Tips hungariantarokk

The tactics of Hungarian Tarokk, like other forms of Zwanzigerrufen, depend on guess the location of the highest trump cards: The ’Scuse (*), Mond (XXI), the called XX, and and the XIX - XVII.

The restrictions on bidding, and the conventions in announcing, allow some of this information to be clarified.

Bidding

• Rule: You must have a Trull card - the Pagat (I), Mond (XXI), or ’Scuse (*) - to bid.
• Enforced Convention: Cue Bids. If you make a jump bid, that is, a bid higher than the minimum, you are signalling that you not only have a Trull card, but also that you lack the XX but would like to be partners to another bidder. This is shown in the tooltip. A jump of one shows that you have the XIX; a jump of two shows that you have the XVIII, etc. A second convention is the Yielded Game. If you open with a "Three", and someone outbids you with a "Two" - if you pass, you are signaling that you have a strong hand and the XXI or ’Scuse. If you do not have these, you must "hold" the two.
• Suggestions:
  • If you have the ’Scuse, you will almost always bid.
  • If you have a Trull card, you should usually bid. With the ’Scuse or Mond, with as few as 4 trumps; with perhaps 6 trumps with the Pagat.
  • If you have the ’Scuse, Mond, and XX - you should always try to win the bidding!
  • You pass if: 1) You have the Pagat, XX, and no high Trull cards; and if you have the Mond, are the last to bid, and no one else has bid.

Announcing

Certain announcements have conventional meanings as well as their plain meaning in the rules. These conventions are not enforced, but can help to signal strength to your partner.

• Trull The declarer is announcing that he has both high Trull cards; the Partner is signaling that he has one of the high Trull cards. In both cases, this should only be done with at least 5 trumps - because if your team ends up not having the I, you still need to be able to catch it to save the announcement.
• 4 Kings Signals to your partner that you have 6 or 7 trumps, including one or two High Trumps (XVII and above.) (8 or 9 trumps have their own declaration.)
• High Game Signals 5 or 6 trumps, 2 High Trumps in addition to the XX. This can serve as an invitation to announce a Pagat Ultimo.
• Kontra You should Kontra an announcement of 4 Kings if you have 6 trumps, and believe you have one high enough to win a trick in the second half of the game. This asks your partner to Smear a King onto it.

Discarding

Generally you want to discard face cards to save them for your side. However, there are occasions when you wish to discard trumps, in order to have more suits represented in your hand:

• If you have the ’Scuse and want to catch the Mond, you don't want the lead. Therefore, more suits mean you don't trump into the lead as quickly.
• You have the XX but no high Trull card - you don't want to "drive trumps" and risk your partner losing the XXI.
• You have 6 or 7 trumps, and your opponents have announced Pagat Ultimo: Ever suit you have increases your chances of stopping them.

Declarer Team Play

• If your partner has declared "4 Kings", you should lead trumps. He has length - and might be trying for a silent Pagat Ultimo.

Catching the XXI

The high value of catching the XXI makes it a priority to attempt to achieve or avoid, depending on where you sit! The bidding and the conventional announcements above may reveal whether it is possible. If no "Trull" was announced, it's very possible that the ’Scuse and Mond are on separate teams.

Generally, the player with the ’Scuse will try to play just below a trump lead. He never wants to have the lead himself - so he plays a high trump underneath to stay off the lead. Contrariwise, a player who plays low on a trump lead probably doesn't have the ’Scuse or isn't trying for a Mondfang. To help stay off lead, when discarding you want to have two or three side suits, and no more than a single "High Trump" besides the ’Scuse - you can discard a second! (Though, if you're the declarer, you will discard it face up; so folks will know you're trying to Catch.

If you're trying to catch, it's ideal to it to the right of the XXI: your partner can lead trumps from the other side, and you can underplay or catch as need be! If you're on the left - there's nothing to do but attempt to mislead: Play as though your partner on the other side has the ’Scuse, and try to run him out of other trumps

Whether you're trying to catch or avoid: if your partner is to your left, you can lead trumps. Either your partner will safely bring the XXI home - or, if he has the ’Scuse, will underplay so that you can lead again! Conventionally, if your partner to your left responds with a trump of X or higher, it means, "Keep leading trumps!"; lower than X means, "Switch to a suit!"

If your partner has the XXI - you should lead suit cards, in the hopes of giving him a chance to trump safely on that suit.

References

• Mayr, Wolfgang and Robert Sedlaczek (2008). "Die Strategie des Tarock Spiels".