Cego is the last surviving true tarot game in Germany. Now, not even the name connects it to tarot, only the cards that few recognise. I have read that the game is still very popular in parts of South West Germany but I suspect that it is quite limited to the region, I have known Germans from Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Belin, and Munich but none had ever heard of Cego, and the cards were unknown to them. Packs of Cego cards are sold in two varieties, one that features the usual sort of rural scenes, albeit somewhat more baroque than others, and one featuring animals. The game’s distinguishing feature is that instead of a stock, there is dealt a ‘cego’, which is considered a fifth hand. The cego is, in most bids, used much as a stock but players can bid to play with the cego instead of their dealt hand.


Cards

The Cego pack is the Austrian standard 54 card pack using irrational ranking.

There are 22 trumps numbered I-XXI and the highest trump, the Fool, which is un-numbered.

Swords & Batons / Spades & Clubs
K, Q, C, V, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6

Cups & Coins / Hearts & Diamonds
K, Q, C, V, 1, 2, 3, 4

The card values are:

The cards are counted in groups of 3, subtracting 2 points from each group. This makes for 70 card points in the pack.


Deal

The first Dealer is chosen at random, usually by cutting the cards. Deal then moves to the right after each hand. Dealer's left cuts the cards, ten cards are dealt to the cego in the middle of the table, then each player receives 11 cards in a single packet.


Bidding

There are two rounds of bidding. Players each bid in turn starting with Eldest. They may pass or bid:

Solo: Declarer plays alone against the other three players, the cego goes unseen by all and counts towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Declarer must have over 35 card points to win the hand and scores for each point over 35 multiplied by 2 from each player. If the hand is lost then Declarer loses only by the number of points below 35 to each player.

Pagat Ultimo: If this is bid, then the auction ends without a second round. Declarer places the Pagat face up on the table and contracts to win the last trick with it. If won, each player pays Declarer 80 points. If lost, Declarer pays each player 80 points.

There then begins another round of bidding. Players who passed in the first round may still bid in the second round. If all players passed in the first round, then Eldest must begin the auction by bidding either:

Cego: Declarer discards all but two cards (any cards may be discarded) and picks up the cego. Declarer then discards one more cards to make the hand eleven. The discards will count towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Declarer must win over 35 points to win the game, other players must pay 1 point each for every point over 35. If the hand is lost then Declarer loses only by the number of points below 35 to each player. However, if this is bid against a solo, then scores won or lost are doubled.

Or …

One Trick: If this is bid, then the auction ends. Declarer contracts to win just win trick - no more, no less. If won, then 30 points are paid by each defender. If lost, then 30 points are paid to each defender.

Or …

Beggar: If this is bid, then the auction ends. Declarer contracts to lose every trick in the game. If won, then 30 points are paid by each defender. If lost, then 30 points are paid to each defender.

If Eldest bid cego, then there is an opportunity for other players to outbid it with:

Just One: Declarer keeps just one card from the hand dealt and discards the rest. Declarer then takes the cego and plays with these eleven cards. The discards count towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Declarer needs over 35 points to win the game, other players must pay 1 point each for every point over 35 multiplied by two. If the hand is lost, then Declarer loses only by the number of points below 35, again multiplied by two, to each player. However, if this is bid against a solo, then scores won or lost are multiplied by 3 rather than 2.

One Pip: Declarer keeps one pip card which is placed face up on the table, discards the rest of the hand dealt and plays using the cego instead. The exposed card must be led to the first trick. The discards count toward Declarer’s tricks at the end. Points won or lost are multiplied by 3 or by 4 if a Solo was bid in the first round.

Two Pips: Declarer keeps two pip cards of the same suit which are then placed face up on the table, discards the rest of the hand and plays using the cego after discarding one more card - this must be the lowest trump. The exposed cards must be played to the first two tricks that Declarer leads to. Discards count towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Points won or lost are multiplied by 4 or by 5 if Solo was bid in the first round.

Different Pips: Declarer keeps two pip cards of two different suits and places them face up on the table, discards the rest of the hand and plays using the cego after discarding one more card - this must be the highest trump. The exposed cards must be played to the first two tricks that Declarer leads to. Discards count towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Points won or lost are multiplied by 5 or by 6 if Solo was bid in the first round.

Pagat First: Declarer places the Pagat face up on the table, discards the rest of the hand and plays with the cego instead. The Pagat must be played to the first trick. Discards count towards Declarer’s tricks at the end. Points won or lost are multiplied by 6 or by 7 if Solo was bid in the first round.

One Trick: See above.

Beggar: See above.

If Solo was bid in the first round, then the next highest bid is Cego, though the next permitted bid is Just One.

If Eldest has bid Cego after all passed in the first round and all others pass again in the second round, then Eldest may choose to change the play to one of these three types to punish anyone who should have bid but failed to:

The Beggar’s Play: The cego is ignored and there is no Declarer. Players compete to capture the fewest card points. The player that captures the most loses the hand and must pay each of the other players 30 game points.

Careless Beggars: As with The Beggar’s Play but players must play trumps to the first three tricks. If they are held, then the Fool must be played to the first trick, the Mond to the second, and the Pagat to the third. If a player hasn’t any trumps to play to any of these three tricks then they must play pip cards to them - ie they cannot use the chance to discard courts! Again, whoever wins the most points must pay each of the other players 30 game points.

The Bitter End: The object is to avoid winning the last trick - whoever does win it, must pay the other three players 30 game points