Polignac (card game)

Polignac
A trick-taking avoidance game.
Origin French
Alternative names Four Jacks
Family Trick-taking
Players 3–6
Cards 32
Deck French
Play Clockwise
Playing time 20 min.
Random chance Easy
Related games
Hearts, Black Lady

Polignac (a.k.a. Jeux des Valets) is a French 18th century trick-taking card game ancestral to Hearts and Black Maria.[1] It is played by 3-6 players with a 32-card deck. It is sometimes played as a party game with the 52-card pack, however, it is better as a serious game for four, playing all against all. Other names for this game include Quatre Valets and Stay Away.[2] Knaves is a variant and it is also similar to the German games, Slobberhannes, also called Slippery Jack, and Grasobern.[3]

Game

Unless four play, remove the black Sevens. The turn to deal and play passes always to the left. The cards should be divided evenly among the players, with the dealer dealing the cards in 2s and 3s. The aim of the game is to avoid capturing any Jacks in tricks, and specially the ♠J, called Polignac. The rank of the cards are: K Q J A T 9 8 7 in each suit.

Eldest leads first and the other players follow suit if possible, otherwise they may play any card. The trick is won by the highest card of the suit led, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. There are no trumps.

Score

The players lose 2 points for capturing the ♠J, and 1 for each other Jack captured. The first player to reach an agreed total of penalties, which may be 10 or 20 points, then loses the game.

Notes

  • Any player may bid capot before the opening lead is made. This is an undertaking to win every trick. If succeeded, each opponent loses 5 points; if not the bidder loses 5.
  • Eventually, the position of the Ace, common to old French card games, may be changed. If players prefer to make Ace high, penalties should attach to Queens instead of the Jacks. The players may decide to try and take all the tricks in a hand. This is known as general and the player must announce his intention before he leads to the first trick. If he succeeds, all the other players score 5 penalty points. If he fails, the Jacks score 5 penalty points in the usual way against the players who take them.

The following are variants or similar games played in other countries.

Bassadewitz

Bassedewitz, also called Passadewitz, Bassarowitz or Passarowitz, is a 4-player game first recorded in the early nineteenth century and still played as a family game in parts of German-speaking Europe. It is a member of the trick avoidance group of playing cards.

Eichelobern

Eichelobern is an Austrian game played with a 32-card William Tell pack that is the German-suited equivalent of Slobberhannes (see below). The aim is to avoid taking the first and last tricks and the Eichelober - the Ober of Acorns.

Grasobern

Grasobern is the Bavarian equivalent of Eichelobern, played with a 32-card Schafkopf pack. The aim is to avoid taking the first and last tricks and the Grasober - the Ober of Leaves.

Knaves

Knaves is played with 3 or more players. Points are won for taking tricks and lost for taking Jacks. Players are dealt 17 cards from a French pack and the last card is turned for trumps. Players must follow suit if possible; if not, they may play any card. Score 1 point per trick and deduct 1 for ♠J, 2 for ♣J, 3 for ♦J and 4 for ♥J. Game is 20 points.[4]

Slobberhannes

A simple German variation similar to Polignac which may have preceded it. The name means "Slippery Jack", though the card in question is a Queen.[5]

  • A 32-card deck is used and cards rank A K Q J 10 9 8 7 in each suit. If five or six play, the black Sevens are removed. The turn to deal and play passes always to the left. Deal all the cards out one at a time. The aim is to avoid winning the first trick, the last trick, and the trick containing the ♣Q.
  • Eldest leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. Follow suit if possible, otherwise play any card. The trick is taken by the highest card of the suit led. There are no trumps in the game.
  • A player loses 1 point for winning the first trick, 1 for winning the last, and 1 for winning the ♣Q in a trick. A player winning all of these, loses 4 points or may, instead, to win 4, if so agreed. The overall winner is the player with the fewest penalty points when someone reaches a previously agreed total. If played for hard score, everyone starts with ten units, and pays the appropriate penalty into a pool immediately upon incurring it. The pool is divided equally among the winners when one player goes broke.

Notes

Possession of the ♣Q is not always dangerous. If it is well "guarded" and one can rely on it not being forced out by the Club leads of the other players, and one will, sooner or later, be able to discard it. As in Black Maria and those Misere hands which lend so much interest to Solo, one wants to conserve as long as possible the low cards which control the suit.

See also

References

  1. ↑ Oxford Dictionary of Card Games, David Parlett, p. 218 - Oxford University Press ISBN 0-19-869173-4
  2. ↑ The New complete Hoyle: the authoritative guide to the official rules of all, p. 288, Albert Hodges Morehead, Edmond Hoyle - 1991 ISBN 0-385-24962-4
  3. ↑ The Oxford guide to card games, David Sidney Parlett, p. 304 ISBN 0-19-214165-1
  4. ↑ Parlett 2008, p. 142.
  5. ↑ Parlett, David. Dictionary of Card Games, p. 270 ISBN 0-19-869173-4
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