Welcome to Ferbli!

In Ferbli, the goal is simple: have the best 4-card hand.

Whether you’re playing with 2 or 7 players, get ready for an exciting game!

Grab a 32-card deck with German suits and let the fun begin.

The cards rank as follows: A (highest), K, Over, Under, X, IX, VIII, VII.

Ferbli falls under the category of vying games, putting your strategic skills to the test.

While this game is suitable for adults, players of all ages can enjoy the excitement.

Discover Ferbli

Ferbli, a card game with Hungarian origins, gained popularity throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. Nowadays, it’s not as widely played and is mostly enjoyed in rural areas of Hungary and Transylvania.

Its name, Ferbli, comes from the German word “Farbe,” which means “color.” You may have even come across it in Austrian Casinos under the names “41” or “Färbli.”

The goal of the game is to have the best hand of four cards or to trick other players into thinking your hand is better so that they fold during betting.

In Ferbli, the game is designed for 2 to 7 players, and the dealing and gameplay move counterclockwise or to the right.

The game uses a 32-card deck with German suits. In Hungary, the deck is called “magyar kártya.”

The suits in the game are acorns or “makk,” leaves or “zöld,” gourds or “tök,” and hearts or “piros.”

The cards in the deck include the Ace or “ász,” King or “király,” Over or “felső,” Under or “alsó,” X or “tízes,” IX or “kilences,” VIII or “nyolcas,” and VII or “hetes.” Sometimes, the Ace is also known as the Pig or “disznó.”

To compare hands, let’s assign point values to the cards:

– Ace = 11 points

– King = 10 points

– Over = 10 points

– Under = 10 points

– X = 10 points

– IX = 9 points

– VIII = 8 points

– VII = 7 points.

Now, let’s take a look at the different possible hand combinations, ranked from the highest to the lowest:

1. Four of a Kind: This means having four cards of the same rank. The highest possible hand in this category would be four Aces, while the lowest would be four VII cards. The ranking of the cards follows the order mentioned above.

2. Banda (gang): This hand consists of four cards in the same suit. The ranking of these hands is determined by the total value of the cards in the hand, which can range from 34 to 41.

3. Three of a Kind: This category includes hands with three cards of the same rank. The ranking of these hands is based on the card ranks mentioned earlier, with the Ace being the highest and the VII being the lowest.

Discover the Fascinating World of Ferbli Card Game

Have you ever heard of the thrilling card game called Ferbli? If not, let me introduce you to this exciting and unique game. Ferbli is a game that combines strategy, luck, and skill, making it a favorite among card game enthusiasts.

When I first learned about Ferbli, I was instantly captivated by its simplicity and complexity at the same time. It’s a game that keeps you on your toes and offers endless possibilities.

Now, let’s delve into the different card combinations that you’ll come across in Ferbli:

1. Three-card Ferbli: This combination consists of three cards in the same suit, and it follows the traditional card rankings.
2. Two Aces: A pair of Aces holds the highest value in Ferbli, while no other pair carries any significant value.
3. Two-card Ferbli: This combination features two cards in the same suit, with a value ranging from 21 to 15.
4. One card per suit: With this combination, cards are ranked by their high card, ranging from 11 to 8.

Experience the Thrill of the Deal & Betting

Now that you are familiar with the card combinations in Ferbli, let’s explore the deal and betting process.

Picture this: you’re seated at the table, excitement building up within you, as the dealer begins to deal the cards. You carefully observe your hand, strategizing your next move.

Once you’ve analyzed your cards, it’s time to place your bets. This is where your intuition and knowledge of the game come into play. Will you take a risk or play it safe?

Remember that in Ferbli, every decision counts, and each bet can make or break your fortune. It’s a game that tests your nerves and rewards calculated moves.

So, are you ready to embark on a Ferbli adventure? Gather your friends, immerse yourselves in its intricacies, and let the excitement of this unique card game fill the air.

