4 players · You and three AIs · One Rufer deal

Call a King to find a partner whose identity stays hidden. Choose your talon cards, then work together to reach 36 card points.

1. 1

   Objective

   • The declaring side needs at least 36 card points; otherwise the defenders win. The called King’s holder is declarer’s partner. If that King is in declarer’s hand or the talon, declarer plays alone.
2. 2

   Setup

   • Use 54 cards: twelve each and six in the talon. Choose the dealer randomly. The player to the right is forehand and declarer in this preset. Seats follow anticlockwise play order.
   • Call a King, then choose one exposed group of three talon cards. The other group goes to the defenders. Discard three cards into the declarer's pile.
   • Never discard König, I, XXI or Sküs. Discard plain suits first. Discard other trumps only if necessary, exposing them.
3. 3

   Playing a turn

   • Follow suit. If unable, play a trump. Discard another suit only if you have no trump. Overtaking is not compulsory.
   • The highest trump wins, otherwise the highest card of the led suit. Sküs is the highest trump. The Emperor trick applies: if I, XXI and Sküs meet, I wins.
   • Courts rank König > Dame > Reiter > Bube. Black numerals rank by value. Red numerals rank Ass > 2 > 3 > 4. The winner leads next.
4. 4

   Scoring and ending

   • König, I, XXI and Sküs are worth 5. Dame 4, Reiter 3, Bube 2, others 1. Deduct 2 per three cards and 1 for any remainder. The pack totals 70. Settle after twelve tricks, including talon and discards.