Card strength
To see who wins a trick, compare the cards in it. Every card is either a trump or a non-trump. A trump beats any non-trump, but only legal cards can win. The next chapter explains when you must follow suit. For now, learn the order within each group.
Trumps and their order
These cards are trumps.
- The 10 of hearts
- All queens
- All jacks
- Every diamond
When two trumps have the same rank, compare their suits. Clubs are strongest, followed by spades, hearts, and diamonds. Q♠ beats Q♥, and J♣ beats J♦.
Strongest to weakest
Each card appears twice, so a trick can contain two identical cards. The first copy played wins the tie. The same rule applies to identical non-trumps.
Non-trumps and their order
Any card that is not a trump is a non-trump. A trump beats every non-trump, so a non-trump cannot win a trick that contains a trump. Non-trumps still matter because they carry points, and you may need to play one to help your partner win a trick.
If no trump is played, compare only cards in the led suit. Within that suit, the order is Ace, 10, King, 9. A card from another suit cannot win, even if its rank is higher.
Strongest to weakest
Suppose spades are led and no trump is played. The 9♠ can beat the A♥ because only spades can win. Compare cards within the led suit, never across suits. Next, learn when you must follow suit and when you can play a different card.
QUIZ