TUQUE
Hey there! I want to tell you about a super cool card game called Tuque. It’s an exciting game that originated in Arnprior, Ontario, Canada. But the version I’m going to talk about is a little different, developed by someone named Sean Ross. It’s like a fancy version of Euchre, a game that lots of people love to play.
Now, to play Tuque, you’re going to need three Jokers. But don’t worry, if you don’t have any Jokers, you can use the 2, 3, and 4 of Spades instead. Those cards will be called the “Bens” in the game, and they’re even more important than the Bowers!
THE CARDS & THE DEAL
Hey there! Let’s talk about a cool game called Tuque. It’s played using a special deck of 39 cards. Instead of a regular deck, you’ll need sixes through aces. Just remember, sixes are the lowest and aces are the highest. But that’s not all!
There are two special cards called Bowers that are even higher than aces. The Left Bower is the Jack of the same color as the trump suit, while the Right Bower is the Jack of the trump suit. These Bowers are really important because they outrank everything else, even aces!
But wait, there’s more! Above the Bowers, we have the Jokers. There’s the Little Ben, which is the lowest Joker. Above that, we have the Big Ben. And finally, we have the Best Ben, which is the highest Joker in the deck. The Bens are always the most powerful trump suited cards in every round.
To sum it all up, here’s the rank of the cards:
(low) 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A, Trump Suited 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Q, K, A, J (same colored), J, Little Ben, Big Ben, Best Ben
So that’s all about the trump suit and the Bowers in Tuque. Pretty cool, right? Now you know the deal! Let’s get playing!
So here’s the deal: when playing Jacks in the game of Hearts, there’s a special rule. The Jack that has the same suit as the trump becomes part of the trump suit. For example, if Hearts are the trump suit, then the Jack of Diamonds becomes what’s called the Left Bower and counts as a Heart. Also, the other Jacks, known as the Bens, also become part of the trump suit. This means that the Bowers and Bens are played when the trump suit is led.
Now let’s talk about how to deal the cards.
First, you deal five cards face down in a row to each player. Then, you deal five more cards face up on top of those. Finally, each player receives seven cards for their hand. The remaining cards are placed face down in a pile on the table. The dealer then flips over the top card to determine the potential trump suit for the round.
And now let’s get into determining the trump suit.
So, here’s how it goes: after the trump card is flipped over, I, as the non-dealer, have a choice to make. I can either order it up and make that suit the trump for this round, or I can pass and let you, the dealer, decide on the trump.
If I decide to order it up, you have to pick up that card and replace it with one from your own hand. That new card goes face down on the pile.
Now, what happens if we both decide to pass? Well, if the trump card is turned down, I still have a chance to pick a trump suit. If I pass too, then it’s up to you to call the trump.
Oh, and one more thing: if a special card called a Ben is turned up, and I order it up, then I get to name the trump suit.
Alright, now that we got that covered, let’s talk about how we actually play the game.
When I play the game, I start as the non-dealer. I can choose any card from my hand or the face-up cards in front of me to lead the game. The next player must follow suit if they can, and they can play cards from their hand or the face-up row. When a card from the table is played, the face-down card beneath it is revealed after the trick has been won.
If the trump suit is the one being led, I have to play Bens as if they belong to that suit.
The player with the highest card in the led suit or the highest trump card wins the trick. Then that player leads the next trick.
SCORING
If I make trump, I earn 1 point for each trick I win. On the other hand, if I didn’t make trump, I still get 1 point for each trick I win unless I take nine or more tricks. However, if the defender manages to win nine or more tricks, they earn 2 points for each trick.
Let’s keep the game going by taking turns and dealing cards each round.
How to Win
The game is won by the player who reaches 61 points or more first.
The player who accumulates 61 or more points first is declared the winner.