Mariáš

Variants in former Czechoslovakia

• Lízaný mariáš - trick-and-draw game, two players, very similar to old German card game, Mariage and Polish Tysiąc
• Volený mariáš - three players, no drawing, "elder hand" player sets up the trump suit, the other players defend together in partnership
• Křížový mariáš - four players, 8 tricks, elder hand sets up the trump suit and calls
• Licitovaný mariáš - three players, ten tricks bidding phase like in the contract bridge, the strongest player chooses the contract, the other two players become the defenders
• Hvězdicový mariáš - five players, six tricks, bidding phase and contractor calls the trump honour, the other three players become the defenders

  Basic rules

• only 32 playing cards: A, 10, K, O, U, 9, 8, 7 in four suits
• follow the suit in the trick
• necessity play higher card to kill the trick
• if unable to follow suit, necessity play trump card
• if unable to kill the trick, smaller card is possible

  No shuffling

Cutting

Dealing

• 7-5-5-5-5-5 in Volený mariáš
• 4-4-4-4-4-4-4-4 in Křížový mariáš
• 5-5-5-2-5-5-5 in Licitovaný mariáš.

  Scoring

• Ace = 10 points, 10 = 10 points, last trick = 10 points
• Marriage trump suit 40 points, other suits 20, 20, 20 points
• draw-game is not possible

  Special contracts with bonuses

• Betl or Durch are special plain-trick games incorporated
• 7 – play the smallest trump card in the last trick
• 100 – score 100 points or more
• 2x7 – need win no-trump suit 7 in the penultimate trick, trump 7 after that in the last trick