Introduction to Online Point Trick Card Games

May 15
22:36

2024

Jan Kaas

Jan Kaas

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Point trick card games are a fascinating subset of trick-taking games that have gained significant popularity on the Internet. These games, such as Klaverjassen, French Tarot, and Schafkopf, offer unique gameplay where the winner is determined by the value of the cards they collect rather than the number of tricks they take.

What Are Point Trick Games?

Point trick games are a category of card games where each card has a specific point value. The objective is not merely to win tricks but to accumulate the highest point value from the cards won. These games can be further divided into:

  • Positive Point Trick Games: Players aim to collect more points than their opponents.
  • Negative Point Trick Games: The goal is to avoid collecting points.
  • Balanced Point Trick Games: Players aim to collect a specific number of points.

Scoring and Special Combinations

In many point trick games,Introduction to Online Point Trick Card Games Articles special card combinations can significantly boost a player's score. For instance, in Klaverjassen, certain combinations can dramatically increase your points.

Main Families of Point Trick Games

Tarot Group

Games in the Tarot group use a special deck that includes permanent trump cards. A well-known game in this family is French Tarot.

Manille Group

In the Manille group, the card values are as follows:

  • Ten (France)/Nine (Spain): 5 points
  • Ace: 4 points
  • King: 3 points
  • Queen and Knight: 2 points
  • Jack: 1 point

Trappola Group

This ancient group of games, dating back around 500 years, uses a 36-card deck. The card values are the same in both the plain and trump suits:

  • Ace: 6 points
  • King: 5 points
  • Knight: 4 points
  • Jack: 3 points

Unfortunately, Trappola games are rarely played today and are slowly fading into obscurity.

Ace-Ten Group

In this family, the ace and ten are the most valuable cards. The card ranking is:

  • Ace: 11 points
  • Ten: 10 points
  • King: 4 points
  • Queen: 3 points
  • Jack: 2 points

Some games in this group have a scoring scheme similar to Klaverjassen.

Major Subgroups

Marriage Games

These games feature a special bonus for holding the king and queen of a suit.

Schafkopf Games

In these games, all queens and jacks act as high trumps.

Sedma Games

In Sedma games, aces and tens are the highest-scoring cards.

The Rise of Online Point Trick Card Games

Point trick card games are becoming increasingly popular online as more people seek alternatives to traditional games like Poker and Hearts. To play Klaverjassen and other similar games online, all you need is a computer and a decent Internet connection. Many platforms offer free gameplay against either computer opponents or real players.

Interesting Stats

  • Online Card Game Market: The global online card game market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.5% from 2021 to 2026 (Source).
  • Popularity of Trick-Taking Games: According to a survey by Statista, 35% of online card game players prefer trick-taking games over other types (Source).

Conclusion

Point trick card games offer a unique and engaging experience for card game enthusiasts. With their increasing popularity online, these games provide a refreshing alternative to more traditional card games. Whether you're a seasoned player or a newcomer, there's a point trick game out there for you.

For more information on the history and rules of these games, you can visit Pagat, a comprehensive resource for card game rules and history.