Get Ready to Play Klaberjass!

Klaberjass is an awesome card game that originated in the early 19th century in the Netherlands. It’s designed to challenge and thrill two players. All you need is a standard 32-card French deck to start having a blast! What sets Klaberjass apart from other trick-taking games is its unique twist: you’ll need to collect specific cards, form powerful combinations, and secure the final trick to come out on top!

Discover the Cards and the Deal

Before diving into a game of Klaberjass, make sure to remove all the 2’s to 6’s from each suit. This tweak helps keep the game exciting and unpredictable, just like the classics!

Here’s how the cards rank in Klaberjass:

Normal cards: 7, 8, 9, Jack, Queen, King, 10, Ace (highest to lowest)

Trump cards: 7, 8, Queen, King, 10, Ace, 9, Jack (highest to lowest)

Sequential ranking: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace (highest to lowest)

So, here’s how we figure out who gets to be the dealer and keep score. Each of us takes a card from the deck, and whoever has the lowest card gets the job. Easy, right? The dealer then collects all the cards and gives them a good shuffle. And here’s the fun part: the winner of each round gets to be the dealer for the next one!

Now that we know who’s in charge, it’s time to get down to business. Each player gets six cards, handed out three at a time. The rest of the deck goes on the table as a draw pile. Oh, and don’t forget the trump card! Take the top card and flip it over, so everyone can see. Put it under the draw pile, but make sure to leave half of it sticking out.

Let the games begin!

Hey there, let me walk you through the decision-making process in a card game. It’s pretty interesting! When we’re playing, if I don’t like the trump suit, I can pass. Then it’s the dealer’s turn to decide. They can either accept the trump suit or pass as well. If they accept, we can start playing with that suit as the trump. But if the dealer also passes, both of us have another chance to choose the trump suit. Since I’m the non-dealer, I get to decide first this time. If I pass again, then it’s the dealer’s turn to declare the trump suit. And if we both pass without choosing, we have to collect the cards and deal them again. Here’s the kicker: the player who calls the trump suit has to earn the most points in the round. So, you see, it’s all about strategy and trying to make the best decision!

When it’s time to choose the trump suit, the dealer gives each player three more cards. I also get to see the bottom card of the deck, even though it doesn’t count towards the game. It’s pretty handy because it gives me an idea of what cards are in play. Right now, there are two cards face up: the trump determination card and the bottom card.

But before we start playing, we should let each other know if we have any sequences in our hand. A sequence is when I have three or more cards of the same suit in order. If we both have a sequence, the one with the highest-ranking sequence gets the points. A three-card sequence beats a lower one, and a four-card sequence beats three, and so on.

When we’re playing a special card game called Trump Suit, something interesting happens when a player has the 7 card of the trump suit. You see, if they want to, they can swap that card with the one that was turned up at the beginning of the game to determine the trump suit. For example, let’s say the trump suit card was a Jack – in that case, the player would trade their lower-ranked 7 card for the Jack card.

But that’s not all! If a player happens to have both the King and Queen cards of the trump suit in their hand, that’s a really special combination called the Bella. When someone has the Bella, they need to announce it when they play the second card in the combination. And guess what? You can earn points just for having the Bella. So make sure to declare it when you play that second card.

When it’s my turn to play, I can choose any card from my hand to lead the first trick. But here’s the catch – if you’re the next player, you have to play a card from the same suit if you have one. If you don’t, then you must play a trump card. Now, if the first card played was already a trump card, then you have to play a higher ranking trump card if you can. However, if you can’t follow suit or play a trump card, you have the freedom to play any card from your hand. It’s like a little puzzle, trying to figure out how to win each trick!

The player who lays down the highest trump card or the highest card in the suit that was led gets to take the trick. And guess what? The player who takes the trick gets to lead the next one! We keep playing in this way until all nine tricks have been captured. Once we’re done with the round, it’s time to add up the score and see who did the best.

SCORING

So, here’s the deal: when playing this game, you can earn points in a couple of different ways. First, you can capture certain cards to earn points. Second, you can get points for having the Bella (which is a special card) and for having the highest sequence of cards at the beginning of the round. Let’s break it down:

If you capture a Trump Jack, you get 20 points. If you capture a Trump 9, you get 14 points. Aces are worth 11 points each, 10s are worth 10 points each, Kings are worth 4 points each, Queens are worth 3 points each, and non-trump Jacks are worth 2 points each. Don’t forget about the Bella card – that one’s worth a whopping 20 points!

Now, let’s talk about sequences. If you have the highest sequence of 3 cards, you’ll get 20 points. If your sequence is 4 cards or more, you’ll score an impressive 50 points. And if you manage to capture the last trick, guess what? That’s another 10 points for you!

But wait, there’s more! There’s a little twist to the game. If you’re the one who decided on the trump suit and you don’t end up earning more points than your opponent, you lose all the points you collected and your opponent gets them instead. Ouch!

Now, let’s talk about winning.

The game is over when someone reaches 500 points or more. However, if both players pass the 500 points mark at the same time, the player with the highest score will be crowned the winner. So, make sure you aim high and play your cards right!