Joker

Joker is a trick-taking card game originating from the country Georgia. The key to the game is to try to predict exactly how many tricks you will win in each hand.

Choose between 12 unique AI characters to play against. Edit settings to control card speed, sound effects, and choose custom backgrounds or cards.

The Deal

A full game has 24 hands, divided into four sets:

1. Set 1 (8 hands)

Cards increase from 1 to 8 per player.

2. Set 2 (4 hands)

9 cards are dealt to each player.

3. Set 3 (8 hands)

Cards decrease from 8 down to 1 per player.

4. Set 4 (4 hands)

Again, 9 cards per player.

Before each hand, the cards are shuffled and cut. After dealing, the next card is turned face up to show the trump suit.

• In the 9-card hands, there are no extra cards. The dealer’s last card is turned face up to show trumps.

• If the trump card is a Joker, the hand is played with no trumps.

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Bidding

Starting with the player to the dealer’s left, each player bids how many tricks they expect to win.

• Bidding 0 is called a pass.

• The total bids cannot equal the number of tricks available.

• The dealer must adjust their bid if needed to avoid this.

Example: If 2 cards are dealt and earlier bids total 1, the dealer cannot bid 1.

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Play

• The player to the dealer’s left leads first.

• The winner of each trick leads the next one.

• Players must follow suit if possible.

• If unable to follow suit, they must play a trump.

• If they have neither, they may play any card.

The trick is won by:

• The highest trump, or

• If no trumps are played, the highest card of the suit led.

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Jokers

• A Joker can be played at any time.

• The player must declare it high or low.

• If a Joker is led, the player also names the suit to follow.

High Joker

• Usually wins the trick.

• Loses only if:

1. Another Joker is played high later in the same trick, or

2. A trump is played when a non-trump suit was named and the player has no card of that suit.

Low Joker

• Normally loses the trick.

• Wins only if no other card of the named suit, no trump, and no high Joker is played.

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Scoring

• Exact bid made:

50 points per trick + 50 bonus points.

• Bid missed:

10 points per trick won.

• Bid to win all tricks and succeed:

100 points per trick.

Set Bonus:

If a player makes every bid correctly in a set, they earn a bonus equal to their highest single-hand score in that set.