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Trick-Taking Card Games: Compare the Ways to Win Tricks
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Last updated 2026-10-19 · Run by Qdan, Inc.
In trick-taking card games, everyone plays one card, then one player wins that set of cards, called a trick.
Following the led suit when possible is the common starting point: compare predicting tricks, avoiding penalties and collecting points with a partner, then check players and time and try a game in your browser.
Three Games to Try First
- Nap
Try bidding and trumps with a five-card hand.
- Hearts
Try avoiding penalty cards without trumps or bids.
- Oh Hell
Try predicting exactly how many tricks you will take.
Choose by Your Goal and Player Count
Start with Nap for a five-card bidding game, Hearts for avoiding penalties, or Oh Hell for exact predictions. For partnership play, compare fixed pairs in four-player Spades with card-determined sides in five-player Gonin-kan, using the comparison below.
- Avoid Penalty Cards1 game
Compare Trick-Taking Players, Partnerships, Trumps and Bids
A trump is a special card that can win even when it does not match the led suit. Normally the highest trump wins, or the highest card of the led suit when no trump is played; some games add special ranks or play restrictions. The comparison focuses on BGJ defaults, while player counts, time and learning effort come from each game’s information. Time estimates cover a session rather than a single trick and depend on settings. Each game card links to general rules and the settings used here.
3–7 players
12–30 min
- Quick to learn1 game
- Learn step by step3 games
- More to learn5 games
- Mostly skill0 games
- Luck and skill8 games
- Mostly luck1 game
Player counts and times span the smallest to largest values in this group. Learning and luck describe each game, rather than a quality score.
| Game | Players / time | Partnership | How trumps are set | Bids / calls | Scoring goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hearts | 3–5 players, About 20 min | Individual | None | None | Keep penalties low; collecting all penalty cards reverses the score |
| Nap | 3–6 players, About 15 min | One bidder against everyone else | Suit of the bidder’s opening card | Compete to name a trick target | Normally take at least the bid |
| Oh Hell | 3–7 players, About 20 min | Individual | Suit of a card turned up after dealing | Everyone predicts tricks, including zero | Exact predictions earn a bonus; overtricks miss the target |
| Spades | 4 players, About 30 min | Two fixed pairs sitting opposite | Spades throughout | Individual bids form a team target | Make the team bid; accumulated overtricks can cost points |
| Contract Bridge | 4 players, About 25 min | Two fixed pairs sitting opposite | Auction sets a suit or no trumps | Auction for level and denomination | Take at least the contracted tricks |
| Japanese Napoleon | 4–6 players, About 15 min | Bidder and called-card holder against the rest | Trump suit chosen in the auction | Bid scoring-card count and trump suit | Capture at least the bid number of tens through aces |
| Goninkan | 5 players, About 20 min | Trump-ace and joker holders against the other three | Cycle for first battle; pair chooses in later battles | No trick auction; optional all-card announcement | Collect the required count of aces, kings, queens and jacks |
| Doppelkopf | 4 players, About 12 min | Normally two against two; partners revealed by cards | Fixed trumps: ♥10, queens, jacks and remaining diamonds | Re/Kontra announcements of confidence | Collect card points as a side; total the resulting game points |
| Skat | 3 players, About 15 min | One declarer against two defenders | Choose suit plus jacks, jacks only, or no trumps | Bid game value, rather than a trick count | Normally 61 card points and sufficient value; Null requires no tricks |
Avoid Penalty Cards
When captured cards carry penalties, winning a trick can hurt your score. In Hearts, choose your play by considering whether the trick will contain hearts or the queen of spades.
Hearts
Keep your penalty total low by avoiding hearts and the queen of spades. There are no trumps or bids: the highest card of the led suit takes the trick. What matters is which penalty cards it contains, rather than how many tricks you take. BGJ supports three to five players and includes a reversal for collecting all penalty cards. [2]
- Partnership
- Individual
- How trumps are set
- None
- Bids / calls
- None
Bid a Trick Target: At Least or Exactly
Estimate your tricks from the hand, then compare your result with the bid. Nap normally rewards reaching at least the target, while Oh Hell rewards an exact prediction, changing how you use strong cards.
Nap
Earn points by bidding for tricks from a five-card hand and taking at least your bid. The highest bidder faces everyone else and sets trumps with the opening card. Five tricks give you a short sequence in which to try bidding and following suit. BGJ settings cover the minimum bid and an optional contract to lose every trick. [1]
- Partnership
- One bidder against everyone else
- How trumps are set
- Suit of the bidder’s opening card
- Bids / calls
- Compete to name a trick target
Oh Hell
Build your total by predicting exactly how many tricks you will take. Everyone bids individually, and a turned-up card sets trumps. Both overtricks and undertricks miss the prediction; zero is a valid bid. BGJ normally scores one point per trick plus ten for an exact prediction. Changing hand sizes make you reassess your target each round. [3]
- Partnership
- Individual
- How trumps are set
- Suit of a card turned up after dealing
- Bids / calls
- Everyone predicts tricks, including zero
Work with a Partner to Reach a Target
Combine captured cards or tricks with a partner to win as a side. Fixed opposite-seat partnerships and sides determined by called or dealt cards give you different information about whose hand to support.
