Objective of the Game
Pandur, also known as Neuner-Arteln, is a classic card game traditionally played in Austria. The main goal is to score the most points by winning tricks.
Setup
- Number of Players: Pandur is played with 4 players.
- Deck: The game uses a standard 32-card Skat deck. Cards ranked from high to low are: Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, Nine, Eight, Seven.
Gameplay
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Dealing: Each round, each player receives 8 cards. The cards are dealt clockwise from the dealer.
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Choosing Trumps: The player to the right of the dealer, called the 'Pandur', decides which suit will be trumps. Trump cards beat all other cards.
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Playing: The player to the left of the dealer leads the first card. All players must follow suit (i.e., play a card of the same suit if they have one). If they do not have a card of the lead suit, they can play a trump or discard.
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Winning Tricks: The trick is won by the player who played the highest trump card or, if no trump card was played, the highest card of the lead suit.
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Scoring: At the end of each round, the points are awarded as follows:
- Ace: 11 points
- Ten: 10 points
- King: 4 points
- Queen: 3 points
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Jack: 2 points
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Winning the Game: The game is played over a pre-agreed number of rounds or until a player reaches a pre-determined total score.
Strategic Tips
- Trump Selection: Choose your trump suit wisely. A suit with many high cards or a long sequence could provide advantages.
- Trick Risks: Try to steal tricks by playing trumps if you cannot follow suit.
- Saving High Cards: Keep high-point cards (Ace, Ten) for later in the round to strategically win tricks.
By balancing risk and calculation, players can excel over their competitors and dominate the game.
