Welcome to Königrufen!

Königrufen is an exciting card game for 4 players. In this game, the ultimate goal is to score enough points in each round to defeat your opponents and come out as the winners. Depending on the outcome, you will either earn payments or have to pay other players.

Before starting the game, it’s important for all players to discuss and decide on the amount of the stake. This amount will determine how much the winners will receive after each round.

Getting Set Up

To set up a game of Königrufen, you will need a standard deck of cards with all cards numbered 6 and below removed. This will leave you with a deck of 32 cards.

The first dealer is chosen at random and the dealer position rotates clockwise for each new round. The dealer will shuffle the deck, and then the player to their right will cut the deck. Each player will receive a hand of 8 cards, which are dealt in batches of 4 cards each.

Once the first set of 4 cards is dealt, the player on the left of the dealer will choose the trump suit for the round and the person they want as their partner. They do this by announcing a card rank and suit. If another player has that card in their hand, they automatically become the declarer’s partner. They don’t need to say anything, but it might become clear as the game progresses. The declarer also has the option to play without a partner by announcing a card from their own hand.

After the trump suit has been chosen, the dealer then deals another set of 4 cards to each player.

Ranking and Values of the Cards:

In Königrufen, the ranking of the cards is as follows: Ace (highest), 10, King, Over (queen), Under (jack), 9, 8, and 7 (lowest).

The Ace and 10 cards are each worth 10 points. The player who wins the last trick also gets an extra 10 points.

THE GAME

When we start the game, I am sitting to the left of the dealer. I can choose any card to begin with. Then, the other players have to follow suit, but if they can’t, they can play any card. If they don’t have a card that matches the suit or a trump card, they can play any card they want. The main goal is to try and beat the highest card that has been played so far.

To win a trick, you need to have the highest trump card. If there are no trump cards in play, then the highest card of the suit that was led wins. The person who wins the trick gets to collect all the cards and starts the next one.

Right before we finish the first trick, I have the option to announce if I have the king and queen of the same suit. If I do, I can say “20” if it’s a non-trump suit or “40” if it’s the trump suit. If I win at least one trick, I will get that many extra points.

Before the first trick is over, you have the opportunity to make a bold move – declare 100, all tricks. If you succeed, you’ll not only win all the tricks but also earn 100 points to your score. How’s that for a gameplay boost?

SCORING

When the round comes to an end, it’s time to tally up your points. If no additional declaration was made earlier, you only need to score 50 or more points to secure a win for your team. However, if you chose to declare, your victory requires a higher target. For example, if you declared an extra 20 points, you’ll need to score 60 or more points. If you went for 40 additional points, aim for 80 or more points. And if you boldly declared a further 60 points, you’ll need to rack up at least 100 points for the win.

Once the scores have been settled and payments have been made, it’s time to determine how the stakes will be distributed. In a 2 v 2 game, the losers will pay the winners. If it’s a 1 v 3 match, then either the one player will pay all three opponents or the three opponents will split the payment among themselves.

In a standard win, one stake is paid. However, if a team reaches 100 points without declaring it, they will receive 2 stakes as a bonus. On the other hand, if the declaration of 100 is made, the winners will receive 3 stakes. Additionally, if a team manages to win all 8 tricks without declaring it, they will be awarded 2 stakes in addition to the 2 stakes for scoring 100 or more points. If a declaration is made for all tricks, the winners will receive 3 stakes alongside the stakes for scoring 100 or more points.

END OF GAME

The game will come to a close when players no longer have the desire to continue playing.

The game will conclude when players decide that they no longer want to play.