klaberjass

klaberjass, two-player trick-taking card game, of Dutch origin but especially popular in Hungary (as klob) and in Jewish communities throughout the world. From it derives belote, the French national card game.

Klaberjass is played with a 32-card pack. In nontrump suits the trick-taking power of cards, and their point value when captured in tricks, is ace 11, 10 index value, king 4, queen 3, and jack 2, with no points for 9s, 8s, or 7s. In trumps the highest card is the jack, called jass, worth 20 points, followed by the 9, called menel, worth 14 points, followed downward by A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7, with the same values as nontrump suits.

The deal alternates. Each player is dealt six cards in batches of three-three. The next card is turned faceup as a prospective trump, and the rest of the deck is stacked facedown to form the stock. In each deal one player becomes the maker (“declarer”) by choosing trumps and undertaking to win more points than the opponent. In addition to the card values, the last trick, called stich, is worth 10 points. Points are also scored for holding suit sequences of three or more, as described below.

Nondealer has first choice of accepting the turned suit as trump or passing. If the nondealer passes, the dealer can accept or pass. If both players pass, the nondealer may become the maker by offering a different suit as trump. If the nondealer passes again, the dealer has the same choice of naming a different trump suit. If the dealer also passes again, the hand is annulled, and the deal passes to the nondealer.

After the maker and trump suit are established, three more cards are dealt to each player, and then, customarily, the bottom card of the stock is turned faceup and set on top of the stock. (Thus, two cards are exposed that provide the players with additional information on the distribution of the cards.)

If the suit of the original turned card was accepted as trump and either player holds the 7 of that suit, called dix, that player may trade it for the turned card. The player must do this before playing to a trick (in some variants before declaring any sequences). This privilege does not apply if the maker named a different suit trump.

Nondealer leads to the first trick but, before playing a card, either declares no sequence, declares 20 if holding a sequence of three cards in the same suit, or declares 50 if holding a sequence of four or more cards. Sequential order is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in all four suits. Dealer then responds with lead (when neither player has a sequence), “Good” (if dealer cannot beat nondealer’s sequence), or “Not good” (if dealer has a better sequence). If both players claim 20 or 50, enough information is exchanged to establish the better sequence according to first length, then rank, and finally whether either sequence is in the trump suit. If still tied for best sequence, neither player scores anything. Whoever scores for best sequence may also score any other sequences he wishes to declare, but they must be specified as to rank and suit. The opponent does not score anything.

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The second player to a trick must follow suit if possible or otherwise must trump if possible. If a trump is led, the second player must play higher if possible. The trick is taken by the higher card of the suit led or by the higher trump if any are played. The winner of each trick leads to the next. A player holding both the king and the queen of trump scores 20 for the marriage upon playing the second of them to a trick and announcing, “Bella.”

Finally, both players add up their respective totals for sequences and card points. If the maker made more points, both players score what they made; if the maker made fewer points, the opponent scores the total made by both players. If the scores are equal, the opponent scores what he took, and the maker scores nothing. The game ends at the end of the deal in which either player reaches 500 points or after a set number of deals.

Klaberjass is subject to many local variations. A four-player partnership variant known as clabber is especially popular in southern Indiana.