KRAKEN

OBJECT OF KRAKEN: The object of Kraken is to score the most points by the end of the game.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 4 players

MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52-cards, a way to keeps score, and a flat surface.

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game

AUDIENCE: Teens, Adults

OVERVIEW OF KRAKEN

Kraken is a trick-taking card game for 4 players in partnerships of 2. The goal of the game is to be the team to score the most points by the end of the game. A game consists of 16 rounds, and each round is scored before the next starts.

SETUP

The deck must be modified first by removing all cards 6s and lower. This leaves a deck of 32 cards.

The first dealer is chosen at random and passes to the left for each new round. The dealer will shuffle the deck and deal each player a hand of 8 cards. this can be done in groups of 3,2 and 3 cards or two groups of 4 cards.

Card Ranking and Values

The card ranking differs between the trump suit and the other suits. The trump suit is ranked Jack (high), 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, and 7 (low). The other suits rank with Ace as the high card followed by 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, and 7 being the low card.

Card also have values associated with them when won in tricks. These values also differ from trump and non-trump suits. For the trump suit jacks are worth 20 points, 9s are worth 14 points, aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points and 8s and 7s are worth nothing.

For the non-trump suits, aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10 points, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points, and jacks are worth 2 points. 9s, 8s, and 7s are worth nothing.

TRUMP CHOICE

For this game, there are 3 ways to choose trumps. These should be discussed before the game and one should be chosen. There is the free choice, the Utrecht, and the random trump. The team of the player who chooses trumps becomes the declaring team and is responsible for winning more points during the round to score.

The free choice starts with the player to the dealer’s left (or the dealer according to some variations) who may choose a trump suit or pass. the clockwise from them a player will have the same choice. If all players pass the starting player must choose trumps.

Utrecht means the player to the dealer’s left must choose the trump suit.

In random trump, a second deck is shuffled, and the top card is revealed. This card determines the trump suit. The player left of the dealer may accept this trump suit or pass. Clockwise around the table players will receive the same choice. If all pass player may, before the game, decide to either reveal a second card the player to the left of the dealer must use as trumps or allow the player to the left to call a trump suit as long as it is not the same as the suit of the first revealed card.

Challenges

After the trumps are determined the player to the left of the trump decider may choose to challenge them by declaring contra. If they pass then the player tot eh right of the trump decider may also declare the challenge. They challenge states the opposing team does not think the trump makers team will get their contracted number of tricks, and double the score at the end.

If a challenge is issued the trump decider’s team may challenge back, with either teammate issuing the challenge. Either player may declare re and again double the score at the end (multiply it by 4). 바카라사이트

There is a final possible challenge by the trump decider’s opponents who may declare superkraken and thus multiply the score by 8 at the end of the round.

GAMEPLAY

There are two rule sets for this game one derived from Amsterdam and the other from Rotterdam. These rules are used to determine when a player can or must play trumps to tricks.

Irrespective of the ruleset they all start with the player to the left of the dealer. They may lead any card to the first trick and all other players must follow suit if able. If all players follow suit or no trumps were played the trick is won by the player to play the highest card of the suit led. If there are trumps played to the trick, the highest-ranked trump wins the trick. The winner of the trick leads the next. In both game types players allowed to signal their partners as long as the signaling types were discussed before the game out loud.

Amsterdam

In the Amsterdam rules if you cannot follow suit, you must follow these rules when playing to the trick. If the opposing team is currently winning the trick and you can beat them by playing a trump or a higher trump, then you must. If you cannot beat their trumps, you must play a card of a different suit. You are not allowed to undertrump, or play a lower-ranked trump then the opponent unless that is all that is available to you.

If your team is currently winning the trick and you cannot follow suit you may play any card to the trick. If your team is currently winning with a trump, however, you may not play a lower-valued trump unless that is all that is available to you.

If trumps were led then all following players must play a higher trump than the current one, if possible, even if your team is currently winning the trick. If you cannot play a higher trump, you must play a lower trump. If no trumps are available to you, you may play any card.

Rotterdam

In the Rotterdam rules if you cannot follow suit you must always play a trump if available to you. you must also always beat the highest trump if possible.