Objective of the Game
Illustriertes Tarock is a traditional card game with a long history, belonging to the family of Tarock games. The objective is to skillfully play cards over various rounds (tricks) to accumulate points and have the most points at the end.
Game Materials
- A Tarock card deck (usually 54 cards), consisting of Tarocks (the trump cards) and the suits: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs.
- Notepads and pens for scorekeeping.
Number of Players
The game can be played with a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 4 players, but typically it is played with 4 players.
Basic Rules
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Card Distribution: Each player receives a number of cards depending on the number of players and the chosen game mode. Usually, all cards are distributed.
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Card Ranking: Tarocks are trump cards and overrule all suit cards. Within a suit, the order is: King (highest), Queen, Cavalier (or Knight), down to the Pipcard. Among the Tarocks, the Pagat (lowest trump) is usually the “1” and the highest trump is the “Sküs” or Fool.
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Game Progression: The game is played in tricks. A game starts with a player playing a card, known as leading. The other players must follow the lead suit if possible. If they have no cards of the requested suit, they can play a trump (Tarock), if they cannot use a trump in the play, they can discard any card.
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Winning Tricks: The highest trump wins the trick, if no trump card was played, the highest card of the lead suit wins the trick.
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Special Features:
- The Sküs or Fool has special abilities in specific variations, such as preventing the trick from being avoided.
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In some variants, the "Pagat Ultimo" is played, where the Pagat must win the last trick.
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Scoring: At the end of each game, points from won tricks are tallied. Cards have different point values:
- King: 4 points
- Queen: 3 points
- Cavalier: 2 points
- Pipcard: 1 point
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Tarock cards each have the same point value based on their ranking.
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Game Variants: There are numerous variants that change specific rules and strategies, including "King's Call" or "Bettler." Familiarize yourself with the special rules of the chosen variant.
Strategic Tips
- Save Trump Cards: Hold back your strongest Tarocks until truly needed.
- Analyze Opponents: Keep track of which cards have been played and try to deduce what cards your opponents might still hold.
- Play Strong Suit Cards: Use powerful suit cards early to secure tricks and valuable points.
Final Thoughts
Playing Illustriertes Tarock requires strategic planning as well as the ability to react to other players' actions. Through practice and experience, you'll learn to outsmart your opponents and secure the valuable points necessary to win the game.
