Bleven

Introduction:Bleven (from Middle English: beleven, meaning "to believe") is a strategic card game for two or four players (in teams), played with a French deck of 40 cards (the 8s, 9s, and 10s are excluded; or J, Q and K can be replaced by these). White stones (1 point) and black stones (5 points) are used for betting. Definitions: The field is the set of three cards held by each player. The reserve is the set of discarded cards from each player, placed face up. A trick is a pair of cards faced off during the trick phase. A crown is a unit of victory equivalent to 30 stones. The declarer is the player who makes the initial declaration. The replier is the opponent to the left of the declarer, responsible for responding to bets. If the replier resigns, the opponent to the right of the declarer becomes the new replier. Card values: J, Q, and K are worth 8, 9, and 10 respectively. Ace is worth 1. Other cards retain their nominal value. Initial distribution:The dealer and cutter are chosen randomly. The cutter starts the round. Each player receives three cards, forming their initial field. The remaining deck is placed as the draw pile. Discard phase:Starting with the cutter, do one of the following: Draw a card from the deck and discard one of your cards face up into your reserve, always keeping three cards in your field. Declare if you have 15 or more points by saying "I declare it" instead of drawing and discarding. The other players, starting from the left, say "I stay" if they wish to play their cards or "I leave" if they prefer not to. After you draw, you may not declare that turn. If a player has five cards in his reserve, he has the option of saying "I stay" or "I leave." Declaration and bets:The declarer makes a declaration: I bet X to Y tricks: Bets a certain amount of stones and predicts how many tricks they will win (0, 1, 2, or 3). Predictions: The declarer can specify if they will win tricks with or without position: Without position: Declare only the number of tricks (0, 1, 2 or 3), with normal points based on triangular scoring. With position: Indicate which tricks you will win. Each correct position counts as an additional trick in triangular scoring, increasing the score. If you declare 2 tricks, you may choose 1 to 2 specific positions (e.g. "1st and 2nd"). If you declare 3 tricks, you may choose 1 to 3 specific positions (e.g. "1st, 2nd and 3rd"). The replier responds to the challenge: I deduce: Accepts the bet and believes declarer's prediction. I suspect: Accepts the bet, but doubts declarer's prediction. I deduce with X plus: Raises the bet, but remains the contestant. I suspect with X plus: Raises the bet and questions the prediction, remaining the contestant. I deduce with X plus to Y tricks: Raises the bet and bets a new equal or greater number of tricks, becoming the new declarer. I suspect with X plus to Y tricks: Raises the bet, questions the previous prediction, and bets a new equal or greater number of tricks, becoming the new declarer. I'm in: Only used in the trick phase. Indicates that a player accepts the bet. I'm out: Declines the challenge, automatically losing the round and giving 1 additional stone to each opposing player. In pairs games, the turn to respond passes to the partner. Trick phase:Both players face their cards up in ascending order (from lowest to highest). The declarer places his lowest card. Players to the left respond with his lowest card. The winner of the trick starts the next one. Ties are resolved in the following suit order: Spades > Clubs > Diamonds > Hearts. If the declarer guesses his number of tricks correctly: The declarer wins the points and the bet if the replier does not guess correctly. The declarer only wins the points if the replier guesses correctly. If the declarer does not guess his number of tricks correctly: The replier only wins the bet. Three tricks are played. The player or team that fulfills the declared prediction wins the round. After the first or second trick is played, any player may initiate a side bet. This side bet allows the initial prediction to be changed or introduces new bets: I bet X: A new bet is made without modifying the declaration. I bet X to Y tricks: A new bet is made and the declaration is modified. The person who says this will be the new declarer unless he is already the declarer. Opponent's response: If the declaration was not modified, he can respond "I'm in" to accept the bet or "I'm out" to reject it, otherwise you can respond by affirming or questioning it just as you do after a declaration. You cannot declare your position at this phase. In team games, if a member has less than 15 points at the start of this phase, he or she may not play his or her cards. He or she must place them face up on his or her field, and his or her partner will be solely responsible for competing against the team's tricks. However, if the game is played with two players, anyone who does not reach 15 points at the end of this phase automatically loses the round. Score:Both predictions, with or without position, use triangular scoring: Prediction without position: It is calculated by adding the sequence of natural numbers from 1 to the number of tricks correctly played. 1 trick: 1 point (1) 2 tricks: 3 points (1 + 2) 3 tricks: 6 points (1 + 2 + 3) Prediction with position: Points are calculated without position and the correct position is added as an additional trick: 1 trick + 1 position: 3 points (1 + 2) 2 tricks + 1 position: 6 points (1 + 2 + 3) 2 tricks + 2 positions: 10 points (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) 3 tricks + 1 position: 10 points (1 + 2 + 3 + 4) 3 tricks + 2 positions: 15 points (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5) 3 tricks + 3 positions: 21 points (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6) Partial correct guesses with position: If declarer wins the tricks but not the positions, he scores only the points for the tricks. If he wins the positions but not the tricks, he scores the points for the correct positions. If he guesses both the tricks and the positions, he scores the combined score. End of the game:The game ends when one of the players accumulates the agreed number of crowns at the beginning (1, 2, or 3). The winner is the one who first reaches that amount. —description from the designer