Rules
Mariáš – Czech card classic · Rules
Three people play with 32 cards. One declarer faces two defenders. This is the chosen-trump Mariáš, not the separate auction game.
Objective
As declarer, fulfil your chosen contract; as a defender, stop the declarer together with your partner.
Deal and setup
Three people play with 32 cards. One declarer faces two defenders. This is the chosen-trump Mariáš, not the separate auction game.
How to play — step by step
- The declarer chooses trump from their first seven cards, or chooses blind, then selects the trump game, Betl or Durch.
- Discard two legal cards to the talon. Opponents may accept or take over the contract; announcements and doubles follow.
- Each player plays one card to the trick. Follow suit and beat when possible; otherwise play trump if you have it.
- The trick winner leads next. At the end, separate contracts and club-unit payments are settled; Betl means no tricks, Durch all tricks.
Important rules to remember
Play example
In Betl you must avoid winning every trick; in Durch you must win all of them. These are different contracts from an ordinary trump game.
Key terms
- trump
- Suit that can take over a trick
- talon
- Two cards set aside after selecting the contract
- Betl
- Contract to take no tricks
- Durch
- Contract to take every trick
Contracts and scoring in this club
These are the rules implemented in Dáme Karty, not universal stakes for every Mariáš table. The amounts below are club units per opponent before doubles and special settlement. Choose a trump game, Betl or Durch; in a trump game you can also announce seven or hundred.
Trump game1
More total card and marriage points than the defenders.
Betl15
Take no tricks. Settlement stops at the first trick taken by declarer.
Durch30
Take all ten tricks. Settlement stops once any defender wins a trick.
Announced seven2
The trump seven must win the last trick for the declaring side.
Unannounced seven1
Last trick contains the trump seven without an announcement; its success/failure is settled.
Announced hundred4+
100 qualifying points: card points plus the FIRST recorded marriage for your side (not the sum).
Unannounced hundred2+
If a side reaches 100 total points without a hundred announcement.
Red trump×2
Hearts as trump double the total non-Betl/Durch settlement.
Flek / re×2 / level
Each eligible double multiplies its contract component by 2.
Settlement limit500
A net result is capped to 500 units per defender.
Worked club example
- Example: successful Betl with no double gives 15 club units from each defender (30 to declarer).
- Example: a successful trump game (1) plus an announced seven (2) totals 3 units per defender before any doubles; with hearts as trump this is doubled to 6.
- For a declared hundred, 60 card points with a FIRST 40-point trump marriage qualifies as 100. A first 20-point marriage followed by 40 points does not turn 60 into a qualifying hundred.
A player’s final balance also depends on which side declared the bonus, doubles and the exact deal.