Letzter

Letzter

Plain-trick game
Family	Last Trick group
Players	3-4
Age range	6+
Cards	32
Deck	Piquet
Rank (high→low)	A K O U 10 9 8 7
Play	Anticlockwise

Letzter is a card game for 3 or 4 players in which the aim is not to win the last trick. It originated in Germany and the names mean "the last one". It should not be confused with Letzter Stich which is a much simpler, positive game in which the aim is to win the last trick.

Rules

These rules are based on the Erweitertes Spielregelbüchlein aus Altenburg.^[1]

Four players

If four play, a full Piquet pack of 32 cards is used. The cards ranks (from highest to lowest) as follows: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7. Seven cards are dealt to each player, the remaining 4 cards are held by the dealer. There are no trumps.

The dealer now 'shoves' any 3 cards (typically low value ones) to

on the dealer's right. Thus everyone ends up with 8 cards.

Forehand now leads to the first trick and the remaining players, in clockwise order, aim to follow

(Durchmarsch), however, he wins and everyone else gets a penalty point.

Three players

If three play, the Sevens and Eights are removed. Each player is dealt 7 cards, the dealer gets 10. The dealer shoves 2 cards to rearhand who shoves one to middlehand, so that each player has a hand of 8 cards. Otherwise the rules are the same as those of the four-hand game.

References