This page attempts to expose general principles which
can be used in the game of Tarock for bidding and play. These principles
do not guarantee a win since variables in the game make a solid strategy
impossible to determine.
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Casual players are sometimes mystified by the arcane method used to determine points when counting card values. The system arises from the fact that actual card values are worth two-thirds of a point less than the values used in counting. Thus, kings and each of the Trula are worth 4 1/3 points, not 5 points, queens are 3 1/3, etc., and ordinary cards are worth just 1/3 of a point. The addition and subtraction phases of counting bypass the need to do fractional math!
In order to project scores with some degree of accuracy, two default values are used. One is the Minimum Card Value (MCV), which reflects the lowest point value of any random card. The other is the Common Card Value (CCV), which is the true average of values over 48 cards, weighted in favor of higher point cards. The MCV is 1/3, the value of the majority of cards in the deck. The CCV is 1.2, which may be arrived at by adding up all of the royals and Trula, plus the MCV for the remaining 29 cards and then dividing by 48. The cards in the Talon are ignored in this computation since they do not contribute toward the final card summation.
The primary questions that arise when judging a hand are: What is the minimum number of tricks that may be taken, and is this sufficient to win? To correlate the two questions, we need to have a sense of how many points each trick contains.
First assume the case that all cards use the MCV of 1/3 as their actual values, i.e., that all cards are "ordinary." In a four-handed game, there are 12 tricks in contest; in a three-handed game, 16 tricks. If all the cards won in a game had minimal values, this would yield a total of 16 final points ( 1/3 x 48 cards → 16), a shortfall of 20 points since a win requires a minimum of 36 points.
But in the real game, not all cards have the same base value. Since there is no way to predict distribution and outcome of points (a given trick may yield between 1 1/3 and 17 1/3 points: 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 + 1/3 [ordinary cards] to 4 1/3 + 4 1/3 + 4 1/3 + 4 1/3 [trula and a king]), we calculate the average trick value (ATV) by using the CCV: 4 x 1.2 → 4.8 (4-player); 3 x 1.2 → 3.6 (3-player). Multiplying these by the total number of tricks in either variant, one gets the same result for the Total Game Value: 57.6 (TGV).
Each suit consists of four ordinary cards and four royals:
X X X X J N Q K
The ordinary cards are marked "X" since they essentially have no relative worth apart from determining hand distribution. Assuming that there are no cards of a particular suit in the Talon, the maximum distribution of a suit would be:
Three Players Four Players - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 2 3 3 2 2 2 2
Therefore, for either three or four players, the maximum "safe" number of tricks that may be called without tarocks being thrown is 2. Even so, no trick is guaranteed not to be trumped, and players should adjust their expectations once the cards in the Talon are revealed.
Certain assumptions based on points in hand may be made in order to determine the best bid. For simplicity, only the four-player game is considered.
King, and no more than 1 other card of the same suit in hand
(a "lonely king"):
If the player wins the bid, he is likely to win with this king on the
first trick of the suit. Therefore, he may count up to 1 ATV in points
toward his projected score.
King and queen of a given suit, with no other cards of the same suit in hand
(a "royal couple"):
If the player wins the bid, he is likely
to win using these cards on the first and second tricks of the suit.
Therefore, he may count up to 2 ATVs in points
toward his projected score.
The Trula:
If the player holds the Fool or the 21, he is likely to win it in
the game regardless of the outcome of the bid.
Although the Pagat is harder to guarantee, if the player wins the bid, he
is likely to win it as well. Therefore, he may count up to 1 ATV
in points for each of the Trula toward his projected score.
Voids:
An existing void in a suit is likely to result in the
capture of between one and three tricks, including most of the non-king
royals, yielding up to 14 points (3 x ATV).
If the player wins the bid,
he may create a void if he is 1, 2 or 3 cards away from it, depending on
the involvement of the Talon. The condition of "one away" also includes the
case of a lonely king. Note:
The bidding assessment system is conservative and allocates
only 10 points toward the bidder's projected score if he has an
existing void or is 1 card away; fewer for 2 or 3 cards away. Also: Although
the assessment system takes into account only the first void in hand,
a hand with two or more voids is stronger. This skew, however, is
generally reflected in a surplus of tarocks, or recommends raising the bid
within its class.
Point cards likely to be discarded:
In a bid involving the Talon, a player may reserve points by discarding.
Usually at most two royals qualify; therefore, he may count up to X + X
points toward his projected score.
21, 20, 19... tarock sequence:
Assuming that the three highest tarocks establish dominance in a run,
having the top three guarantees three tricks, or 14
points maximum. Every card in sequence
below 19 will extend the capture by 1 ATV in points.
Note: The bidding assessment system is conservative, awarding only 4
points for the entire initial sequence.
Possessing the three highest tarocks alone
should not make the bidder over-confident.
