The unit comprising deal, auction, declaration, exchange, playing and settling.
Hand – Before the start of the play, the cards dealt to the player, including changes that may have occurred due to exchange – After the start of the play the remaining part thereof, including the covered card, if any.
Irregularity – A deviation from the correct procedures as set forth in these rules.
Join – Call indicating that a player is willing to take over as declarer of an existing tip bid og is willing to be co-declarer in an existing solo bid.
Lead – The first card played to a trick.
Ordinary cards – The fifty-two cards, thirteen of each suit, that are not wild cards.
Overtrick – In a trump game, each trick taken by the declarer's side in excess of the contract.
Own partner – The case when none of the other players have the partner card.
Pack – Set of cards consisting of 4 suits of each thirteen cards, called ordinary cards, and 3 wild cards.
Partner – Another player playing on a player's side.
Partner card – A card named by the declarer to determine what player shall be his partner.
Pass – A call specifying that a player does not want to bid og join a bid.
Play a card – Take a card from the hand hand put it face up on the table contributing to a trick, including the first card of a trick, which is the lead.
Rotation – The clockwise order in which the deal, playing of cards, and to some degree the right to call progress.
Round – A sequence of games equal in number to the number of players.
Settling – Calculating the score of the game.
Shuffling – Mixing the cards in a way that the sequence of cards can be regarded random.
Side – One, two or three players who constitute a partnership against the other player(s).
Solo contract – A contract in which the highest bid is a solo bid.
Solo game – A game in which the contract is a solo contract.
Suit – One of four groups of cards in the deck, marked with one of the characteristic symbols, spades (ª), hearts (©), diamonds (¨) and clubs (§), each group comprising thirteen cards, one of each of the values ace (A), king (K), queen (Q), jack (J), ten (10), nine (9), eight (8), seven (7), six (6), five (5), four (4), three (3) and two (2).
Tip bid – A bid with the designation tip.
Tip contract – A contract in which the highest bid is a tip bid.
Trick – The unit by which the outcome of the contract is determined, consisting of four cards, one played by each player in clockwise rotation, starting with the lead.
Trump card – A card of the trump suit, if any.
Trump contract – A contract in which the highest bid is a trump contract.
Trump game – A game in which the contract is a trump contract.
Turn – The correct time for a player to deal, bid in an auction, accept or deny cards in tip denominations exchange cards or play a card.
Undertrick – In a trump game, each trick by which the declarer's side falls short of fulfilling the contract.
Void – A player's hand does not contain any cards of a specific suit.
Widow – Three cards put aside during dealing to be used for exchange of cards.
Wild cards – Three cards not belonging to any suit, marked with Joker or otherwise such that it cannot be confused with an ordinary card.
The dealing shall be done in an adequate and systematic manner and in such a way that no one can see which cards are dealt. The cards should be distributed one, two or three at the time in rotation, starting with the player to the left of himself, finishing with himself, or if he is not participating, to the next participating layer in the anti-clockwise direction. The widow must be dealt one at the time just after the dealer has dealt one, two or three cards to himself, or if he is not participating, to the next participating player in the anti-clockwise direction. The sequence of the three cards in the widow shall not be altered. The first card dealt to the widow shall be the bottom card, and the last card dealt to the widow shall be the top card. All cards are dealt face down.
Examples of Dealing
Example 1: 3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4,
1 to player 1, 1 to player 2, 1 to player 3, 1 to player 4,
Example 2: 3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4,
3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
3 to player 1, 3 to player 2, 3 to player 3, 3 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
2 to player 1, 2 to player 2, 2 to player 3, 2 to player 4, 1 to the widow,
2 to player 1, 2 to player 2, 2 to player 3, 2 to player 4,
the player numbers according to the sequence in the clockwise direction after the dealer.
In case of irregularities during the dealing, the cards are redealt by the same player
and a penalty is to be payed by the dealer to each of the other players. If one of the other
players are to blame for the error, he shall revceive the penalty. The cards are redealt by
the same dealer.
