Instructions Thunee

Objective of the Game

The objective of Thunee is for a team to be the first to reach a score of 12 points. The game is played in two teams of two players and is based on the trick-taking principle.

Setup

• Cards: Thunee is played with a standard deck of 32 cards (7 to Ace) using the French suit.
• Teams: Players sit across each other at a square table. The partners form a team.

Gameplay

1. Dealing: The dealer shuffles the deck thoroughly and deals 8 cards to each player, in two phases of 4 cards each. The remaining cards are set aside.

2. Trumps: After the deal, the player to the dealer's left looks at their cards and declares the trump suit (hearts, diamonds, spades, or clubs).

3. Bidding (optional): There is an option for "bidding" if a player believes they can win all the tricks. This is known as declaring "Thunee". When a player declares "Thunee", they or their team must win all the tricks.

4. Starting the Play: The player to the left of the dealer leads the first card of their choice. The other players follow clockwise, playing a card of the same suit if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, they may discard or play a trump.

5. Winning tricks: The highest trump wins the trick, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner of the trick leads the next card.

6. Scoring: A team wins a round if they win a sufficient number of tricks to score points.

7. Normal Win: Achieving around 5 tricks wins the round.
8. Thunee Win: If a player declared "Thunee" and the team won all tricks, they win the round immediately.

Special Rules

• Thunee Declaration: Declaring Thunee is high risk, as the team must win all tricks. It can be used strategically to hasten the game if you possess high-ranking cards.
• Multiple Rounds: The game consists of multiple rounds where teams accumulate points. Each round won contributes to the overall win by earning 2 points for a normal win or 4 points for a Thunee win.

Strategic Tips

• Card Memorization: Remember the cards played to anticipate the opponents' remaining cards.
• Communication: Subtle communication about card play choices can be advantageous to convey strategy without explicit information exchange.
• Consider Bidding: Bidding "Thunee" should not be taken lightly. Carefully analyze your hand before making this risky declaration.

End of the Game

The game ends when one team reaches 12 points, and they are declared the winner.