Welcome to Tribello: A Trick-Taking Game

Hey there, let me introduce you to Tribello – an exciting game that’s popular in Illinois and played by three people. In Tribello, you’ll embark on a journey through multiple rounds, each with its own unique set of rules. Your goal in each round? Capture a specific number of tricks! But remember, the number of tricks you need to capture may change from round to round.

Let’s Start with the Cards & the Deal

Grab a standard 52-card deck and deal 13 cards to each player. Additionally, there will be a special 13-card hand known as the “pickup.” Make sure to keep the pickup facedown throughout the game, in a consistent spot that everyone agrees on.

Get ready for some intense gameplay because there will be four rounds in total, with three deals per round. That means you’ll be playing a total of twelve deals in one exciting game of Tribello. Oh, and don’t forget, after each hand, the deal passes to the player on your left.

Understanding Round Requirements

In this card game, called “Cut the Deck,” there are four rounds that determine the trump suit for each hand. Let me walk you through them.

Round 1: Before dealing the cards, we first cut the deck. This means we divide the deck into two piles to determine the trump suit for this hand.

Round 2: In this round, the dealer gets to choose the trump suit after analyzing their hand. They have the advantage of knowing what cards they have and can make an informed decision.

Round 3: In this round, there is no trump suit. This means that all the suits are equal, and there is no specific suit that has more power than the others.

Round 4: Just like in Round 3, there is no trump suit in this round. However, the players want to avoid capturing tricks. They don’t want to win any tricks because each trick they win will result in penalty points.

In the first three rounds, the dealer has a specific goal to achieve. They must capture at least six tricks. The player to the left of the dealer must capture at least four tricks, and the player to the right of the dealer must capture at least three tricks.

In the fourth round, the goals change. The dealer must capture three or fewer tricks. The player to the left of the dealer must capture four or fewer tricks, and the player to the right of the dealer must capture six or fewer tricks.

THE PLAY

DRAWING FROM THE PICKUP

Alright, so here’s how it goes. Once everybody has taken a look at their cards, the dealer gets to decide if they want to swap any of their cards with the ones in the “pickup” hand. They just have to toss away the cards they don’t want and grab the same amount from the “pickup” pile. Easy enough, right?

Now, if there are still cards left in the “pickup” after the dealer is done, it’s the player to the left of the dealer’s turn. They can switch out their cards for up to the number of remaining cards in the “pickup” pile. They just have to get rid of the cards they don’t want and grab an equal number from the “pickup.” And guess what? The same goes for the third player!

If there are any cards left in the “pickup” after the third player is done, they can also get rid of those and draw some replacement cards. Just like that, the cycle is complete.

Oh, and don’t forget about the discarded cards! They just hang out on the side until it’s time for the next deal.

But hold on a second! Before we go any further, let me tell you about the first trick.

When the game starts, the dealer takes charge and leads the first trick. Now, here’s where things get interesting. When it’s your turn to play, you have to follow suit if you can. But if you don’t have a card of the same suit, you can play any card you want. It’s all about making strategic choices!

In the first two rounds, the trick will be won by the player who has the highest card in the suit of the card that was led. But if someone plays a trump suited card, which is a special card that beats all other cards, then that becomes the highest card in the trick. It’s like having a secret weapon up your sleeve!

Now, let’s move on to the final two rounds. The rules change a bit here. In these rounds, the trick will be won by the player who has the highest card in the suit of the card that was led. No trump cards allowed this time!

But wait, there’s more! The player who takes the trick gets to lead the next one. This means they get to choose which card to play, and everyone else has to follow suit or play a trump card if they have one. It’s a game of cat and mouse, trying to outsmart your opponents with each move!

And the play continues like this, round after round, until all of the tricks have been captured. Once that happens, it’s time for a new deal. The dealer position passes to the player on the left, and the whole cycle starts again. The game comes to an end after the fourth round, so make sure to make every move count!

Now, let’s talk about scoring. It’s all about racking up those points!

During rounds 1, 2, and 3, you’ll earn one point for each trick you capture over your requirement. However, watch out! You’ll lose a point for every trick you capture that falls short of your requirement. Let me give you an example. If you’re the dealer, your requirement is to capture 6 or more tricks. If you manage to capture 7 tricks, you’ll earn 1 point. If you capture 8 tricks, you’ll earn 2 points, and so on. But be careful! If you capture only 5 tricks, you’ll lose 1 point. And if you capture 4 tricks, you’ll lose 2 points, and so on.

Now, let’s talk about round 4. This round spices things up a bit. Here, you’ll actually lose a point for every trick you capture above your requirement. On the flip side, you’ll earn one point for every trick you capture below your requirement. So it’s all about finding that sweet spot!

The Ultimate Goal: Winning!

Alright, now that you know how points are tallied up in each round, let’s talk about the big picture: winning the game. The player who has the most points at the end of the final round walks away as the champion. It’s as simple as that! So aim high and play smart to come out on top.

Remember, it’s not just about capturing a lot of tricks. It’s about balancing your requirements and capturing just the right amount. Good luck!