Welcome to Tartli!

Tartli is an exciting 2-player card game that involves strategy and skill. In this game, we use a special deck of 32 cards from Hungary. Get ready for some intense rounds of play!

The main goal of Tartli is to be the first player to reach either 5 or 10 victory points. Make sure to decide the target score before the game begins so that everyone is on the same page.

To earn victory points, you’ll need to win cards during the rounds. Playing your cards wisely and strategizing your moves will give you an advantage. But that’s not all – you can also earn points by declaring melds during the rounds. When you reach a certain point total, you’ll receive one or two victory points, pushing you closer to victory.

Let’s Get Set Up!

I am going to tell you about how the game of Tartli works. First, let me explain how the dealer is chosen. It’s actually quite simple – it’s done randomly and changes with each new round.

Okay, now that we know who the dealer is, let’s talk about what they do. The dealer will shuffle the deck of cards and then the non-dealer gets to cut the deck. Once that’s done, each player will receive an 8-card hand.

Now, there are still 14 cards left in the center of the table. These cards will be used in the first phase of the round, so don’t worry, they won’t go to waste.

Next up, we flip the top card of the deck. This card will determine the trump suit for the round. We place it faceup at the bottom of the deck, so everyone can see the suit.

Now, let’s go over the rankings and values of the cards in Tartli. There are three rankings: sequencing, trumps, and non-trumps.

For sequencing, the highest-ranking card is the Ace, followed by the King, Over, Under, 10, 9, 8, and 7.

Certain cards in Tartli also have point values. However, I won’t get into that right now. The most important thing to remember is the rankings of the cards.

So, that’s how the game of Tartli works. It’s a fun and exciting game that tests your strategy and card skills. Give it a try, and I’m sure you’ll have a blast!

Hey there! Let’s talk about the ranking system in the game of Tartli. It’s pretty interesting, so buckle up!

First, let’s talk about trumps. In Tartli, the highest ranking card is the Over (also known as High). After that, it goes 9, Ace, 10, King, Under, 8, and finally 7. Each of these cards has a certain number of points associated with it. The Over is worth 20 points, 9 is worth 14 points, Ace is worth 11 points, 10 is worth 10 points, King is worth 4 points, Under is worth 2 points, and both 8 and 7 are worth 0 points.

Now, let’s move on to the non-trump suit. In this suit, the highest-ranking card is the Ace. Following that, it’s 10, King, Over, Under, 9, 8, and 7. Just like the trumps, each card has a specific point value. The Ace is worth 11 points, 10 is worth 10 points, King is worth 4 points, Over is worth 3 points, Under is worth 2 points, and both 9, 8, and 7 are worth 0 points.

But wait, there’s more! In each round of Tartli, there’s an extra 10 points awarded to the player who wins the last trick. So in total, you can score up to 161 points through tricks in one round. Pretty cool, right?

Now, let’s dive into Melds!

Tartli adds an extra layer of excitement by allowing players to declare melds during the game. There are three types of melds you can make: sets, sequences, and the bela. These melds can earn you additional points and make the game even more thrilling!

When it comes to playing card games, there are different types of melds you can make to earn points. One type of meld is called a sequence. A sequence is when you have three or more cards in a row, all of the same suit. Sequences are ranked based on their order, and they have names and values depending on how many cards are in the sequence.

The smallest sequence you can have is a 3-card sequence, and it’s called a “terc.” A terc is worth 20 points. If you have four cards in a row, it’s called a “kvart” and it’s worth 50 points. A kvint is a sequence of five cards and it’s worth 100 points. If you have six cards in a row, it’s called a “szext” and it’s also worth 100 points. If you have seven cards in a row, it’s called a “szept” and it’s worth 100 points. The largest sequence you can have is an eight-card sequence, called an “okt,” and it’s also worth 100 points.

When ranking sequences, the longer the sequence, the higher it ranks. If two sequences have the same number of cards, the one with the highest-ranked card ranks higher. If two sequences have the same highest-ranked card, the one with trumps ranks higher. And if two sequences have the same number of cards, highest-ranked card, and neither are trumps, the sequence that was declared first is ranked higher.

