Troccas for Four

 

 

This is one of two Swiss games played with an Italian suited pack related to the Besançon pattern. What makes this pattern distinct, is that the Pope and Popess cards have been replaced by Jupiter and Juno. There are two accounts of this game that differ slightly. I’ll give the version described by Michael Dummett first, that was taken from an AG Muller leaflet, and shall go on to discuss the extra feature found at John McLeod’s web site.

 

 

The Cards

 

This is a full pack of 78 cards with Italian suits and trumps, using irrational ranking:

 

Swords & Batons / Spades & Trumps

K, Q, C, V, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1

 

Cups & Coins / Hearts & Diamonds

K, Q, C, V, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 

Honours (Fool, Pagat, Mond)  5 points

Kings     5 points

Queens     4 points

Cavaliers    3 points

Valets     2 points

Other cards    1 point

 

 

 

 

Tricks are counted in groups of 4 cards, subtracting 3 points for each group. Dealer’s team will have two odd cards – they count for their combined value minus 1 point. This gives a total of 72 points.

 

 

Partnerships and Deal

 

Each player in turn cuts the cards until they have all revealed a trump. The two with the highest trumps and the two with the lowest trumps form partnerships, with each partner sitting opposite the other.

 

The deal can follow one of a few different methods, in each case the players receive 19 cards each, with Dealer taking the extra 2 cards, with the last card dealt to each player dealt face up.

 

Under ordinary conditions players are each given two packets of 6 cards followed by a packet of 7 cards, with Dealer taking the last 9.

 

Players examine their cards as they are dealt and with each round of the deal any player may request that the hand be re-dealt by the same Dealer. However, any other player may overrule by demanding that the deal continues.

 

If one side has a total of minus nine points or less, they may request that the deal be one packet each of 9 cards and one packet of 10 cards, with Dealer taking the last 12.

 

If one side has a total of minus 18 points or less, they may gather up the cards themselves, cut the pack as they wish, and request they be dealt in one packet of 19 cards with Dealer taking 21.

 

 

Play

 

Dealer must discard two cards and, as is usual, Kings and Honours cannot be discarded but all other cards, including trumps, may be. The discard pile (scart) will then count towards Dealer’s tricks at the end of play.

 

Eldest leads to the first trick with any card. Each player in turn, moving to the right, must try to follow suit, if they cannot, then they must play a trump, if they cannot play a trump, then they may play any card – though it cannot win. The Fool may be played at any time to avoid following these rules but it is never lost. If the side that wins the trick did not play the Fool, they must accept a low card from their opponents’ trick pile (but not from the scart) in exchange.

 

 

Calling the Valet

 

This is an interesting twist to play, unique to this game. When a suit is led for the first time, then, if the King is played to the trick, the winner of the trick may call the Valet to the King. The player who has the valet must add it to the trick, taking back the card they originally played – unless they are on the winner’s team and have played either the Cavalier or the Queen. If the Valet is in the scart, it is not called.

 

If the player with the King also has the Valet, he/she may play both together and, when the trick is taken, must take another card of the same suit from the trick back into his/her hand. In the event of the trick being lost, then they cannot take back either the King or the Valet.

 

 

Signalling Trumps

 

According to Dummett, this is an optional rule, though McLeod suggests that it is regional.

 

When the holder of the Mond is first obliged to play a trump, he/she may knock the table to indicate that they hold it. After the Mond has been played, they may knock again if they hold the 20 and, when that is played, again to indicate the 19.…and so on.

 

 

Scores

 

The cards are counted and teams win or lose game points equal to the card points over or below 36. A game consists of four hands.

 

 

Tschintschar

 

According to the John McLeod’s web site, the deal represents an opportunity to exchange some information and to call for a hand to be re-dealt. The first deal takes place as already described.

 

For subsequent deals of a game:

 

After each round of the deal (ie after a packet has been dealt to each player), the deal pauses for the players to consider their hands. Each player in turn, beginning with Eldest may speak only once. A player may call to throw in the hand and deal afresh, call “Play” to veto such a call, or use the opportunity to say something about his/her hand within strict limits. In Switzerland, the information is given by a code, referring to locations in the Medel Valley. Whilst this is part of the charm of the game, I don’t expect many readers to have much knowledge of the geography or places within there and so I’ve made the decision to use a rather more literal set of permitted calls. The ambiguity in some of the calls is intentional and limits the information given.

 

Some trumps

A couple of trumps

Plenty of trumps

Weak trumps

Many trumps

No trumps

 

Full court of “suit” - all four court cards in the named suit.

Royal marriage in “suit” - the King and queen of the named suit.

A few courts in “suit”

Two kings

One King

Bare King of “suit” - King and not other courts of the named suit.

Supported King

Matriarch in “suit” - the queen and some courts of the named suit.

Surfs of “suit” - the King and some pip cards in the named suit.

 

My share

Hardly my share

Without me

 

 

Troccas for Six Players

 

Two teams of 3 players sit themselves alternately so that no-one is sitting next to a team mate. The rules for play are not complete from either Dummett or McLeod so I have filled in the gaps from my own play.

 

Teams may be chosen as for the normal game or by agreement with the first Dealer chosen at random. Players are dealt one packet of 6 cards and one of 7 cards. They may call for deal to be discontinued as per the normal game. According to McLeod, this option and the Tschintschar are not played but it doesn’t harm the game if they are employed - so use them or not, as you prefer.

 

The cards are still counted in fours but where there are two odd cards, they are counted as if they are a full group, subtracting 3 points. Otherwise, play is as for the four player game.

 

 

Troccas for Three Players

 

Not the best of the three player games by a long shot but if you tend to just play Troccas and are short one player, then it’s a fall back with familiar rules.

 

All play for themselves, with first Dealer chosen at random. Players receive two packets of 8 cards and one packet of 9 with Dealer taking the last 12. Players may still call for deal to be discontinued but they will always be overruled by someone.

 

Dealer must discard 3 cards to a scart that will count towards his/her tricks at then end. The discard may not include Honours or Kings and the cards are worth their score minus one point. The cards are counted individually for a total of 127 card points. Dealer scores or loses game points for every card point over or below 43, for the other players this is over or below 42.

 

 

Troccas for Five Players

 

Again, if you want to play a five handed tarot game, then really, look at the French tarot. However, this is a good enough fall back if Troccas is your usual game.

 

Essentially, this is the same as the three player version. Players receive three packets of 5 cards, with Dealer taking the last 8 - Dealer discards as before. Dealer scores or loses game points for every card point over or below 27, for the other players this is over or below 25.