Charlemagne: A Historical Card Game with a Twist

Hey there! Let me introduce you to a captivating card game called Charlemagne. It’s all about fulfilling your bids and scoring 32 points before anyone else. Are you ready to give it a try?

Charlemagne is a game made for 4 players, who will be divided into fixed partnerships. So gather your friends and let the fun begin!

Now, let’s talk about the deck. In Charlemagne, you will be playing with a special deck consisting of 34 cards. This deck includes cards from A to 7, as well as 2 Jokers.

Each card has its own rank, and in this game, the A is the highest-ranking card, followed by K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, and 7. Keep this in mind as you strategize and plan your moves.

Charlemagne is a trick-taking game, which means you’ll need to use your skills and tactics to outsmart your opponents in each round. It’s a game that requires both luck and strategy, making it a great choice for adults who enjoy a challenge.

So, if you’re looking for a card game that will test your wits and entertain you for hours, Charlemagne is the perfect choice. Give it a go and see if you have what it takes to come out on top!

Enter the World of Charlemagne

Have you ever heard of a card game called Charlemagne? It’s a pretty popular trick-taking game in Eastern Canada and sometimes played in Maine. Charlemagne seems to be a variation of a game called Euchre, more specifically Bid Euchre.

THE CARDS

In Charlemagne, you play with a deck of 34 cards. The deck includes Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, and cards numbered 7 through 2. However, the 6s, 5s, 4s, 3s, and 2s are left out. There are also two Jokers in the deck. It’s important to be able to tell the Jokers apart, whether it’s by color or some other difference, because one of them is considered “bigger” than the other.

In the game, there are special cards called Jokers that hold the highest rank when they are in the trump suit. Right after the Jokers, there is a card called Big Jack, or the jack of trumps, which comes next in rank. And then we have the Little Jack, which is the jack of the other suit of the same color. In the game, we use the names “Le Bar” for Big Jack and “Le Petit Bar” for the Little Jack, which originated from the Euchre game where they are called bowers. The word “bower” itself comes from the German word “bauer,” which means peasant.

For the non-trump suits, the ranking is as follows: A, K, Q, (J), 10, 9, 8, 7.

THE DEAL

When it comes to who gets to deal first, it’s up to the players to decide. After each deal, the turn moves to the player on the left.

When it comes to playing cards, the dealer shuffles the deck and the player to their right cuts it. Then, the dealer gives each player 8 cards. How the cards are dealt may vary, such as dealing them two at a time. As part of the deal, the dealer also deals 2 cards face-down to the middle of the table.

Let’s Talk Bidding

Before the game starts, there is a round of bidding. It begins with the player to the left of the dealer and ends with the dealer themselves. Each player has the option to either pass or place a bid. However, each bid must be higher than the previous one. Here are the different bids and what they mean:

• 5: This bid means that you believe your team can win (or take) at least 5 tricks.
• 6: With this bid, you’re saying that your team can take at least 6 tricks.

Understanding the Game of Pinochle

Have you ever wanted to learn how to play Pinochle? Pinochle is a card game that is popular all around the world, and it is known for its strategic gameplay and exciting twists. In this article, I will explain the rules of Pinochle and give you some tips to help you become a better player.

The Basics

Pinochle is a trick-taking game that is typically played with a deck of 48 cards. The deck consists of two sets of cards, each containing nine through ace in all four suits. The objective of the game is to be the first player or team to reach a predetermined number of points, usually 1,000 or 2,500. Points are earned by winning tricks and bidding accurately.

The Bidding Process

The game begins with a bidding process, where players take turns making bids. Bidding is important because it determines how many points a player or team needs to win in order to fulfill their bid. Here are some common bids:

• 7: You bid that your team will take at least 7 tricks.
• 8: You bid that your team will take at least 8 tricks.
• Mulot: Play alone, without the kitty, and try to lose every trick.
• Charlemagne: Bidder plays alone, with the kitty and one card from their partner, and tries to win every trick, also called “Petit Charles.”
• Gros Mulot: Mulot with exposed cards.
• Gros Charlemagne: Like Charlemagne but the bidder may use the kitty or ask their partner for a card. However, they may not do both.