Auction
The bids are in ascending order:
| 1. | 8 | 16. | 10 | 31. | 11 tip in the 3rd degree |
| 2. | 8 clubs | 17. | clean solo | 32. | 12 |
| 3. | 8 tip in the 1st degree | 18. | 10 clubs | 33. | 12 clubs |
| 4. | 8 halves | 19. | 10 tip in the 1st degree | 34. | 12 tip in the 1st degree |
| 5. | 8 tip in the 2nd degree | 20. | 10 halves | 35. | 12 halves |
| 6. | 8 no trumps | 21. | 10 tip in the 2nd degree | 36. | 12 tip in the 2st degree |
| 7. | 8 tip in the 3rd degree | 22. | 10 no trumps | 37. | 12 no trumps |
| 8. | 9 | 23. | 10 tip in the 3rd degree | 38. | 12 tip in the 3rd degree |
| 9. | solo | 24. | 11 | 39. | 13 |
| 10. | 9 clubs | 25. | open clean solo | 40. | 13 clubs |
| 11. | 9 tip in the 1st degree | 26. | 11 clubs | 41. | 13 tip in the 1st degree |
| 12. | 9 halves | 27. | 11 tip in the 1st degree | 42. | 13 halves |
| 13. | 9 tip in the 2nd degree | 28. | 11 halves | 43. | 13 tip in the 2nd degree |
| 14. | 9 no trumps | 29. | 11 tip in the 2nd degree | 44. | 13 no trumps |
| 15. | 9 tip in the 3rd degree | 30. | 11 no trumps | 45. | 13 tip in the 3rd degree |
Bids containing a number are
called trump bids.
Bids containing the term "solo" are called solo bids. Bids containing the term tip
are called tip bids.
The player to make the next call is (in prioritised
order)
| 1. | the player after the dealer in rotation if no player has called yet |
| 2. | the first player in rotation who has not called yet if all previous players have the highest bid, have joined the highest bid or have passed |
| 3. | the player who has made the second highest bid |
| 4. | the player who has joined the second highest bid first |
| 5. | the player who has joined the second highest bid second |
| 6. | the player who has made the third highest bid |
| 7. | the player who has joined the third highest bid first |
| a) | make a new bid higher than the present highest bid |
| b) | join the present highest bid if the highest bid is a solo bid or a tip bid or |
| c) | pass |
If a player passes, that player can make no more bids.
Bidding continues until
| a) | everyone has passed |
| b) | everyone has passed except the player with the highest bid and those who may have joined him |
In trump games, the player with the highest bid becomes declarer.
The bid is called the contract. If the contract is a tip bid, and one ore more players have joined,
the joining players may, according to the rules mentioned below, take over the contract becoming declarer.
In solo games, the player with the highest bid and those who might have joined him are declarers.
If all four playes passed,
the game will not proceed and the next player in turn deals the cards.
The declaration procedure depends on the designation of the game.
| Designation | Procedure | Eligible denomination or suits | |
| None (simple) | 1. | Declarer names trump denomination | Any denomination / Diamonds, spades or hearts |
| 2. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit except trump suit | |
| Clubs | 1. | Declarer names trump denomination (optional) | Clubs |
| 2. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit except clubs | |
| Tip 1st deg | 1. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit |
| 2. | Trumps are determined by the widow | Any denomination | |
| Halves | 1. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit |
| 2. | Declarer's partner names trump denomination | Any denomination except suit of partner card | |
| Tip 2nd deg | 1. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit |
| 2. | Trumps are determined by the widow | Any denomination | |
| No trumps | 1. | Declarer names trump denomination (optional) | No trumps |
| 2. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit | |
| Tip 3rd deg | 1. | Declarer names partner card | Any suit |
| 2. | Trumps are determined by the widow | Any denomination | |
The partner card shall be an ace of an elegible suit. However, if the declarer's hand contains the aces in all elegible suits, the declarer is allowed to select a king of an elegible suit as partner card. Likewise, if the declarer has all aces and all kings in all elegible suits, the declarer is allowed to select a queen of an elegible suit as partner card etc. The person who has the partner card will be the declarer's partner. This is not to be revealed verbally, but by playing the partner card during the game. However, in halves games, the partner shall reveal himself immediately after the partner card is named and then name the trump denomination.
