The Talon
The talon (also widow, prikup, приколодок) is the three face-down cards set aside during the deal. It is the most dramatic moment of the deal — the auction winner gambles on three unseen cards.
Step 1 — Reveal
The declarer turns the three talon cards face up so all players can see them. This is non-negotiable: the talon is public information from this moment on.
Step 2 — Take
The declarer takes the three talon cards into their hand. They now have 10 cards while each opponent still has 7.
Step 3 — Pass
The declarer must pass one card from their hand (face down) to each opponent. After passing:
- Declarer: 8 cards
- Each defender: 8 cards
- Total: 24 cards
The cards passed are at the declarer's discretion — usually the lowest in suits the declarer does not want to use as trump.
Once the declarer has placed cards face-down in front of the opponents and released them, those cards are committed. No look-backs or trades.
Step 4: Raising the bid
After passing, the declarer may raise their bid to any higher value that is achievable with their improved hand. The increment rules from Bidding still apply (steps of 5 below 200, then 10).
A common reason to raise:
- The talon contained the missing King or Queen completing a marriage.
- The talon contained a long suit that supports a high trump.
A declarer who is disappointed by the talon may not lower their bid. They must play to make their original contract or pay the penalty.
The raise locks in your contract — you score it on success, but lose the raised amount on failure. Most players raise only when the talon turns a 100 bid into a clear 120-150 hand.
Optional rule: pass-the-talon
In some house rules a declarer who finds the talon catastrophic may concede the deal immediately, paying their bid and ending the hand. This is not part of the standard rules and must be agreed in advance.
After the raise, play moves on to the Trump & Marriages phase.