Three play for themselves to win the most card points. This should be one of your two entry points into tarot gaming but, while simple to learn, it should not be dismissed as an excellent and challenging game in its own right.

As Scarto, this should be one of your entry points into tarot gaming and should also not be underestimated. Four play in fixed partnerships with their partners seated opposite each other with the goal of winning the most card points.

Strictly speaking, Tarocchi is the general name for Tarot games in Italy but as all the others I’m listing have their own names and ‘Tarocchi for four as played in Piedmont’ is a bit long-winded, we’ll grant it the name. It is well deserved though, as this is a classic game and along with Scarto it is the basis for some of our original games listed afterwards.

The game of Conference is a ‘dead’ game now but worth reviving, if only for learning and for those whose style of game play is hopelessly informal (yes you, Bindi, Rebecca, and Jossie).

Four play in fixed partnerships and, unusually for such games, they sit next to each other. The goal is simply to win the most card points. The Conference rule allows partners to discuss their hands and strategy.

The game of League is original and does away with this rule but implements a novel order of play from a Hungarian game, that makes for some interesting strategy.

There are two other original – and entirely optional – rules sets introduced: Allegiances and Gallowglass.  

Good two player card games are notorious for being few and far between. I cannot claim that this is anything special but it does attempt to address some of the problems these games face. It was developed on the train to Manchester Piccadilly and that seemed like a good enough name for it.

Devised on the same holiday but just after devising a new truffle at my niece’s request, hence the name. I called the truffle Tarocco, which was appropriate, it being orange, cherry, and almond.

In France this is simply Jeu de Tarot, which just means The Game of Tarot. There may just be the one game in France now but this book is full of games of tarot and so I’ve chosen an archaic French spelling to distinguish it. The basic game is for four players but there are variants for three, five, and six players (the later will have its own chapter). This is possibly the most widely played tarot game and I have known players as far afield as Spain to Ukraine. This alone makes it worth adding to your gaming repertoire but it is also a very good game in its own right and I particularly recommend the five player version as one of the best and most fun games I have ever played.

In France there is a nationwide Tarot Federation that oversees ‘official’ rules – but really, those are just the rules official to it and the tournaments organised for its members. In fact there is a great deal of ‘unofficial’ variation in how this is played and as according to Bunbury is no more according to a Federation than it is to Hoyle, the rules given here are the ones found most – fun according to Bunbury.

Everyone plays for themselves, save for the five player version in which a Declarer calls for a partner. The goal for the Declarer is to win the number of card points required, which is dictated by the number of Honours they win in their tricks – everyone else’s job is to prevent that.

The Taroux of Six is, obviously, for six players but in a satisfying arrangement of three fixed partnerships, all seated alternately so that partners are opposite with two opponents on either side of each of them.