If no other player has the partner card, the player has no partner (own partner). All players who are not declarer or declarer's partner are defenders, and are each other's partners. In halves, an own partner shall name the trump denomination himself.
Special Rules for Tip Designations
If one or more players joined the declarer they repeat step 1 in the declaration procedure in the table above in the same order as they joined the declarer, i.e. they each name a potential partner card, which will be the partner card if the joiner becomes declarer. The declarer names his partner card first, then the player who joined first etc. The partnership indicated by the choice of partner card is only valid if that person is declarer after the tipping procedure.
The trump suit is determined by turning one or more cards of the widow face up. The cards are faced one by one until the declarer accepts a card. After acceptance of a card, no more cards are turned, and the suit of the card indicates the trump suit. An ordinary card accepted makes the suit of the turned card the trump suit. A wild card accepted gives a no trumps game.
The following rules of facing, accepting and declining apply:
| Designation | Card | Faced | Can be accepted or declined | ||
| 1. | Tip 1st deg | 1st card | Always | Can be accepted or declined | |
| 2nd card | If 1st card declined | Can be accepted or declined | |||
| 3rd card | If 2nd card declined | Cannot be declined | |||
| 2. | Tip 2nd deg | 1st card | Always | Cannot be accepted | |
| 2nd card | Always | Can be accepted or declined | |||
| 3rd card | If 2nd card declined | Cannot be declined | |||
| 3. | Tip 3rd deg | 1st card | Always | Cannot be accepted | |
| 2nd card | Always | Cannot be accepted | |||
| 3rd card | Always | Cannot be declined |
If one or more players joined a tip contract, the above rules 1-3 of facing, accepting and declining apply with the following exception: For each card faced, first the declarer shall accept or decline (provided a choice is allowed for that person in that round), then the player who was the first to join shall accept or decline, etc., finishing with the player who was the last one to join the contract. But only the player who was the last one to join cannot decline the third card. If the declarer or any of the joiners accepts a card, facing of the widow stops. If the accepting player is not the declarer, the accepting player shall take over as declarer.
The declarer or, if the designation is halves, the declarer's partner, has the right to exchange three cards from his hand with the three cards of the widow. Exchange of one or two cards are not allowed. Exchange is not obligatory. The right to exchange cannot be transferred to anybody else. The three discarded cards must be laid on the table face down before the widow is picked up. The discarded cards shall not be shown to other players.
All the declarers have the opportunity to exchange cards.
In case of more than one declarer, the declarers are not each other's partners but play for
themselves. The players who are not declarers in a solo game, are each other's partners.
If the first
declarer wants to exchange cards, he puts exactly three cards down from his hand
(face down) and afterwards he picks up the three cards of the widow. The
discards shall not be shown to the other players. If there is
a second declarer and he wants to exchange cards, he put three cards
down and picks up the three cards on the table (the first declarer's discards or
– if the first player did not exchange – the widow). The
procedure is repeated for third and fourth declarer, if applicable.
Covered Card in Trump Games
If, after the exchange and before play starts, the declarer is void in the suit of the partner card, he may lay a card face down on the table before him, saying "covered". This card will count as a card in the suit of the partner card with value below the 2 of that suit.
The Value of the Cards
In trump
games, the highest card in each suit is the ace, followed by king, queen, jack,
ten, nine etc. through two.
I solo games, the highest card
in each suit is the king followed by queen, knight, ten, nine etc. through two
and ace.
First lead is made by the player to the left of the dealer.
Playing the Cards
Following rules apply to playing the cards:
| 1. | The player leading, "the forehand", plays any card from his hand. | ||
| 2. | After a lead, the other players, in rotation named "the second hand/middlehand", "the third hand/middlehand", and "the rearhand" play a card according to the following rules | ||
| a) | If the lead card is an ordinary card, the other players must follow suit if possible. If a player is void in the lead suit, the player may play any card. | ||
| b) | If the lead card is a wild card, the other players may play any card. | ||
The above rules of playing cards nonwithstanding, the partner card as well as the covered card, if a such has been laid down, must be played the first time the suit of the partner card is led.
