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Trick-taking

After the talon and any opening marriage, the deal becomes a standard trick-taking game with two important Thousand-specific rules.

The basic flow​

  • The declarer leads the first trick (in standard Russian rules).
  • Each player in turn plays one card clockwise.
  • The trick is won by:
    • the highest trump if any trump was played, otherwise
    • the highest card of the led suit.
  • The winner of the trick leads the next trick.

Rule 1 — You must follow suit​

If you have a card of the led suit, you must play it. (No discarding when you can follow.)

Rule 2 — You must beat the trick if you can​

This is the rule that catches new players. After following suit, you must play a higher card of that suit if you have one that beats every card already played to the trick. If you cannot beat it, you may play any card of the suit (typically your lowest).

Rule 3 — You must trump if you cannot follow​

If you have no card of the led suit and trump exists, you must play trump. And you must play a trump that beats any trump already on the trick if you have one.

Rule 4 — Discarding is the last resort​

Only when you have neither the led suit nor a trump may you discard a card from another suit — and that discard cannot win the trick.

Summary table​

SituationRequired action
Have the led suitFollow suit. Beat if you can.
No led suit, have trumpPlay trump. Over-trump if you can.
Neither led suit nor trumpDiscard freely; cannot win.
Strict overtrumping

The "must beat if you can" rule is strict. Failing to overtake a trick when you could have is a revoke — typically penalised by awarding the declarer's full bid to the opponents (or the equivalent penalty in your house rules).

Number of tricks​

Each player has 8 cards after the talon and pass, so each deal has 8 tricks.

At the end of all tricks​

Each side counts its captured card points (see card values), adds any marriage bonuses declared during the deal, and proceeds to Scoring.

Zero tricks → a "stick"

A seat that takes no tricks at all in a deal earns a stick (болт / палка / "pole"). The canonical Russian template fires a fixed −120 penalty on every third stick — see House Rules — Zero-tricks penalty.