Tremp (card game)

Infobox_Game
subject_name=Tremp
players=4
ages=Recommended for 14 and up
setup_time=< 2 minutes
playing_time=Approximately 10 minutes per deal
complexity=Medium
strategy=High
random_chance=Low
skills=Memory, Tactics
Tremp is a trick-taking card game of skill and chance with a number of similarities to bridge.

Tremp is an invented game designed to resist universally successful strategies, sometimes referred to as a saddle point, such as in game theory. At each step of the game, the outcome can be drastically changed by the player's decision.

Tremp is played by four players who form two partnerships ("teams"); the partners sit opposite each other at a table. The game consists of bidding and play, after which the hand is scored.

The bidding ends with a bid value, which is a declaration by one team that their side will take that many tricks, with specified suit as trump and matching colour suit as tremp. The rules of play are similar to other trick-taking games, with the addition that some cards may be displayed face up on the table.

etup

A standard fifty two (52) card deck is used.

The cards are shuffled, and the dealer distributes them starting clockwise of him/herself.

There are two (2) teams of two (2) players each. Partners are seated such that they are not adjacent to each other. Partners are forbidden to communicate about play during a "hand" (one (1) deal). Each player is dealt thirteen (13) cards. In each "round" each player plays one (1) card. Thus there are four (4) cards in a round, and a hand consists of thirteen (13) rounds.

Dealing, bidding and play proceed clockwise.

The value of the cards proceeds in increasing order, (A, 2, 3, ... , 9, 10, J, Q, K).

Bidding

Bidding begins with the player clockwise of the dealer.

Bidding consists of a nomination of a suit for trump and a bid. The initial bid is negative four (-4).

On his/her turn a player may either bid or pass. Three (3) consecutive passes ends the bidding, making the last player not to pass the bid winner.

To bid, a player must "display" a card (place it face up on the playing surface). That cards' suit becomes the nomination for trump and the bid increases by one (1). All displayed cards remain on the playing surface during the hand until played in a round.

When bidding ends the bid winners' team must take a minimum of the bid in rounds. The nominated suit becomes trump and the other suit of the same colour as trump becomes "tremp". Player clockwise of the bid winner leads first.

Playing

The first card played in a round is said to be "led." Players must "follow suit". That is a player must play the same suit as is led, or any card if he/she has no cards of that suit to play.

The following determine when a card becomes the card winning the round:

# The card played is the first card played in the round.
# The card played is of greater value and of the same suit as the card currently winning.
# The card played is non-tremp, and the currently winning card is tremp.
# The card played is tremp, and a trump is currently winning.
# The card played is an Ace (A), and the King (K) of the same suit is currently winning.
# The card played is trump, and the card winning is of another suit.

Whoever played the card which is winning at the end of the round wins the round. That player leads the next round.

After each round, the cards are collected by the winning team, grouped, and placed face down. No player may view a previously played round.

Clarifying the language

The rules of play are worded strictly to avoid ambiguity but for most purposes the following is equivalent and hopefully easier to understand:

# Anything beats nothing.
# A higher card beats a lower card of the same suit.
# The Ace beats the King of the same suit.
# Trump suit beats any other suit.
# Tremp suit beats trump suit.
# Any other suit beats the tremp suit.

One important thing to note is that each card played is played directly against the card currently winning the round, and only that card.

coring

At the beginning of each "match" (a grouping of hands), each teams match total is zero (0).

The winners of the hand receive points relative to the bid, as illustrated in the table below.

If the bid winners' team takes at least the bid in rounds they have won the hand and add points to their match total at the full bid and to their game total as if they had won a bid of two times rounds taken minus bid ($\{2\; *\; [rounds\; -\; bid]\; \}$).

Otherwise their opponents have won the hand, who add points at a bid one (1) less than the actual bid (bid - 1) to their game total and to their match total of two times rounds taken plus bid minus fourteen ($\{2\; *\; [rounds\; +\; bid\; -\; 14]\; \}$).

"Example"

The bid is eight (8).

If the bid winners take at least eight (8) rounds, they add two hundred fifty six (256) points to their match total. If they take nine (9) rounds total they also add to their game total as if they had a bid of $2\; *\; [9\; -\; 8]\; =\; 2$ or four (4) points.

Otherwise, the other team will add one hundred twenty eight (128) points to their game total. If they take nine (9) rounds they also add to their match total as if they had a bid of $2\; *\; [9\; +\; 8\; -\; 14]\; =\; 6$ or sixty four (64) points.

Winning

The first team to total two hundred seventy two (272) match points wins the match. If one team has won fewer matches than the other, the trailing team need only total half as much, or one hundred thirty six (136) match points to win the match.

At the end of each match the winning team adds their match total to their game total.

The team which lost the previous match deals the first hand of the next match.

At the beginning of each game each teams game total is zero (0).

The game ends when either team has a two (2) match lead over the other.

Beginners

For novices it is recommended that one hundred thirty six (136) match points or more end all matches.

Etiquette

It is customary to place your teams' most recent nomination closer to the center when bidding. Your partner should at the same time move his/her previous nomination in line with his/her other displayed cards.

Obstructing the view of displayed cards in any way is unacceptable. All match and game totals must be made visible to all players by the score keeper. Dealing cards in any manner other than individually is simply not done. Obviously, table talk or any other type of game related messaging is taboo during a hand. Since Tremp is a social game, talking about anything else during play is encouraged.

Displayed cards should be laid out left to right from your own perspective according to the order they were bid. Changing orderings could be used as messaging to your partner.

Indicating a pass with a (suitable) hand gesture is not only acceptable but encouraged.

A card laid is a card played. A card displayed is a bid made.
"Sweeping" for your adversary is frowned upon. Playing out of turn is very poor etiquette. Order is important, even in the final round.