The Play

Starting the Tricks

If I bid 5, 6, 7, or 8, then I get to pick two cards from the kitty and give away two cards I don’t want. After that, I choose the suit that will be the trump suit. The cards in this suit will beat all the other cards. Just remember the rankings I told you before for more information. The person sitting next to me starts the game by playing the first card.

If I bid “Mulot”, then there are no trumps except for the two Jokers. All the other suits have their cards ranked from A to 7. We don’t touch the kitty in this case. My partner throws away their hand and doesn’t play. I start the game by playing the first card. It’s the same when we play “Gros Mulot”, but after the first round, I show everyone my hand and we keep playing.

When you play a game called Charlemagne, if you win the bid, you get to take the kitty and one card from your partner. You don’t have to discuss it; you just do it. Then, you get rid of three cards that you don’t want and choose the trump suit. It’s your turn to start the game by playing the first card.

In the game Gros Charlemagne, things are similar to Charlemagne, but not exactly the same. If you win the bid in Gros Charlemagne, you can choose either the kitty or your partner’s single card, not both. Whichever one you choose, you have to get rid of the same number of cards that you took. It could be either two cards or just one. After that, you name the trumps and you lead the first trick.

How to Win Tricks

When we’re playing a game of trick-taking, it’s important to remember a few key rules. First, if you have a card that matches the suit that was led, you should try to play a card from that suit. But here’s an interesting twist: in some games, a special card called Little Jack is considered part of the trump suit, which means it can be played instead of a card from the led suit. If you can’t follow suit and you don’t have a Little Jack, then you have to play a trump card if you have one. And if you don’t have any trumps either, you can play any card from your hand. But here’s the thing: in a trick-taking game, the highest ranking trump card wins the trick. If no trumps are played, then the highest value card from the suit that was led takes the trick.

Now, let’s talk about what happens when someone wins a trick. The winner of a trick gets to lead in the next one, meaning they get to choose which card to play first. It’s kind of like being in charge! And this continues until all the cards have been played.

Oh, before I forget! I have another game to tell you about called Mulot and Gros Mulot. In this game, Jokers have some special rules. If you have a Joker and you can’t follow suit, you have to play the Joker. And here’s an interesting twist: if someone starts a trick with a Joker, the other player who has the other Joker has to play theirs too! But everyone else can play any card from their hand. It’s a real game of surprises!

Now, let’s talk about scoring.

Hey there, let’s talk about scoring bids in a game. It’s a pretty important aspect, so I want to make sure you understand it. Teams in this game keep track of their cumulative scores, and those scores depend on whether the bids were fulfilled or not. If a bid is successfully met, the bidding team gets to add the number of points they won to their running score. However, if the bid is not met, the other team gets those points instead. Make sense so far?

Alright, now let me break down the scoring rules for you:

• If the bid is 5, 6, 7, or 8, the team scores the exact amount of the bid if they successfully meet it. If they don’t, the other team wins those points.
• Now, there’s a special bid called Mulot. If a team successfully fulfills this bid, they get a nice 15 points. But if they fail, the opposing team scores 7 points.
• Next up, we have Charlemagne. If the bid is met, the team scores a cool 16 points. But if it’s not met, the opposing team gets 8 points.
• Alright, moving on to Gros Mulot. This is a big one! If the team successfully fulfills this bid, they score a whopping 30 points. But if they fail, the opposing team gets 15 points.
• Lastly, we have Gros Charlemagne. This bid is no joke! If it’s met, the team scores an impressive 32 points. But if it’s not met, the opposing team gets 16 points.

Now, here’s the juicy part. The first team to score 32 points or more wins the game! So keep that in mind and aim for those high scores. Good luck!