Collusion

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Setup
3. Playing
4. Colluding
5. Scoring
6. Winning the game
7. Tips for beginners
8. Variants

Overview

Collusion is a trick-taking game for four, designed by David Parlett, in which you are allowed – and expected – to talk. A trick is one card from each player; the highest card of the suit led wins it. Your aim is to finish the deal with exactly the same number of tricks as one other player, and that means striking deals across the table: "I'm going for four – anyone else?" But agreements are never binding, alliances shift from trick to trick, and the scoring punishes a tie that is too popular.

• Players: 4, each playing for themselves.
• You need: one standard 52-card deck without jokers, paper and pencil.

Designed by David Parlett – original rules: Collusion.

Setup

1. Choose the first dealer at random; after each deal the next player to the left deals.
2. Shuffle and deal all the cards one at a time, clockwise: everyone gets 13 cards – their hand.

In each suit the cards rank from high to low: A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. There are no trumps.

Playing

1. The player to the dealer's left leads – plays the first card of the first trick.
2. The others play one card each, clockwise. You must follow suit – play a card of the suit led – if you can. If you can't, you may play any card (you discard it).
3. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. The winner keeps it face down and leads to the next trick.
4. Play all 13 tricks.

Colluding

At any time during play, any two players may collude: agree to aim for the same number of tricks. You may say almost anything, for example:

• "I'm going for four." / "I probably won't take any more."
• "Is anyone aiming for three?" / "Are you likely to win another trick?"
• "Please lead a low heart." / "Which suit do you want me to lead?" / "Don't lead spades."

What you may not do is show your cards or say anything about what you actually hold. There is no penalty – breaking this rule simply spoils the game.

All agreements are informal and non-binding. You can make them, change partners and break them whenever you like as the deal develops. That is why Collusion is also called "the Talking Game".

Scoring

Each player scores 1 point per trick, plus at most one of these bonuses:

(Since 13 is an odd number, two pairs or a four-way tie can't happen.)

Example: Anna takes 4 tricks, Ben 4, Carla 2 and Dan 3. Exactly two players tie on 4, so Anna and Ben score 4 + 10 = 14 each; Carla scores 2, Dan 3.

Next deal: Anna 0, Ben 2, Carla 5, Dan 6. Nobody ties, so Anna, with the fewest, scores 0 + 20 = 20; the others score their tricks.

Another deal: Anna, Ben and Carla take 3 tricks each, Dan takes 4. Dan scores 4 + 30 = 34; the others score 3 each.

Winning the game

The game is played to 100 points, but you can only reach 100 with the help of a bonus, not on tricks alone. If your tricks would take you to 100 or more and you get no bonus, you subtract that number of tricks from your score instead of adding it.

Example: Carla has 95 points. If she takes 6 tricks without a bonus, she drops to 95 − 6 = 89. With 3 tricks and a tie bonus, she scores 95 + 3 + 10 = 108 and wins.

The first player to reach 100 wins; if two get there in the same deal, the higher total wins.

Tips for beginners

• At the start, aim to lose every trick: if no two others tie, the player with the fewest tricks gets 20.
• Four, seven or ten tricks are good targets: they leave room for the other three to tie (3-3-3-4, 2-2-2-7, 1-1-1-10) and give you 30.
• Otherwise pick a number another player is likely to match. The average is 3.25 tricks, but according to Parlett the most common number is two – a good target when you need a 10-point bonus to win.
• Middle-ranked cards keep your options open; decide on a target only once you see which of your cards are winners.
• Watch what everyone discards, even when they follow suit – it tells you whether they are trying to win or lose.

Variants

• Shorter game: according to Parlett, most reviewers prefer a target of 50. Apply the bonus rule to 50 instead of 100.
• Three players: Parlett's three-player equivalent is a separate game, Dumbo; see his website.