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Ukrainian Тисяча

The Ukrainian variant overlaps heavily with the Russian one but has a few distinctive house conventions, especially around the bolt (forced bid) rule and four-player play.

Differences from the standard rules​

The "bolt" (бовт / болт)​

In some Ukrainian tables, when forehand passes and the next two players also pass without bidding, the dealer is forced to take the contract at 100 — they cannot escape the auction. This prevents endless pass-everything-around stalling.

Two rules share the name "bolt"

The Russian word болт (and its synonym палка) is used in some traditions for a completely different rule: a zero-tricks penalty documented under House Rules → Zero-tricks penalty. The Ukrainian forced-dealer-bid sense and the Russian zero-tricks-penalty sense are unrelated — confirm which one your table means before play.

Four-player play in pairs​

A 4-player Ukrainian table is normally played in fixed partnerships (across the table), with the dealer also playing. Two cards instead of three go to the talon. See Four-player Variant for the full mechanics.

Marriages (мар'яж)​

Identical values — 100 / 80 / 60 / 40 for ♥ / ♦ / ♣ / ♠.

Barrel mechanics​

Often slightly stricter:

  • Two deals only on the barrel in some Ukrainian tables (not three).
  • Falling off drops to 760 (same as Russian).
  • Both players on the barrel: in some tables, both fall off (both knocked back to 760); in others, only the later mounter survives.

Penalty for "stealing" the talon look​

A player who illicitly looks at the talon before the auction ends typically pays a flat 120-point penalty and the deal is redealt by the next dealer. Stricter than the standard.

Common Ukrainian extensions​

  • "Шостерик" (six-card) — a rare 6-card-hand variant played with all the pip cards through 8 included; specialised regional play.
  • Spades double down — a few Ukrainian tables score the spades marriage at 60 (matching clubs), reasoning that the 40-point spade marriage is too weak to be worth declaring. Always confirm at the table.

When to choose this variant​

Choose Ukrainian Тисяча when:

  • You have 4 players and want partnership play.
  • You want a strict, fast auction (the bolt rule prevents stalling).
  • You're playing with friends who want shorter, more punishing barrels.