Objective of the Game
The objective of Mariage is to achieve a predetermined number of points by winning tricks and forming so-called "marriages" (a pair of the King and Queen of the same suit).
Number of Players
Mariage can be played with 2 to 4 players, but it is mostly played with 3 players.
Cards and Their Values
The game is played with a 32-card deck (typically a German Skat deck), ranked as follows: Ace (11 points), Ten (10 points), King (4 points), Queen (3 points), Jack (2 points), with the rest (nine, eight, seven) carrying no value.
Game Format
The game consists of two phases: the Opening and the Playing phase.
- Opening:
- The cards are shuffled and dealt, with each player receiving 10 cards. The remaining two cards form the "Talon," which is temporarily set aside.
-
Players determine the trump suit by declaring a "Marriage" (King and Queen of the same suit). The other color in the marriage then becomes the trump suit for the game.
-
Playing:
- The player to the left of the dealer starts by playing a card.
- Each subsequent card must, if possible, follow suit (follow suit rule). If unable to do so, a player can lay down any other card.
- The trick is won by the player who played the highest card of the suit led, or the highest trump card.
Special Features and Strategies
- Declaring a marriage during play yields an additional 20 points.
- Players should focus on utilizing the marriages strategically to gain the upper hand.
- High-value cards should be played wisely to secure trick wins.
End of Game
The game ends when a player reaches a predetermined point goal, often set at 1000 points, although players can decide this before starting.
