Quick start: Amerikaner is a 4-player trick-taking card game. Bid how many tricks your side can win, take the kitty if you win the bid, choose trump by leading the first card, call a partner card, then try to make your contract. The kitty counts as 1 trick for the bidder's side.
1. Goal of the game
Win points over several rounds. A full match ends when a player reaches the winning score from Settings. You can also play a single round from the menu.
2. Players, cards, and the kitty
- The game has 4 seats: You, Left, Top, and Right.
- A standard 52-card deck is used.
- Each player receives 12 cards.
- The remaining 4 cards are the kitty.
- The bid winner takes the kitty, then discards exactly 4 cards.
3. Bidding
- Players bid in turn or pass.
- A number bid means your side promises to take at least that many tricks.
- The minimum bid can be changed in Settings.
- In this version, number bids go up to 13. Bid 13 means taking every trick with a partner; Amerikaner is the special solo all-tricks bid.
- When everyone else has passed, the highest bidder wins the kitty.
4. Trump and partner call
- After discarding, the bidder leads the first card.
- The suit of that first card becomes trump.
- Then the bidder calls one trump card they do not have.
- The player holding that card becomes the bidder's partner.
- If no live callable trump card exists, the bidder plays alone.
- The partner may be hidden until the called card is revealed through play.
5. Playing tricks
- The leader plays one card.
- Other players must follow the led suit if they can.
- If they cannot follow suit, they may play any card.
- Trump beats non-trump.
- If no trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
- The trick winner leads the next trick.
6. Scoring in this game
- The kitty always counts as 1 trick for the bidder's side.
- For normal bids, the bidder's side succeeds if kitty trick + played tricks is at least the bid.
- If the bidder's side succeeds, each bidder-side player gets points equal to the bid.
- If the bidder's side fails, each bidder-side player loses points equal to the bid.
- Defenders score 1 point for each trick they personally win.
- Bid 13 means the bidder side must take the kitty trick plus all 12 played tricks, with a partner.
- Amerikaner means the bidder plays alone and must win all 12 played tricks.
- Successful Amerikaner gives +52 to the bidder. Failed Amerikaner gives -52 to the bidder.
7. Online multiplayer notes
- The host browser runs the game logic and bots.
- Other players join the room and take open seats.
- Empty seats stay as bots when the host starts.
- If the host leaves, the room closes.
- This is intended for casual play with people you trust.