When we play a game, it’s important that we all agree on the stakes beforehand. We need to decide on the minimum bet, which we call the “vizi”, and the maximum bet. If we want to raise our bet, we can place additional bets. The other players then have to decide if they want to match the bet or fold and give up their chance to win the pot. Usually, we play a game called “Limited Ferbli”, where the minimum raise is the same as the vizi. The maximum raise is double the previous highest bet. The first bet can be anywhere between the vizi and twice the vizi. If the first bet is double the vizi, the next bet can be the same or up to four times the vizi.

Before we start dealing the cards, the player to the right of the dealer, who we call the first player, has to pay the minimum bet into the pot.

Alright, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of this card game. First things first, the dealer gives the deck a good shuffle, and then the player sitting on their left gets to cut it. Once that’s done, the dealer hands out a pair of cards, face-down, to each player. Just a heads up, the dealer starts distributing cards from their right side. Oh, and here’s a fun fact – if you’re curious about the bottom card of the deck, you can totally ask to see it. Cool, right?

THE FIRST BETTING ROUND – GETTING STARTED

Alright, here’s where things get interesting. In the very first round, players take a good look at their two cards. Now, pay close attention – if there’s a player who hasn’t put any chips (also known as “vizi”) in the pot yet, everyone else has to match their bet at the very least to stay in the game. Sounds a bit challenging, doesn’t it? The game moves in a clockwise direction or to the right, so we start with the player two seats to the right of the dealer (this could also be the player on the right side of the first player). From there, each player has a simple choice – match the bet or fold. If they decide to fold, they’re out of the game. Yup, that’s right, they just place their hand crosswise on the table, face-down – a clear sign that they’re tapping out. Tough luck, but hey, that’s all part of the game!

If there are only 4 or fewer players at the table now, we can still keep the game going with just two active players. However, if we started with five or more players, we need at least three players to continue.

But what happens if we don’t have enough players? Well, in that case, we throw in all the cards and those who didn’t pay the vizi before now have to do so. This means that the pot will now have one vizi per player, and this is called a cukassza. After that, the deal moves to the right, and the game starts again. The player to the right of the dealer has to put in another vizi, and each player receives two new cards. Then, we repeat the first betting round.

Now, here’s something interesting. As the pot gets bigger, it gives everyone more reasons to stick around and keep playing. After all, who doesn’t want a chance to win a bigger pot?

SECOND BETTING ROUND – Besszerelés, Kószáltatás

Once I finish the first betting round and there are still enough players participating, I have the option to increase the amount of money at stake. This is done by either saying “besszer” or “beljebb.” If I choose not to raise, no one else can raise either. At this point, the dealer will ask me, “mehet,” which means “should the game continue?” I can answer yes if I don’t want to raise. Then, the dealer will give each player two more cards, and we start the third round of betting.

However, if you choose to raise as the first player, the game takes a different turn. When you raise, you also put some of your vizi into the pot. You can put in as much as twice the vizi that is already in the pot. Now, the other players have three options: they can match your raise, fold and quit the game, or raise even more.

Let’s say everyone folds and quits the game. Well, congratulations! You just won the pot all by yourself!

But if there is at least one other player who is still in the game, things get interesting. The game continues, and the next player has to make a decision. They can fold and give up, match your raise and continue playing, or raise even more.

So, I find myself in an interesting predicament. You see, in a game like this, the very last player, whether it’s the dealer or the person to their left, has a little trick up their sleeve. They can raise the stakes even further beyond what the first player raised. It’s a move we call “kóstáltatás” – charging. And let me tell you, this can really shake things up!

Once the last player pulls off this charging move, they can keep raising the stakes with a twist. They can do this for as many times as there are players in the game. So, if there are four players, that means they can raise the bet four times in total. Talk about a power move!

If the last player decides to charge the first player, they can go as high as double the best bet. It’s a big risk, but potentially a big reward too. Now, here comes the interesting part: after this charging business, the dealer gives the first player two more cards. At this moment, the first player has a choice to make. They can either pay the charge or, if they’re feeling bold, they can “kósta” – stick it to the last player and refuse to pay.

