Trix is a card game for four players, each playing for themselves. Most of its contracts are about avoiding penalties, and then one contract awards positive points to whoever gets rid of their cards first. This guide walks through the game step by step in plain language.
What you need
- Players: four, each on their own, with no teams or partnerships. Play goes counter-clockwise.
- Cards: a 52-card deck with no Jokers; each player gets 13 cards per deal.
- No trump: there is no winning suit in any contract.
- Card strength in the trick contracts: A, K, Q, J, then 10 down to 2, with the Ace highest.
How a match runs
A match has four Kingdoms. The owner of the first Kingdom is whoever holds the 7♥ in the first deal, and after each Kingdom ends, ownership passes to the player on the right. Each Kingdom has five contracts, each played exactly once, and each contract is one deal with fresh cards, so a match is 20 deals. The contracts are:
- King of Hearts (K♥)
- Queens
- Diamonds
- Ltoosh
- Trix (card layout)
At the start of each deal the Kingdom owner picks a contract not yet played in their Kingdom. The last remaining contract is mandatory and starts by itself. If the choosing time runs out, the first unplayed contract in the order above is chosen automatically.
The four trick-taking contracts
The Kingdom owner leads the first trick. Following suit is compulsory: if you hold a card of the suit that was led, you must play one; if you have none, you may play any card. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, its owner leads the next one, and a deal has 13 tricks. Each contract scores only what it names:
- K♥: whoever takes this card loses 75 points.
- Queens: each Queen a player takes costs them 25 points.
- Diamonds: each diamond taken costs 10 points.
- Ltoosh: each trick taken costs 15 points.
In the K♥, Queens and Diamonds contracts a deal may end early once all the penalty cards have been captured; the scores are the same as if the deal were played to the end.
The Trix contract
Here there are no tricks; you lay cards on the table. Each suit forms a row that starts with its Jack and grows upward (J, Q, K, A) and downward (J, 10, 9, and so on down to 2). A legal card is either the Jack of a suit that has not started, or a card sitting directly next to one end of its suit's chain. If you have a legal card you must play one, and you may pass only when you have none. The first player to empty their hand scores 200, the second 150, the third 100 and the fourth 50.
Doubling
Before the first trick, the holder of the K♥ or of a Queen may double it, in the K♥ and Queens contracts only. The doubled card is revealed before play starts. Whoever takes a doubled K♥ loses 150 and the doubler gains 75; whoever takes a doubled Queen loses 50 and the doubler gains 25. If the doubler takes their own card, the result is just the original penalty (−75 for the K♥, −25 for a Queen).
Scoring in numbers
| Contract | What scores | Points |
|---|---|---|
| K♥ | Whoever takes the card | −75 |
| Queens | Each Queen | −25 |
| Diamonds | Each diamond | −10 |
| Ltoosh | Each trick | −15 |
| Trix | Order of emptying the hand | +200 / +150 / +100 / +50 |
Points accumulate over the 20 deals and may become negative. The highest total wins; if two or more players tie exactly at the top, the result is a draw among them.
Common beginner mistakes
- Forgetting that following suit is compulsory in the trick contracts.
- Assuming there is a trump suit; there is none in any contract.
- Trying to pass in Trix while holding a legal card, which is rejected.
- Mixing up the contracts: in the K♥ contract, Queens and diamonds score nothing.
- Thinking doubling always protects the doubler; if they take the card themselves they earn no bonus.
Quick FAQ
Can I choose a contract that was already played?
No. Each contract is played once per Kingdom.
Can any contract be doubled?
No. Doubling is allowed only in the K♥ and Queens contracts, not in Diamonds, Ltoosh or Trix.
How many deals are in a match?
Twenty: four Kingdoms with five contracts each.
Who starts?
The Kingdom owner starts, and play continues counter-clockwise.
ERAM CARDS is an online multiplayer card and board game app, starting on Android in Arabic and English. Full rules: full Trix rules.