Winning a Trick
The four cards played make up a trick. A trick is won:
| 1. | If there are trump cards in the trick, by the player playing the highest trump card | ||
| 2. | If there are no trump cards in the trick, | ||
| a) | by the player player playing the highest card in the lead suit if the lead card is an ordinary card | ||
| b) | by the leading player if the lead card is a wild card | ||
A player may see the face of the cards of the last played trick as long as the cards of the previous trick have not been turned face down.
Open and Closed Hand
Play is made with closed hand, except when playing clean open solo, in which case the declarers shall play with a open hand after the first trick has been collected. The cards must be laid down before the winner of the first trick is leading to the second trick.
The players shall before play begins agree on a scoring table for which the guidelines are described below.
In all games and in case of penalties, the sum of scores shall be zero.
The score corresponds to a certain sum of money if it is agreed before play begins.
If the declarer's side wins at least the number of tricks indicated in the contract, they win the game. Otherwise they lose.
Settling when Declarer Has Partner
The winning score of the contract is added to the score of each of the players from a winning declarer's side. The winning score of the contract is subtracted from both the players from the defenders' side.
For each overtrick, the winning score of the contract is added to the score of each of the players from a declarer's side winning with overtricks. The winning score of the contract is subtracted from both the players from the defenders' side.
For each undertrick, the losing score of the contract is subtracted from the score of each of the players from a losing declarer's side. For each undertrick, the losing score of the contract is added to both the players from the defenders' side.
Settling when Declarer Is Own Partner
Twice the winning score of the contract is added to a winning declarer's score. Two-thirds of the winning score of the contract is subtracted from each of the three players from the defenders' side.
For each overtrick, twice the winning score of the contract is added to the score of a declarer winning with overtricks. Two-thirds of the winning score of the contract is subtracted from each of the three players from the defenders' side.
For each undertrick, twice the losing score of the contract is subtracted from a losing declarer's score. For each undertrick, two-thirds of the losing score of the contract is added to each of the three players from the defenders' side.
Score Table Guidelines for Trump Games
The winning and losing scores of the contract are included in a score table according to the following guidelines.
|
1. |
For each time the number of tricks in a contract is increased with one, the base winning score is multiplied with 2,5. |
|
2. |
If diamonds, hearts or spades are trumps, the winning score is the base winning score. |
|
3. |
If clubs are trumps, the winning score is twice the base winning score. |
|
4. |
In case of no trumps, the winning score is four times the base winning score. |
|
5. |
If the designation is halves, the winning score is twice the base winning score. |
|
6. |
In case of a trip designation, the winning score is the base winning score if one of the widow cards has been faced. |
|
7. |
In case of a trip designation, the winning score is twice the base winning score if two of the widow cards have been faced. |
|
8. |
In case of a trip designation, the winning score is four times the base winning score if all the widow cards have been faced. |
|
9. |
The highest of the applicable winning scores is applied. |
| 10. | The losing score is 1,5 times the winning score. |
In Solo, a declarer who wins no more than one trick, wins the
game. A declarer winning more than one trick loses the game.
I Clean Solo and Open Clean Solo, a declarer
who does not win any tricks, wins the game. A declarer winning one or more
tricks, loses the game.
Three times the winning score of the contract is added to a losing declarer's score. The winning score of the contract is deducted from the three other players' scores.
Three times the losing score of the contract is deducted from a losing declarer's score. The losing score of the contract is added to the three other players' scores.
If there are more than one declarer the scores are accumulated.