But wait, there’s more! No matter what the first player decides, the other active players have to make a call without getting those extra two cards. They need to determine if they’re willing to pay the charge or if they should fold. It’s a high-stakes decision without all the information.

Now, here’s the kicker: while the first player has four cards, everyone else only has two. Talk about an advantage! It adds an extra level of excitement and uncertainty to the game. Who knows what the outcome will be?

No matter if I paid my fee first, you can still charge me in the game, and so can the next player, all the way around the table. You can charge me up to twice the biggest bet made so far. But if you decide to stop charging me, I’ll get my next two cards without a charge.

The player right before you, or the player on your left, is called the “ostorhegyes” or the “trace-horse.” If there are only two players, then the trace-horse is the first player. You can charge the trace-horse twice, once for each card.

Here are the options for charging the trace-horse:

– You can charge them for the third and fourth cards.

– You can charge them for only the third card.

– You can choose not to charge them at all.

When it comes to the game of trace-horse, it’s important to know that the last player can charge just like the others. And you know what? Each charge can be even bigger than the last bet made. So, if you’re still in the game and don’t want to fold, you have to match these charges.

Now, here’s an interesting twist. When it’s your turn to bet, you can choose to look at your cards first or do it blindly. It’s up to you! And this blind bet option becomes available in the third betting round.

Welcome to the third betting round!

By now, all active players have a total of four cards in their hands. So, it’s time to analyze your hand and make some strategic decisions. But you also have the option to only look at the first two cards and bet without knowing the other two. It’s all about strategy! Just remember, if the original first player is still in the game, they get to be the first to bet, right after the dealer.

When it’s time to start betting, the first player takes the lead. They can bet anywhere from 1 vizi to double the highest previous bet. The first player can choose to check, but they must also be willing to match or increase the following bets. If you want to check, just say “fórpássz” if you’re the first player, “cupássz” if you’re the second player, “dru” if you’re the third player, “undpássz” if you’re the fourth player, or “und” if you’re any other remaining player. If everyone checks, then there’s no winner and all the players put their cards down. Players who haven’t bet at least the vizi amount are required to put in more money, which goes into the pot for the next round.

So, here’s the deal. When someone decides to place a bet in this game, everyone else has to decide what they’re going to do. They can match the bet by calling, raise the bet, or just give up and fold. If they fold, they lose the chance of winning anything in this round. But if they decide to call or raise, well, things get interesting.

Now, here’s the tricky part. The last player to call, the one who doesn’t fold, gets to take home all the money. Yep, that’s right, they don’t even have to show their hand. They just win the pot without any fancy showdown. Pretty cool, huh?

But wait, there’s more! If there are still multiple players in the game after the betting, the last person who called can raise the bet. And get this, the raise can be anywhere between twice the biggest bet placed so far and the amount of money everyone has on the table. Talk about raising the stakes!

Now, here’s the catch. All the players who are still active, meaning they haven’t folded, have to either match the new raise or raise even more. It’s like a poker battle royale, and you gotta be willing to put your money where your mouth is to stay in the game.

So how do you win the whole shebang? It’s simple. You just gotta have the best hand. That’s right, the player with the best combination of cards in their hand walks away with the entire pot. It’s all about having the right cards at the right time, and a little bit of luck never hurts either.

BETTING BLIND – Vakin Hívás

When we reach the third round of betting, some players may choose to bet blindly with only two cards in hand. This means that they haven’t seen their next card yet. If you decide to bet blindly, you have to raise the bet unless you want to fold. The last player to match the blind bet is forced to raise it even higher to stay in the game. The player betting blindly can take a look at their two cards that they have already seen, but if they look at their blind cards, blind betting immediately comes to an end.

It’s Showdown Time!

If more than one player makes it to the end of the betting, it’s time for the showdown. This is when players reveal their cards, and the player with the best hand wins the pot! Starting with the player on the right side of the dealer, everyone shows their cards. In case two players have the same hand, the player closest to the right of the dealer gets to take the pot. There’s no splitting the pot—just one winner takes it all.