← All games

KAALI TIRI ♠

Shuffling…

How to play Kaali Tiri

  1. Points, not tricks: the 3♠ is worth 30, every 5 is worth 5, and each ten, jack, queen, king and ace is worth 10 — 250 in a deck.
  2. The highest bidder calls a partner card — but nobody is told who holds it.
  3. Partners are revealed only when the called card is actually played. If you were not watching, that is your problem.
  4. A deal ends when the cards run out. Then you tally it, the running scores carry on, and you deal again — for as long as you feel like. There is no fixed number of deals to agree beforehand.

An example

You bid 160 and call the ace of hearts as your partner card. Somebody at the table is now on your side and neither of you knows it. Three tricks later the ace appears — and everyone finds out at the same moment who has been helping whom.

How the bidding works

Bidding is open — there is no turn order. After the deal, anybody can raise at any moment, in steps of 10, as long as they beat the standing bid. That is how a real table does it, and waiting your turn was the slowest part of the game. Your phone shows you how many points are in your own hand, which is the sum you would otherwise be squinting at. Pass and you are out of that auction for good; you cannot pass while you are the one in front. When only the leading bidder is left, they take the contract. If everyone passes, the deal is thrown in and dealt again.

4–10 players · about 40–60 minutes · suggested from age 12 · free, no sign-up, plays in any browser.