20, 19, 18... and 19, 18, 17, 16... tarock sequences:
These positions are not as strong but still merit consideration. Eventually the
numerical superiority of tarocks outweighs the rank.
Tarocks in excess or fewer than norm:
If all tarocks were distributed evenly among 4 players, each player would
receive 21 / 4 → 5 1/4 tarocks. For every
tarock in excess of this number, assume 1 ATV in points may be taken; for every
tarock shy of this number, assume a 1 ATV deficit.
Note: The bidding assessment system is conservative, raising the average
boundary to 6 cards and lowering the point adjustment to 4.
No kings:
This is a severe condition for a positive game, and therefore results in a
penalty (-1 ATV).
A strong bidding position is one where the bidder is confident he can win the game, either with no help or with a weak partner. A weak position is one where the bidder cannot win without a partner's assistance. The bidding assessment system is designed to accommodate weak bids on or above the 5 / 12 mark: if a player cannot capture 5 tricks out of 12, he should not bid. Conversely, a player who can capture the majority of bids is encouraged to bid.
The assessment boundaries are set in this fashion: 36 points (game minimum) is the high limit for Low Bids. The low limit is (5/12 x 36) → 15. The Solo bid limit is based on the ability to take roughly 9 / 12 tricks (a margin of 3 tricks, the maximum trick allowance) without assistance. It is often wise for a bidder to begin with a Partnered bid and increase to a Solo bid after others have responded.
When calling a king for a Partnered bid, the Declarer should choose a suit that is already voided, or that he intends to void before play. This signals to his partner that the called king is safe to be led. Moreover, if the Talon contains tarocks so that the total between his existing hand (with a minimum of 6) and the Talon amounts to 9 or more (a "surplus"), then he should announce King Ultimo up front, and his partner should not play the called king until the final trick. Even if the called king is in the Talon, forcing the Declarer to play solo, he should announce King Ultimo when there is a surplus of tarocks.
Similarly, if the Declarer possesses (or claims) the Pagat, and there is a surplus of tarocks between his hand and the Talon, he should announce Pagat Ultimo.
In the rare case when the Declarer's partner counts a surplus between his hand and the Talon, he should declare an Ultimo, if qualified. (But never should the same player announce both Ultimos, obviously!)
A player should announce French Style if he wishes to flush out his opponents' high tarocks using his stock of midrange tarocks (rank 8-16). This strategy may be used by either side if the announcing player has at least 6 tarocks in hand.
It is generally safe to lead kings early in the game (before their suits have been broken) unless the player has seen four or more cards of the same suit between the hand he was dealt and the Talon.
It is sometimes safe to lead a queen early in a game immediately after a king of the same suit unless the player has seen any other card (apart from the royal couple) of the same suit between the hand he was dealt and the Talon. Even if no other card is seen, the distribution may foil the lead. Better to save queens in one's discard group, if possible. The Declarer's partner should feel fairly confident playing a queen on a king the Declarer has led unless he has seen three or more cards of the same suit between his hand and the Talon.
Partners should always try to play a high point card when in the fourth position and a team card will win the trick.
Once kings and (if safe) queens have been led, the Declarer (or his partner) may choose to run tarocks, assuming tarocks have been broken. This strategy is best applied if he possesses or has seen between his hand and the Talon more than 6 tarocks. If not, he should try to reduce his opponents' tarocks by running ordinary suit cards. This will bleed their stocks, but the strategy relies on him or his partner regaining the lead after every other trick.
The Declarer's team should withhold the Fool until the last trick unless an announced Ultimo blocks its play; the Opposition should play the Fool before the final trick. Remember though if the Declarer's team plays both the Fool and the Pagat in the final trick, they will be penalized for attempting Pagat Ultimo even though they will win the trick!
A player bidding Barach should inspect his hand for certain conditions beyond a low assessment:
Any tarock above rank 4 is a potential weakness; any above 10 is a definite danger. If the exceptions in the hand amount to fewer than 4 tricks, one can still bid Barach with a 1-3 trick allowance. For instance, a king and a high tarock will probably result in 2 tricks taken; one can still bid Barach 2. When playing, even suit distribution should be maintained, if possible. If the player possesses the Fool, it should be led as soon as practical or added to a trick as the fourth card.
There are two circumstances that betoken a Colour Valat bid: solid high runs in suits and few but high tarocks. The bidder should have no voids, unless he is confident of controlling the lead. The suit runs should at least contain a king and a queen; breaks in sequence below the knight may be acceptable if he is willing to gamble on an even card distribution. A long run in just one suit (6 to 8 cards) may be tolerable if all the remaining cards are predominately high tarocks; or the player may count exceptions and increase the trick allowance.
To achieve Barcelona, one must be a skilled player and have an exceptional hand. Prefiguring one's strategy is essential. Identify any weaknesses and account for them with trick allowances. When in doubt, use a lower bid.