Spades
Score as a fixed pair by taking at least your combined bid. Spades are always trump, so there is no auction to choose a suit. Each player bids, then partners combine their targets. Falling short loses points, while accumulated overtricks can also bring a penalty. Read the BGJ rules for the zero-trick nil bid and target score. [4]
- Partnership
- Two fixed pairs sitting opposite
- How trumps are set
- Spades throughout
- Bids / calls
- Individual bids form a team target
Contract Bridge
Win points by bidding a partnership contract and making its trick target. The auction also chooses a trump suit or no trumps. After the opening lead, one partner’s hand becomes visible as dummy, and declarer plays both hands. Alongside card play, the auction helps partners assess their combined strength. BGJ normally totals scores over four deals. [9]
- Partnership
- Two fixed pairs sitting opposite
- How trumps are set
- Auction sets a suit or no trumps
- Bids / calls
- Auction for level and denomination
Japanese Napoleon
Win with your partner by collecting at least the declared number of tens, jacks, queens, kings and aces. The bidder names trumps and calls a card whose holder becomes a hidden ally. You count captured scoring cards out of twenty, rather than tricks. The BGJ rules explain special high cards and exceptions when every card in a trick shares a suit. [5]
- Partnership
- Bidder and called-card holder against the rest
- How trumps are set
- Trump suit chosen in the auction
- Bids / calls
- Bid scoring-card count and trump suit
Goninkan
Win by reaching your side’s target count of aces, kings, queens and jacks first. The trump-ace and joker holders form a pair against the other three players. The opening trump suit follows a cycle; if the pair wins, the same sides continue and the pair chooses trumps. BGJ has five active seats without a separate dealer-only seat and shows the target on the table. [8]
- Partnership
- Trump-ace and joker holders against the other three
- How trumps are set
- Cycle for first battle; pair chooses in later battles
- Bids / calls
- No trick auction; optional all-card announcement
Doppelkopf
Collect card points with your partner, then earn game points for winning and special captures. Cards appear twice, and the club-queen holders normally form a side whose membership emerges through play. Trumps include queens and jacks as well as selected other cards. BGJ omits freely chosen solo contracts; its rules explain Re/Kontra announcements and special points. [7]
- Partnership
- Normally two against two; partners revealed by cards
- How trumps are set
- Fixed trumps: ♥10, queens, jacks and remaining diamonds
- Bids / calls
- Re/Kontra announcements of confidence
Face Two Defenders: Card Points and Bids
An auction selects one declarer to face two cooperating defenders. In Skat, consider card points and game value rather than just a trick count, with an alternative contract to take no tricks.
Skat
Become declarer and choose a contract valuable enough to cover your bid while facing two defenders. Suit games normally require at least 61 card points, rather than a target trick count. Jacks join the chosen suit as trumps; Grand uses only jacks. BGJ also offers Null, with no trumps and a target of zero tricks. Success must satisfy both the contract and its value. [6]
- Partnership
- One declarer against two defenders
- How trumps are set
- Choose suit plus jacks, jacks only, or no trumps
- Bids / calls
- Bid game value, rather than a trick count
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a trick-taking card game?
It is a card game where everyone plays one card and a winner takes that set of cards, called a trick. Players normally follow the led suit if they can, while goals vary between trick counts, card points and avoiding penalties.
Can you play these trick-taking games with regular cards?
Yes, these games use regular playing cards, with the pack adjusted for each game. Skat uses sevens through aces; Gonin-kan adds one joker and removes some twos; Doppelkopf uses nines through aces from two packs.
Which trick-taking games can beginners try first?
Try Nap for bidding with five cards, Hearts for avoiding penalties without trumps, or Oh Hell for exact predictions. Check each game card for players, time, learning effort and its rules link.
Does taking more tricks always help you win?
It depends on the game: Hearts rewards avoiding penalty cards, while Oh Hell rewards taking exactly your prediction. Nap normally needs at least your bid; Spades needs the team bid but also penalizes accumulated overtricks.
What strategy do trick-taking card games involve?
Consider remaining suits and trumps, the trick target or card points, and whether a partner can win the trick. Dealt hands also affect the result, so compare the luck guide in the figure alongside each game’s rules.
Sources and How BGJ Plays
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — NapBidding and Play: five cards, a minimum trick target and trumps set by the lead / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — HeartsObject, Play and Scoring: no trumps, penalty cards and collecting them all / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — Oh Hell!Deal, Bidding and Scoring: turned-up trump, exact predictions and scoring variants / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — SpadesFour Players and Scoring: fixed pairs, spade trumps, bids and overtricks / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — Japanese NapoleonBidding and Play: calling a partner and collecting twenty scoring cards / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — SkatGame types and Bidding: one against two, card points, game value and Null / Checked: ↩
- John McLeod, editor (card-game rules collection) — DoppelkopfNormal Game and Announcements: partners, fixed trumps, card points and game points / Checked: ↩
- Goshogawara Chamber of Commerce and Industry — Gonin-kan rulesCards, trump cycle, sides and later trump selection (Japanese). Tournament has a sixth, dealer-only seat; BGJ has five active seats. / Checked: ↩
- World Bridge Federation — 2017 Laws of Duplicate BridgePartnerships, bids, dummy and play. Tournament administration, rulings and scoring format are not presented as BGJ’s format. / Laws 4, 18, 41, 42, 44 / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Hearts: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Nap: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Oh Hell: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Spades: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Contract Bridge: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Japanese Napoleon: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Goninkan: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Doppelkopf: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩
- BoardGameJoin — Skat: rules on this sitePlayers, time, settings and implemented rules / Checked: ↩