Additional bids

The final chapter!

Below an explanation of the additional options. Some are generally used, others are local variants of the game (will be indicated). First a word on troel and afterwards we go from the highest special bid (Solo) to the lowest one (Abundance). Each of these options outbids regular ask-join bidding as described previously in v0.6.

Troel (godverdomme)

Occurrence: Troel is played in all regional variants and deserves a separate v0.7.

Rules: After dealing, when a player sees he has 3 or 4 aces, he has to call "troel" even if it's not his turn to start bidding.

After that call, the regular bidding starts, but very restricted this time, to 3 options: pass, open misery, solo (more on those last two later). So f.e. no regular ask/join are allowed in a troel game.

The player that has the 4th ace has one bid option that is different from the other players: the pass option is not allowed for him and instead is replaced with join troel. Nonetheless, he also retains the option for the 2 other bids (open misery or solo).

In case troel is played (i.e. not outbid by the 2 possible superior bids), the trump colour is determined by suit of the 4th ace of the player that joined troel. Additionally, the first trick has to be made in trump and the ace must be thrown in that trick. In very strict sense, one could say that that first trick is led by the player who joined and has to throw his ace.

Note: Suppose that the troel caller has 4 iso 3 aces, then the one to join would be the one with the highest heart that is not in possession of the caller (the latter one needs to make clear which heart card joins the troel). So a troel where the caller has 4 aces will always result in hearts being trump.

Solo (v0.8)

Occurrence: Played everywhere (and often rewarded with a free drink in a pub when played with success).

Rules: this is the highest possible bid. When a player is bidding and he is certain he can make all the 13 tricks by himself in the trump suit of his choice, he can call solo. Exceptionally, a solo player can start the first trick himself. If successful, the player is rewarded 45 points (-15 for the 3 other players). When failed the same points move in the other direction.

This is a very rare bid by all means, but for the sake of theory: Should a 2nd player also bid solo, the highest suit will get the contract (remember: H>D>C>S). Anyway I've never seen this happen.

(Open) Misery: Two bids for a rainy day.

Occurrence: generally played. v0.9, almost there!

Rules: When you are dealt very low cards (2s, 3s, etc.), you often won't be able to do well in a regular trump suit contract. In case you're convinced you can play without making any of the 13 tricks, in a game without trump suit, then you can bid (regular) Misery or Open Misery.

The (regular) Misery contract is played like a regular trick game without trump. If the player achieves the goal he will be awarded 15 points (so -5 for the other 3 players).

The version Open Misery is even more stringent: Not only do you play for 0 tricks, but you have to show your cards openly on the table while playing, starting from the moment the 1st card that gets led hits the table. So in the Open version, the counter-players get a lot of info (this is the only game in which cards are shown before they're played). A succesfull Open Misery brings in 30 points (i.e. -10 for each other player).

Note: contrary to Solo, for both Misery and Open Misery other players are allowed to join Misery. Scoring is more complex in that case, but the following perspective has to be followed "each player pays or earns for each misery for his perspective on winning/losing". Anyway, that's details.

Abundance (v1.0)

Occurrence: Played everywhere.

Rules: This is similar to Solo, so the player going for Abundance exceptionally can start the first trick himself, but now you limit your claim to making 9 or more tricks by yourself in the trump suit of your choice.

Note: In case multiple players bid Abundance, the order of suits applies (you can outbid an Abundance Clubs of another player with an abundance Diamonds f.e.), and on top of that, it's even allowed to outbid on a higher number of tricks: multiple Abundance aspirers can outbid each other as is done in a regular trump suit contract.

Regardless the bid level, a successful Abundance gets you 9 points (-3 for each counterplayer) and the other way around for a failed one.

You are now at level 1.0 did you notice? Congrats. Everything below is more about variants. So summarising from low to high, the bids are: regular trump suit bid, Abundance, Misery, Troel, Open Misery and Solo.

Score doubling situations

Occurrence: variable, to be agreed upon with your players as you see fit.

Rules: Different situations can be chosen to be a reason for doubling the score for the game at hand.

For a troel game: very common.
For a regular bid game (v0.6 style) when all 13 tricks are made: very common.
After a bidding phase where everyone passed (double score for next deal): common (much more exotically, some players also stop the bidding when 4 different suits are bid in the first round)
When the first four bids are "ask" in the 4 different suits ("roundtrip ask"): bidding is stopped when this extra rule is applied, and the next game is dealt, for double points: seldom.
Knocking (seldom); When a contract has been bid, any of the contract's opposing players is allowed to knock on the table to double the score, when they assume the contract cannot be made. Some players even allow counter-knocking back and forth (x3, x4...).

Note: combinations of doubling lead to X3, X4 etc. F.e. a troel game (double score) in which all 13 tricks are made (also double score) lead to a multiplier of x3.

More exotic bids

Occurrence: Seldom.

Rules: Following rules also exist but are rare.

Piccolo: Exactly like Misery so without trump suit, but now the bidder has to make exactly 1 trick (no more, no less). Also as with Misery, other players are allowed to join (provided each Piccolo player has to exactly make 1 trick for himself in order to win). If you play this, put its prevalence below Abundance and above regular trump suit games.
Abundance startup player: Contrary to the standard rule, some players also let the "regular" 1st player start the first trick iso the Abundance player.
Other bids to play alone: Two variants are known where a player can bid alone, (1) when his contract-partner passes in outbidding phase, and/or (2) during bid round 3, so without waiting for the 3rd bid round to finalise.
Small misery: Also like misery, the aim is to make 0 tricks, but now before the game starts every player throws a card away (without showing it) before the play begins. This version of the game could be frowned upon but anyway.
Solo Slim: Like Solo, but in this version there is no trump. Very rarely played.
Open Solo & Open Solo Slim: Like the respective Solo games, but now with showing the contract player's cards on the table.
Passe-parôle-back: Sometimes allowed to directly pass back the word after it was given to you by partner.

Order of contracts

From reading the indicated points, you may have already derived the correct prevalence of the bids. I already stated them in v1.0 for those who would stop reading there. But let's repeat together, I'll put them in order from high to low this time as a brain teaser. We get: Solo, Open Misery, Troel, Misery, Abundance and lastly the regular trump suit game, the latter one being the most frequently played anyway. That's why v0.6 is so important.

An example to explain this prevalence: Suppose

first bidder says pass
Second bidder asks clubs
Third bidder joins clubs
Fourth bidder states Misery

Now for the second bid round:

First bidder: cannot speak anymore since he passed (once passed, always passed).
Second bidder can: pass, join Misery, outbid Open Misery, outbid Solo.
Third bidder: similar and his options will get smaller should the 2nd bidder chose to alreadt outbid.
4th bidder: If nobody outbids his Misery, the play will start (otherwise he is still allowed to Outbid further or pass).

Anyway, use your common sense to solve these rarely occurring situations.