Rules

Yale Barbu

Credits

Version described by Ethan Bradford.

What changes

• At Fan tan, you must lay a card whenever you can: passing is only allowed when no card can be played.
• Seven games, each called once by each player: 28 hands. The dealer chooses.
• In Fan tan the dealer also picks the start card — it is not always the 7. In Trumps the dealer picks the trump suit, or may choose to play with no trump.
• In Barbu, hearts may not be led unless you hold nothing but hearts. In Hearts, they may also be led once hearts are "broken", i.e. a heart has been discarded or led.

Scoring

• Barbu — −15 for the king of hearts.
• Queens — −6 per queen.
• Hearts — −2 per heart, ace of hearts −6.
• Trumps — +5 per trick.
• Nullo — −2 per trick.
• Last two — −10 for the second to last, −20 for the last.
• Fan tan — +40 / +20 / +10 / −10.

Doubling

After the dealer has chosen the game and its options, each player in turn decides whether to double the dealer. Once the doubles are in, the dealer may redouble each player individually. Where there is a double between two players, the difference between their scores is added to the better one and taken from the other; if redoubled, twice that difference.

"Must" rules

For fairness, special rules of play apply to players who did not double the dealer — and to the dealer if undoubled.

• Barbu — throw off the king of hearts at the first chance when you won't take the trick.
• Queens — throw off any queen when you won't take the trick.
• Hearts — throw off the ace of hearts when you won't take the trick.
• Trumps — must trump and overtrump if possible.
• Fan tan — when your win is certain and none of your cards is blocked, play the card that opens the fewest opportunities for opponents.
• Nullo and Last two — no obligation.

Variant

Fan tan is more interesting when it can wrap around: the ace becomes playable on the king and vice versa.