Following suit
The first card played is the lead card. It tells the other players what they must follow, so following suit is required. The rule depends on whether the lead card is a trump or a non-trump.
When a trump is led
- If you have at least one trump, you must play a trump.
- If you have no trump, you may play any card.
When a non-trump is led
- If you have a non-trump of the led suit, you must play one.
- If you have none, you may discard another suit, play a valuable card into a trick your partner is winning, or play a trump to try to take the trick.
Following suit is mandatory. If you could follow the led suit or trump but play another card, the move is illegal. Your side loses the game, whether it was intentional or accidental.
Winning a trick
The highest-ranking card in the trick wins. If both copies of a card are played, the first copy wins. The winner collects all four cards face down. Those cards are counted at the end of the game.
A trump does not have to be played. If no trump appears, only non-trumps in the led suit can win. The first card sets the led suit, and the highest card in that suit wins.
Example
Suppose the first player leads the king of hearts. The second plays the 9 of hearts. The third has no hearts and discards the ace of spades. The fourth plays the ace of hearts. No trump was played, so only hearts can win. The ace of hearts is highest, and the fourth player takes the trick.
QUIZ