The best melds in Tartli are the sets. Sets consist of all 4 cards of the same rank, except for 7s and 8s which cannot be used in sets. Each set has a specific value attached to it. Sets of Aces, 10s, Kings, and Unders are worth 100 points each. Sets of 9s are worth 150 points, and sets of Overs are worth 200 points. When it comes to ranking the melds, sets always take precedence over sequences. Sets outrank other sets based on their rank according to the trump ranking. Therefore, Overs (high), 9s, Aces, 10s, Kings, and Unders (low).

The King and Overs of trumps, known as Belas, are unique and do not have a rank among the other melds. If you declare a Bela, you will receive 40 points.

HOW TO PLAY

Tartli is played in 2 phases. The first phase consists of 7 tricks, and on the 8th trick, the game rules change.

So here’s how it goes: I start the game by playing any card. You, on the other hand, don’t have to follow suit and can play any card from your hand. The highest trump card, if we have one, or the highest card of the suit I led with wins the trick. The winner of the trick then draws a card from the remaining deck, followed by the loser doing the same. At the end of the trick, both of us should still have 9 cards in our hands. I collect the trick and place it face down in my score pile, and then it’s my turn to lead the next trick.

Now, here’s an interesting twist. Before you lead your first trick, if you happen to have the 7 of trumps, you can reveal it and exchange it with the card that determined the trump suit. But hey, if you don’t want to, no pressure! It’s entirely up to you.

When we reach the end of the 7th trick, I will be the one who draws the faceup card at the bottom of the deck. This is when things get interesting because the rules will change for the second phase of the game.

Now, in phase two, you and the other players need to pay close attention. You must follow suit if you have a card of the same suit as the one played by the previous player. If you don’t have a matching card, that’s okay. You can play a trump card instead. And if you don’t have a trump card either, don’t worry. You can play any card from your hand to the trick. But here’s the catch – while following suit and playing trumps is a must, trying to win the trick is optional. It’s up to you to decide how you want to play and strategize.

Hey there! Let’s dive into the exciting world of card tricks. So, in the first 8 tricks, players get a chance to showcase their skills and make some clever moves. You see, for each trick, a player can declare a set and/or a sequence – but here’s the catch: only one of each! Yep, no doubling up on melds. Oh, and get this – the melds can actually share a card! So, you can use a single card in both of your melds. Pretty cool, huh?

All the players declare their melds before they start playing their cards. The player who goes first, also known as the leader, declares their meld first. Then, the second player gets a chance to declare their melds, but with a little twist. They can only do it if their highest meld has the potential to outrank the leader’s highest meld. Makes sense, right?

Let me break it down further. Imagine the leader declares that they have a set and a sequence. Now, the second player can only declare their melds if they also have a set – no sequences allowed this time. If both players declare their melds, they have to spill the beans on what their highest-ranked meld is made up of. It’s like a friendly competition!

And here’s the exciting part. The player with the highest-ranked meld gets to score points for their declared melds, while the other player, unfortunately, scores nothing. Tough luck, but hey, that’s the game! So, make sure you strategize and aim for the top to come out on top!

When playing Unspeakable Melds, you have the option to redeclare them in later tricks. However, Scored Melds cannot be redeclared. But, you can still use the cards from these melds to form new melds, as long as there is at least one card that is different or missing. For example, a sequence can become longer or the top card of a sequence can have a higher rank.

It’s important to note that Belas, which are special cards, are not subject to these rules. You can declare and score Belas at any time before the 9th trick.

Scoring

Once all tricks have been won, it’s time to tally up the score. Each player adds the points from their score piles to the points they earned throughout the round. Don’t forget to score the last trick, which is worth 10 points for the winner. If a player manages to win all 9 of the last tricks, they score a whopping 161 points for the trick points, while their opponent scores nothing for the trick points.

In the game, we keep track of scores over multiple rounds. The goal is to be the first player to reach 501 points. When that happens, you score a victory point if your opponent has 251 or more points, and you score 2 points if they have less than 251. Once a victory point is scored, both players’ scores are reset to zero.

If you think you have 501 points during a round, you can declare that you’re going out and stop the round. The points are counted, and if you’re correct, you score your victory points. However, if you’re incorrect, your opponent scores a victory point regardless of their point total.

If both players reach 501 or more victory points at the end of a round, the player with the higher total wins the point. If there’s still a tie, another round is started, and the first to score points will get the victory point.

END OF GAME

The game comes to an end when a player reaches the necessary number of victory points to win. That player is declared the winner.