Résumé express
The trick-taking game of cursed contracts: in turn, each player becomes the “declarer” and picks a contract — avoid tricks, hearts, queens, the Barbu (king of hearts)… Almost everything loses points. Every player must play each contract once; when all are used up, the least catastrophic total wins.
Mise en place
- A 52-card deck, ideally with 4 players (13 cards each; with 3 or 5, remove low cards to balance the deal).
- Classic card ranking (ace high), no trump except special contracts.
- The declarer picks a contract they have not yet played, then the role passes around the table.
Tour de jeu
The declarer leads; you must follow suit if you can, otherwise discard freely. The trick goes to the highest card of the led suit. The contracts (common scoring — every table has its own, adapt!):
| Contract | Avoid… | Common scoring |
|---|---|---|
| Tricks | every trick | −2 per trick |
| Hearts | every heart | −2 per heart (−6 the ace) |
| Queens | the 4 queens | −6 per queen |
| Barbu | the king of hearts | −20 |
| Last tricks | second-to-last and last trick | −10 and −20 |
| Salad | everything above, combined | sum of all scores |
| Domino | (positive!) shed your cards in sequences | +45 / +20 / +5 by finishing order |
In Domino, no more tricks: the declarer picks a starting rank, everyone plays an adjacent card in sequence within its suit, or passes if they can’t.
Fin de partie
- A full game = 7 contracts × number of players deals (28 deals with 4 players — plan the evening!). Short version: everyone plays 3 or 4 contracts of their choice.
- Enter each deal in the app (negative scores accepted); the highest total — the least negative — wins.
FAQ
Who picks the contract? Always the declarer of the deal, among their remaining contracts. The tactic: save the right contract for the right hand.
Can I play the Salad first? Nothing forbids it — but it’s brave: it stacks every penalty at once.
In the Hearts contract, can I lead hearts? Common convention: not while you hold another suit. Agree on the table rule before starting.
Are the app’s scores enforced? No! Entry is free: apply your table’s house scoring, the app adds it up.
Variantes
- With trump contracts (the declarer names a trump and aims for positive tricks): playable, enter scores freely.
- “King” Barbu: the international variant adds positive contracts — same entry principle.