Trix rules

Finish the four kingdoms with the highest total: avoid the penalty cards and tricks, and get rid of your cards early in the Trix contract.

The deck and the deal

Trix uses a standard 52-card deck with no jokers, 13 cards to each player. The cards are shuffled and dealt again for every contract.

Whoever holds the seven of hearts in the first deal owns the first kingdom. When all of that kingdom's contracts are played, the kingdom passes to the player on the right (counter-clockwise), until everyone has had one.

Kingdoms and the five contracts

The game has four kingdoms of five contracts each, 20 deals in all. On each deal the kingdom's owner picks a contract they have not played yet in their kingdom, in whatever order suits their hand.

• King of hearts: avoid taking the K♥.
• Queens: avoid taking the four queens.
• Diamonds: avoid taking diamonds.
• Tricks: avoid taking any trick.
• Trix: play your cards onto the layout; the first to run out scores the most.

Playing tricks (the penalty contracts)

The kingdom's owner leads the first trick. Any card may be led from the very first trick, including hearts, or the King of hearts in its own contract.

You must follow the suit led if you can; otherwise play any card. There are no trumps in Trix: the highest card of the suit led wins, with the ace highest, then K, Q, J, 10 down to 2. The winner leads the next trick.

A deal stops early once nothing is left to score: King of hearts as soon as the K♥ is taken, Queens once all four are taken, Diamonds once all 13 are taken. Tricks always plays all 13.

There is no doubling on Card Kings. Unlike many home games, the King of hearts and the queens can never be doubled; penalties always count at face value.

The Trix contract

The kingdom's owner starts. Each suit is opened with its jack, then built upward to the ace and downward to the 2; a card can only go next to the top or bottom card of its suit's row.

Playing is compulsory: if you have a card that fits, you must play it; if not, you pass. If the kingdom's owner holds no jack at the start, they pass.

Places score 200, 150, 100 and 50. The deal ends when three players are out; the fourth takes 50 without playing on.

Scoring

The four penalty contracts total −500 and Trix hands out +500, so every kingdom adds up to zero.

• King of hearts: −75 to whoever takes it
• Queens: −25 each (−100 in all)
• Diamonds: −10 each (−130 in all)
• Tricks: −15 per trick (−195 in all)
• Trix: 200 for first, 150 second, 100 third, 50 fourth

How the game ends

The game ends after all four kingdoms (20 deals).

The highest total wins; if several players tie for the top, they share the win.

Trix has no target score for the table creator to pick: the length of the game is set by the four kingdoms.

Tips for beginners

• As the kingdom's owner, choose the contract that suits your hand now: a hand of low cards is perfect for Tricks, few hearts is good for King of hearts.
• Shed your high cards early in a penalty suit, especially the ace and king of hearts in the King of hearts contract.
• Watch for a suit you are void in: it lets you discard a dangerous card like the K♥ or a queen.
• In Trix, hold on to jacks that have neighbours in your hand; they open the way for your cards.

Questions

Other games

• Rules of Tarneeb
• Rules of Tarneeb solo
• Rules of Baloot
• Rules of Trix partners
• Rules of Trix complex
• Rules of Complex partners