What is Trick-Taking?
Trick-Taking
A card game mechanic where each player plays one card to a central pile (the "trick"). The player with the highest-ranking card wins the trick and leads the next one. Popular in Hearts, Spades, Bridge, and Euchre.
How Trick-Taking Works
- Lead: One player plays a card face-up (the "lead")
- Follow suit: Other players must play the same suit if possible
- Play any: If you can't follow suit, play any card
- Winner: Highest card of the led suit wins (unless trumped)
- Lead again: Winner leads the next trick
Example (Hearts)
Player A leads 7♣. Players B, C, D play 10♣, 3♣, K♣. Player D wins with K♣ and leads the next trick.
Trump Suits
Some trick-taking games have a "trump" suit that beats all other suits:
- Spades: Spades are always trump - any spade beats any non-spade
- Hearts: No trump suit
- Bridge/Euchre: Trump determined by bidding
Key Concepts
- Following suit: If hearts are led and you have hearts, you MUST play a heart
- Ruff/Trump: Playing a trump card when you can't follow suit
- Void: Having no cards in a suit (lets you trump or discard)
- Sluff: Discarding a useless card when you can't follow suit