The winning and losing scores of the contract are included in a score table according to the following guidelines
| 1. | The winning score of Solo is equal to the 1,5 times the base winning score of 9. |
| 2. | The winning score of Clean Solo is 2,5 times the winning score of Solo |
| 3. | The winning score of Open Clean Solo is 2,5 times the winning score of Clean Solo |
| 4. | The losing score of any contract is 1,5 times the winning score of the same contract. |
|
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
S |
CS |
OCS |
Irr Deal | ||||||
| 1x | W |
0.50 |
1.00 |
2.50 |
6.00 |
15.00 |
36.00 |
1x | W |
1.50 |
3.75 |
9.00 |
1x | 1.00 | |
| L |
0.50 |
1.50 |
3.75 |
9.00 |
22.50 |
54.00 |
L |
2.25 |
5.50 |
13.50 |
3x | 3.00 | |||
| 2x | W |
0.75 |
2.00 |
5.00 |
12.00 |
30.00 |
72.00 |
3x | W |
4.50 |
11.25 |
27.00 |
4x | 4.00 | |
| L |
1.25 |
3.00 |
7.50 |
18.00 |
45.00 |
108.00 |
L |
6.75 |
16.50 |
40.50 |
5x | 5.00 | |||
| 4x | W |
1.50 |
4.00 |
10.00 |
24.00 |
60.00 |
144.00 |
||||||||
| L |
2.50 |
6.00 |
15.00 |
36.00 |
90.00 |
216.00 |
|
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
S |
CS |
OCS |
Irr Deal | ||||||
| 1x | W |
0.06 |
0.14 |
0.36 |
0.90 |
2.20 |
5.50 |
1x | W |
0.20 |
0.50 |
1.20 |
1x | 0.15 | |
| L |
0.09 |
0.21 |
0.54 |
1.35 |
3.30 |
7.75 |
L |
0.30 |
0.80 |
1.80 |
3x | 0.45 | |||
| 2x | W |
0.12 |
0.28 |
0.72 |
1.80 |
4.40 |
11.00 |
3x | W |
0.60 |
1.50 |
3.60 |
4x | 0.60 | |
| L |
0.18 |
0.42 |
1.08 |
2.70 |
6.60 |
16.50 |
L |
0.90 |
2.25 |
5.40 |
5x | 0.75 | |||
| 4x | W |
0.24 |
0.56 |
1.44 |
3.60 |
8.80 |
22.00 |
||||||||
| L |
0.36 |
0.84 |
2.16 |
5.40 |
13.20 |
33.00 |
|
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
S |
CS |
OCS |
Irr Deal | ||||||
| 1x | W |
0.05 |
0.12 |
0.30 |
0.75 |
1.80 |
4.50 |
1x | W |
0.18 |
0.45 |
1.13 |
1x | 0.12 | |
| L |
0.08 |
0.18 |
0.45 |
1.13 |
2.70 |
6.75 |
L |
0.27 |
0.67 |
1.70 |
3x | 0.36 | |||
| 2x | W |
0.10 |
0.24 |
0.60 |
1.50 |
3.60 |
9.00 |
3x | W |
0.54 |
1.35 |
3.39 |
4x | 0.48 | |
| L |
0.15 |
0.36 |
0.90 |
2.25 |
5.40 |
13.50 |
L |
0.81 |
2.01 |
5.10 |
5x | 0.60 | |||
| 4x | W |
0.20 |
0.48 |
1.20 |
3.00 |
7.20 |
18.00 |
||||||||
| L |
0.30 |
0.72 |
1.80 |
4.50 |
10.80 |
27.00 |
|
8 |
9 |
10 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
S |
CS |
OCS |
Irr Deal | ||||||
| 1x | W |
0.03 |
0.08 |
0.20 |
0.50 |
1.20 |
3.00 |
1x | W |
0.12 |
0.30 |
0.75 |
1x | 0.08 | |
| L |
0.05 |
0.12 |
0.30 |
0.75 |
1.80 |
4.50 |
L |
0.18 |
0.45 |
1.13 |
3x | 0.24 | |||
| 2x | W |
0.07 |
0.16 |
0.40 |
1.00 |
2.40 |
6.00 |
3x | W |
0.36 |
0.90 |
2.25 |
4x | 0.32 | |
| L |
0.10 |
0.24 |
0.60 |
1.50 |
3.60 |
9.00 |
L |
0.54 |
1.35 |
3.39 |
5x | 0.40 | |||
| 4x | W |
0.13 |
0.32 |
0.80 |
2.00 |
4.80 |
12.00 |
||||||||
| L |
0.20 |
0.48 |
1.20 |
3.00 |
7.20 |
18.00 |