Let’s Play Klaverjassen!

Klaverjassen is a really fun card game that you can play with a group of 4 people. The game is played in teams of 2, and the goal is to score as many points as possible. We play 16 rounds, and each round is scored before we move on to the next one.

Getting Started

First, we need to get the deck ready. We remove all the cards that have a value of 6 or lower, so we’re left with a deck of 32 cards.

To decide who goes first, we’ll choose a dealer randomly. Each round, the dealer will pass the deck to the left. The dealer shuffles the deck and gives each player 8 cards. You can choose to deal the cards in different groups, like 3, 2, and 3 cards, or two groups of 4 cards.

Understanding Card Rankings and Values

When playing card games, it’s important to know how the cards are ranked. This differs between the trump suit and the other suits. Let me break it down for you:

In the trump suit, the highest-ranked card is the Jack, followed by 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, and 7 as the lowest-ranked card.

As for the other suits, the high card is the Ace, followed by 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, and 7 as the low card.

The fun doesn’t stop there! When you win cards in tricks, they have different values depending on whether they are from the trump suit or the other suits.

Let’s talk about the trump suit values first. In this suit, Jacks are worth 20 points, 9s are worth 14 points, aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points, and 8s and 7s are worth nothing.

Now, for the non-trump suits, the values are slightly different. Aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points, and jacks are worth 2 points. But watch out! 9s, 8s, and 7s are worth nothing in this case.

Now, let’s choose our trump card and play!

When it comes to this game, there are three ways you can pick the trumps. It’s important to discuss and agree on one method before we start playing. You have the option of free choice, Utrecht, or random trump. The team of the player who gets to choose trumps becomes the declaring team. Their job is to win more points during the round.

Let’s start with the free choice method. It begins with the player on the dealer’s left (or the dealer themselves in some variations). They can either choose a trump suit or pass. Then, we move clockwise, and each player has the same choice. If everyone passes, the starting player has to choose the trumps.

Now, let me explain the Utrecht method. In this case, it’s the player on the dealer’s left who must choose the trump suit.

When playing the game of Random Trump, there is an interesting twist. After shuffling a second deck of cards, we reveal the top card. This card will determine the trump suit for the game. As the dealer, it’s up to me to offer the trump suit to the player on my left. They can either accept it or pass. This choice then passes around the table, with each player making the same decision. If everyone passes, there is another option before we start the game. We can choose to reveal a second card that the player to the left of the dealer must use as trumps. Alternatively, we can allow that player to choose any trump suit except for the one revealed by the first card.

HOW TO PLAY

There are two sets of rules for Random Trump: one based on the Amsterdam version and the other based on the Rotterdam version. These rules help us determine when players are able or required to play their trump cards during the game.

When it comes to card games, there are different rulesets to follow. However, they all have one thing in common—I, as the player sitting to the left of the dealer, always start. I have the freedom to choose any card for the first trick, and everyone else must play a card of the same suit if they have one. If no trumps are played and everyone follows suit, the player with the highest card of the suit takes the trick. But if trumps are played, the highest-ranked trump card wins the trick instead. The winner of the trick then gets to lead the next one.

Amsterdam

When I’m playing the game of Amsterdam, there are rules I need to follow if I can’t play a card of the same suit as the one led. If the other team is winning the trick and I have a trump card or a higher-ranked trump card, I have to play it to beat them. If I don’t have a trump card that can beat theirs, I have to play a card from a different suit. I’m not allowed to play a lower-ranked trump card unless it’s the only card I have left.

On the other hand, if my team is winning the trick and I can’t follow suit, I have more flexibility. I can play any card, regardless of its suit. But if my team is winning with a trump card, I can’t play a trump card that has a lower rank unless I don’t have any other options.

When playing a card game, there are certain rules and strategies you need to keep in mind in order to maximize your chances of winning. Let me break it down for you.

First, let’s talk about trumps. If trumps are in play, you are required to play a higher trump card than the current one, if you have one. This applies even if your team is currently winning the trick. On the other hand, if you don’t have a higher trump card, you must play a lower one. And if you don’t have any trumps at all, you have the freedom to play any card you want.

Now, let’s dive into the Rotterdam rules.

In the Rotterdam rules, if you don’t have a card that follows suit, you’re always required to play a trump card if you have one. And not just any trump card – you must play the highest one you have, if possible. Only when you don’t have any trumps, you can play any card you like.

Lastly, let’s talk about bonus points.

Did you know that there are certain tricks you can pull off in a card game to score some extra points? It’s true! There are 7 different types of tricks, each with its own score. And if you manage to win a bonus trick, you can earn even more points. But here’s the catch: you have to declare it in order to score those points.

Let me break it down for you. The first type of trick is called a “run.” This happens when you have three consecutive cards of the same suit. If you find yourself with three cards in a row, all of the same suit, you can declare a run and earn an extra 20 points. Pretty cool, right?

Now, let’s move on to the second type of trick: a run of four consecutive cards of the same suit. This is worth a whopping 50 points! So, if you manage to line up four cards in a row, all of the same suit, consider yourself lucky. That’s a big score.

Next up, we have a special kind of run. It’s called a “trump run,” and it’s all about the trump suit. If you have three consecutive cards of the trump suit, and one of those cards is a king and the other is a queen, you’ve got yourself a trump run. This trick is worth 40 points, so don’t forget to declare it!

And finally, we have the grand-daddy of all tricks: the trump run with four consecutive cards, including the king and queen. If you manage to pull this off, you’ll score a whopping 70 points! That’s a game-changer, my friend.

So, remember, if you want to score some extra points in this card game, keep these tricks in mind. And don’t forget to declare those bonus tricks if you win them. Good luck!

Let me break it down for you. If you manage to gather four kings, queens, aces, or tens, you’ll score a cool 100 points. But wait, there’s more! If you nail a four-of-a-kind of jacks, that’s worth a whopping 200 points.

Oh, and here’s a neat little trick: if you have the king and queen of trumps in your hand, that’s an easy 20 points right there.

The Scoop on Scoring

Scoring happens at the end of each round. Both teams tally up the points they’ve earned from the cards they’ve won, as well as any bonus points they scored. If the declarers (that’s you) manage to outscore the other team, both teams get to keep their points. But if you’re not quite on top, the opposing team snatches up all the points, including the bonus ones, for themselves.

Game Over, Man

After 16 intense rounds, it’s game over, my friend. The team with the highest score walks away as the ultimate champions.