Turkish King is a trick-taking card game
similar to Hearts and Barbu (popular in France) where four players
take turns leading seven different sub-games (known as contracts)
over the course of 20 deals.
King uses 52-card pack as for bridge or poker ranking as usual from highest to lowest A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 in each of the four suits. In the course of a session each player will get the chance to declare five contracts so that there are 20 hands played in all.
Over the course of 20 hands each player must declare a trump contract two times and a negative contract three times. Each of the six negative contracts can only be declared twice per game so if a negative contract has been played twice the declarer cannot choose that contract.
Trump Contracts
Declarer chooses a trump suit (notrump is not an option). The declarer leads to the first trick. A trick is won by the highest trump in it or if it contains no trump by the highest card of the suit led. Players must follow suit if possible -- if they cannot they must play a trump if they have any (even if this forces them to underruff). The winner of a trick leads to the next. Each trick scores +50 points to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is therefore +650.
Card-based Negative Contracts
No King: The King of Hearts is the only penalty card scoring -320 to the player winning it in a trick. Hearts may not be led unless they have already been discarded on a previous trick or the player on lead has nothing but hearts in her hand.
No Queens: The four queens are penalty cards each one scoring -100 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -400.
No Boys: The four kings and four jacks are penalty cards each one scoring -60 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -480.
No Hearts: The thirteen hearts are penalty cards each one scoring -30 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -390. Hearts may not be led unless they have already been discarded on a previous trick or the player on lead has nothing but hearts in her hand.
Trick-based Negative Contracts
No Last Two: The last two tricks each score -180 to the player(s) that wins them. The total score for the contract is therefore -360.
No Tricks: Each trick scores -50 points to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is therefore -650.
The scores are cunningly chosen so that the total over twenty hands is 0.
King uses 52-card pack as for bridge or poker ranking as usual from highest to lowest A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 in each of the four suits. In the course of a session each player will get the chance to declare five contracts so that there are 20 hands played in all.
Over the course of 20 hands each player must declare a trump contract two times and a negative contract three times. Each of the six negative contracts can only be declared twice per game so if a negative contract has been played twice the declarer cannot choose that contract.
Trump Contracts
Declarer chooses a trump suit (notrump is not an option). The declarer leads to the first trick. A trick is won by the highest trump in it or if it contains no trump by the highest card of the suit led. Players must follow suit if possible -- if they cannot they must play a trump if they have any (even if this forces them to underruff). The winner of a trick leads to the next. Each trick scores +50 points to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is therefore +650.
Card-based Negative Contracts
No King: The King of Hearts is the only penalty card scoring -320 to the player winning it in a trick. Hearts may not be led unless they have already been discarded on a previous trick or the player on lead has nothing but hearts in her hand.
No Queens: The four queens are penalty cards each one scoring -100 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -400.
No Boys: The four kings and four jacks are penalty cards each one scoring -60 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -480.
No Hearts: The thirteen hearts are penalty cards each one scoring -30 points to the player winning it in a trick. The total score for the contract is therefore -390. Hearts may not be led unless they have already been discarded on a previous trick or the player on lead has nothing but hearts in her hand.
Trick-based Negative Contracts
No Last Two: The last two tricks each score -180 to the player(s) that wins them. The total score for the contract is therefore -360.
No Tricks: Each trick scores -50 points to the player winning it. The total score for the contract is therefore -650.
The scores are cunningly chosen so that the total over twenty hands is 0.
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