KQJ is a point trick*taking card game for up to 6 players.

If you like trick-taking games like Belote or Hearts and want to play with 6 players, this game is for you!

The rules are very close to "Belote", except that there are 4 new cards (Hero) in addition to the classical King, Queen and Jack (KQJ).

The game is played by team, 3 vs 3 or 2 vs 2 vs 2. You can choose to play with or without auctions, and choose your preferred victory conditions (500 / 1000 / 2000 points): as you can see, this game gives you a lot of flexibility to enjoy the best trick*taking games you'd like to have with your friends!

Gameplay and Goal

KQJ is a broken down into several Rounds each containing multiple Tricks.

A Trick is a group of cards made of one card from each player, it is won by the one who plays the highest card (Trump > Normal & High value > Low Value).
A Round consists of 8 Tricks and up to the exhaustion of the dealt cards.
The "Master" card of a trick is the highest card of the requested series or the highest Trump card if any.
Each card of the trick has a value: added to the others, it allows to determine the winner of the Round.

The team that scores the most points win the Round.

Deal Phase

When launching the game, players place around the table randomly and teams are formed. The players of the same team are "Partners".

Each player is dealt 5 cards and can see them in his/her hand. Then another card (The Return) is revealed in the middle of the table. Starting in the clockwise seat from the dealer, each player has a choice to take The Return card or pass to the next player. If everyone passes 2 times, the round is closed.

The player who chose to take The Return is called The Sender. The Sender's team are the attackers (Contractant), the other team is designated as defenders (Defendant).

During the first selection round, the Return's suit dictates the Trump suit for the round. During the second selection round, The Sender picks between the Trump suit, no Trump, or all Trumps.

Then each player receives 3 cards, except the Sender who only receives 2 cards (The Return counts as the 3rd card).

At the end of the Deal, each player has 8 cards in his/her hand.

Play Phase

The Opener starts the 1rst Trick and puts at the center of the table a card from his/her hand face up. Then, when his/her turn comes, each player must play one card face up.
The one who starts may play any card from his/her hand, the suit of this card is the "requested" suit.
The other players follow the rules below:

When you have the requested suit
- You must play a card of the suit and if the Trump is requested, if possible, you must play a Trump card that beats all previous ones.
When you don't have the requested suit and one of your partners is "Master"
- You can play any card of your choice,
- Or, in order to become "Master", you can Trump (play a Trump card) or Over*trump if someone has already played a Trump card.
When you don't have the required series and the opposing team is "Master"
- If you can become "Master" you must Trump or Over*trump,
- If you can't become "Master", you can play any card of your choice.

3 principles to determine the "Master" card:

The Trump prevails against normal suits.
Among the suits of the same rank, the requested suit wins.
In the same suit, the card of higher rank wins.

Normal suits
Rank
A 10 H K Q J 9 8 7 6 5 4
Value
12 pts 10 pts 7 pts 5 pts 4 pts 3 pts 2 pts 1 pt 0 pt 0 pt 0 pt 0 pt
The Trump
Rank
9 8 7 A 10 H K Q J 6 5 4
Value
27 pts 22 pts 14 pts 12 pts 10 pts 7 pts 5 pts 4 pts 3 pts 0 pt 0 pt 0 pt
The sum of the points is (3 x 44 pts) + 104 pts = 236 pts.
When a Trick is finished, the one who played the "Master" card wins, puts the trick with hidden face in front of him/her and begins the next trick.
When the players have no cards left, it is the end of the round.

A Bonus is an event, announced or not, which corresponds to a number of points that a team will add to its tricks points: The Bonuses help to fulfill the Contract.

The Ten additional: 10 pts which are always awarded to the team that wins the last trick.
The Capot: 154 pts awarded to a team which wins all the tricks.
The KQ: 20 pts for the team of the player who has announced "KQ" during the round. The bonus is confirmed if:
1. A player had the Trump cards King (K) and Queen (Q) in his/her hand,
2. These cards have been played in this order: the King then the Queen,
3. This player has said "K" playing the King and "KQ" playing the Queen.
The KQJ: 50 pts for the team of the player who has announced "KQJ" during the round. The bonus is validated if:
1. A player had the 3 Trump cards King (K), Queen (Q) and Jack (J) in his/her hand,
2. These cards have been played in this order: the King then the Queen then the Jack,
3. This player has said "K" playing the King, "KQ" playing the Queen and finally "KQJ" playing the Jack.

KQ provides no point when there is a KQJ.

When the last trick is picked up, the values of the cards in the tricks of each team are counted.
Then bonuses are added to the scores of the teams who have won some. At least, one of the teams wins the Ten additional.
The team with the highest points at that time, fulfills the contract and wins the round!

Only the team that fulfills the contract scores its points rounded to the nearest ten:

The totals which end between 1 and 4 are rounded to the under nearest ten (154 becomes 150).
The totals which end between 5 and 9 are rounded to the upper nearest ten (155 becomes 160).

Finally, scores are added to previous scores.

In the next round, Opener (left of the Dealer) becomes the new Dealer.

In general, a game of KQJ is played in 1000 pts.
Once a team reaches or exceeds 1000 pts at the end of a round, the game is over: this team wins!

TriATri