Klaberjass

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards
3. Setup
4. Choosing trump
5. Completing the deal
6. Sequences
7. Bela: King and Queen of trumps
8. Playing the tricks
9. Scoring
10. Winning the game
11. Tips for beginners
12. Variants

Overview

Klaberjass (also Klabberjass, Clobyosh or Bela) is a trick-taking game for two. In each hand one player takes – chooses to play with a certain trump suit – and promises to score more points than the opponent. Points come from the cards you win in tricks, from sequences of cards in your hand, and from the King and Queen of trumps. If the taker succeeds, both players score their own points; if not, the opponent scores everything. The first player to reach 500 wins.

• Players: exactly 2.
• You need: one standard 52-card deck, and paper and pen for scoring.

The cards

Take out all 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s and the jokers. You play with 32 cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each suit.

The trump suit is the strongest suit in a hand: any trump beats any card of another suit. In Klaberjass the trumps also rank differently. Two trumps become the top cards and get special names: the Jass (Jack of trumps) and the Menel (9 of trumps).

Both lists run from the highest card to the lowest. The cards add up to 152 points; with 10 for the last trick there are 162 points in every hand.

Setup

1. First dealer: each player cuts a card; the higher card (A K Q J 10 9 8 7) deals. Later, the winner of the previous hand deals.
2. First deal: the dealer shuffles, lets the opponent cut, and deals 6 cards each, face down, in packets of three: 3 to the opponent, 3 to themselves, 3 to the opponent, 3 to themselves.
3. Turn-up: the dealer turns the next card face up and puts it half under the remaining cards, the stock. Its suit is the proposed trump.

Choosing trump

The non-dealer (the dealer's opponent) speaks first.

1. First round: the non-dealer says "I take" (accepting the turn-up suit as trumps) or "pass". If they pass, the dealer may take or pass.
2. Second round: if both passed, the non-dealer may name any other suit as trumps, or pass again. If they pass, the dealer may name another suit or pass.
3. If both pass twice, the cards are thrown in and the other player deals.

The player who takes or names trump is the taker; the other player is the defender.

Completing the deal

The dealer now gives each player 3 more cards from the stock – everyone has 9 cards. Then the dealer turns the bottom card of the stock (not the turn-up card) face up and lays it on top: this card is out of play, it just gives both players extra information. The rest of the stock is not used.

Exchanging the 7: if the turn-up suit became trump, a player holding the 7 of trumps may exchange it for the turn-up card before play starts.

Sequences

A sequence is a run of cards of the same suit in this order, A K Q J 10 9 8 7 (the natural order, even in trumps):

• 3 in a row (e.g. Q J 10) = 20 (a "twenty")
• 4 or more in a row (e.g. K Q J 10) = 50 (a "fifty")

A run of 5 or 6 still counts only 50; 7 cards count 50 + 20, and a whole suit 50 + 50.

Only one player scores for sequences – the one holding the best sequence. That player also scores all their other sequences. The best sequence is decided like this:

1. Any fifty beats any twenty.
2. Between two of the same kind, the one with the higher top card wins.
3. If the top cards are equal, a sequence in trumps wins.
4. If still equal, the non-dealer's sequence wins.

How to declare: when leading to the first trick, the non-dealer may say "I have a twenty" (or fifty). The dealer answers "good" (can't beat it), "not good" (has something better) or "same" (equal kind). If needed, the players then name the top card ("mine is Queen high") and, if still equal, whether it is in trumps. You reveal only as much as needed. The winner of the comparison shows the sequences during the second trick.

A sequence only counts if its holder wins at least one trick in the hand.

Bela: King and Queen of trumps

Holding the King and Queen of trumps is called bela and is worth 20 points. When you play the first of the two cards, say "bela"; when you play the second, say "from the bela". Bela always counts, no matter who has the best sequence. If you don't announce it, it doesn't count.

Playing the tricks

A trick is one round in which each player plays one card; the better card wins both.

1. The non-dealer leads (plays the first card) to the first trick. The winner of each trick leads to the next.
2. Rules for the second player: - You must follow suit – play a card of the suit that was led if you can. - If a trump is led, you must beat it with a higher trump if you can. - If you can't follow suit, you must play a trump if you have one. - Only if you have neither may you play any card.
3. Who wins: the higher trump, or if no trump was played, the higher card of the suit led.

The winner of the last trick scores 10 points.

Scoring

After all 9 tricks, each player adds up: sequences (only the best-sequence holder), bela, last trick and the card points in their tricks.

• Taker has more: each player scores their own total.
• Defender has more: the taker is bate (beaten) and scores nothing; the defender scores both totals.
• Tie: the taker scores nothing; the defender scores their own total.

Example: Hearts are trump; Anna took. She scored a twenty (20) and bela (20), won 74 card points and the last trick (10): 124. Ben won the other 78 card points: 78. Anna has more, so Anna writes 124, Ben 78. Had Anna finished with 70 and Ben with 112, Anna would be bate: Ben writes 182, Anna 0.

Winning the game

Scores are added up after every hand. The first player with 500 or more at the end of a hand wins. If both pass 500 in the same hand, the higher total wins.

Tips for beginners

• Count your trumps. Jass and Menel together are 34 points and win two tricks – a great start for taking. But you also need Aces and 10s in other suits.
• The last three cards can surprise you. You decide on 6 cards out of 9; don't take on a weak hand hoping for luck.
• Declare carefully. Announcing a sequence tells your opponent a lot about your hand.
• Keep a trump for the end. The last trick is worth 10 points.
• Defend hard. Even with a weak hand, every point you win can make the taker go bate.

Variants

• Schmeiss: in the first round, a player may say "schmeiss" instead of taking or passing – an offer to throw in the hand. If the opponent agrees, the cards are redealt; if not, the schmeiss player becomes the taker in the turn-up suit.
• Held-over tie: on a tie, nobody scores; the points go to whoever wins the next hand.
• 501 and claiming: play to 501. A player who reaches 501 during play may stop and claim the game straight after winning a trick – and wins at once if the claim is right, loses if it is wrong.
• Bare Jass: some players in Scotland allow you to keep back the Jass if it is your only trump, instead of having to trump with it.
• Four players: related partnership games such as the Dutch Klaverjassen deal all 32 cards, 8 to each of four players, partners sitting opposite. Taking and scoring work much the same, but the team must beat the other team's total.