Hungarian tarot
The Tarock card game family is represented in Hungary by a variant with 42 cards for four players.
Names and history
According to research by card game experts, the Hungarian tarot arose in the 19th century from a variant of the Austrian calling of the twenty . This is plausible, both because of the name Húszashívásos tarokk ("Zwanzigerufen-Tarock"), and because of the basic similarities between the two games, which, however, differ greatly in the way they are played. The other common name for the game is Paskievics (in old Austrian sources Paskiewitsch ) after Iwan Fjodorowitsch Paskewitsch , who as Russian commander-in-chief in 1848 was instrumental in suppressing the Hungarian revolutioncontributed. The reason could be the 48 points required to win the game (depending on the sub-variant).
In the 1920s, Károly Lingel and Lajos Polyák developed a refined version with several additional announcements which, according to the unanimous opinion of tarot fans, greatly increase the fun of the game. This variation was widely used in Hungary as Illusztrált tarokk , or “Illustrated Tarock”, or Palatinusz tarokk .
In the later 20th century, Dr. Endre Kovács , the best-known expert for the game, developed a further variant of Magas tarokk ("high tarot") with 10 other bids . But it was not widely used. The Royal Tarokk, developed by Zoltán Gerots , with 70 rewards and announcements, already deviates quite a lot because two cards have been removed and the card values as such are also omitted. Like the Austrian Zwanzigerufen, this variant is played with 10 cards in hand and without a talon , but with all 22 tarocks. There are only four cards left in the two red suits. The cards no longer have a point value; instead, the tricks won are awarded a prize. The royal is mostly played with pre-determined partnerships. The partners do not sit opposite each other (as in the Bridge and Ottocento), but next to each other.
Around the turn of the millennium, the game was imported to Austria , where it enjoyed increasing popularity, at least in Vienna . It is essentially the illustrated tarot with some announcements from the high tarot. In order to avoid confusion with an Austrian variant for three players, which is also called Illustrated Tarock , Austrian tarock experts have given the game the alternative German name Illustrated Zwanzigerufen .
Comparison with Austrian tarot variants
- Since this article is primarily of interest to Austrian tarot players, it helps as an introduction to work out the similarities and main differences between this game and the Austrian variants. Non-tarot players can skip this section and read the Tarot article for an introduction .
Similarities
- Hungarian tarot is played with basically the same set of cards, although the graphic design of the drawings is a little different, and on some tarots also the motifs.
- It is also one of the type 3 tarot games according to Michael Dummett , that is, the Sküs is simply the highest tarot and has no special role.
- The full set of 22 tarots is used (as is the case with most variants, but as opposed to calls of twenty in which two tarots are removed).
- The basic trick power hierarchy (especially: tarot tricks color cards, cards of the same color to each other according to height) also applies here, without any exceptions (such as color games or fairytale stitch).
- The same selection of color cards (5 per color) is used as for the calls of the twenty.
- The call mechanism is also essentially the same as that of twenty calls (Tarock XX is usually called to identify a partner).
- The card values correspond in principle to those of all tarot games of types 2 and 3 according to Dummett, and exactly to those of Zwanzigerzüge. However, it is inconsistent whether Skartindles count one point (like most tarocks) or zero points. In Hungary they always count one point. But there is also a variant, namely the Kaiser Tarokk , which is played with 46 cards and has taken over some bonus announcements from the Royal . Here the aces and tens count one point, the twos and nines count zero points.
- Six cards are placed face down as a talon in the middle, as in calls to kings and nineteen .
- In the basic variant (Paskievics), only prizes are played that correspond to those of the Austrian variants (Valat, Pagat Ultimo, Mondfang, Trull , 4 Kings; Absolut varies as a doubling of the game with at least 75% of the achievable points).
Main differences
- The Hungarian tarot are invariably Rufer played. There are no solo games of any kind (positive or negative). The player standing up can (not always) call himself (mostly as XX) and play alone. But that happens very rarely. However, if the called card has been discarded (by an opponent), the player standing alone must play against three. In this very rare case, however, the entire shelf belongs to it.
- Everyone receives 9 cards ( 10 for the Kaiser ), which is less than in any other tarot variant for a maximum of four players.
- With a few exceptions, only the owner of a trull piece may announce a game.
- This can bid only works relating to a reduction of the male from the deck cards. The basic bid is three (“I take three cards from the talon”), the highest is Solo (the player standing up does not take any card).
- The entire talon is divided between all four players in different proportions (only the player who stands up does not do this when playing solo). Each player discards the same number of cards he picked up. There are never any cards that are completely out of play.
- The deposit of the player standing belongs to his and the partner's tricks, but the deposit of all three players (including those of the partner) to the opponents. Exception: if the called card is discarded by an opponent, the entire discard belongs to the (solo) player.
- Tarots (but not trull pieces) can also be discarded. When the player standing up discards tarot, he must place the discarded trump cards face up on the table. He / she says “One tarot is lying” or “Two (three) tarot is lying.” But if one of the three players is lying, he / she must also say “One tarot is lying” or “Two tarots are lying”, but the cards in question do remain covered .
- Taking the XXers can be allowed or prohibited depending on the company. If the call tarot has been discarded by an opponent, the offshoot must say "he lies, duty-against the game" immediately after the call .
- Under various circumstances (auction: relaxed game, invitation), taking the XX, XIX or XVIII is prohibited.
- The most important bonus, around which the game revolves before all others, is the moon catch (due to the previous point this is easier than in other variants). The Valat, on the other hand, is not particularly rewarded.
- 8 or 9 tarots (with Kaiser and Royal also 10 tarots) can be announced in hand as bonuses from hand . With this announcement, the corresponding player immediately collects from all other players - this is the only process that is not paid 2 for 2.
- The material prizes Absolute and 4 Kings are not so popular with the intention of winning them. Rather, they serve as additional bonuses from the hand with which high tarots are signaled in the hand (mostly XIX or XVIII). This often enables expensive additional announcements that are worthwhile, even if the absolute / 4 kings are lost.
- Because there are only 5 (with the Kaiser 6) cards per suit and, on top of that, all players can exchange cards from the talon, color casts are extremely rare.