Rules for Thousand

Thousand is an exciting trick-taking game for 3 players (or 2-4) that combines strategy, bidding, and a bit of luck. The game originates from Eastern Europe and is popular in countries like Poland, Russia, and Ukraine. The goal is to be the first to reach Thousand points by taking tricks with valuable cards and declaring marriages.

The game works best with 3 players and typically takes 45-90 minutes. You need a special deck of 24 cards (9-Ace in all suits) and something to write with to keep track of points.

The game uses 24 cards: 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace in all four suits. Card rankings and point values:

• Ace: 11 points (highest)
• 10: 10 points
• King: 4 points
• Queen: 3 points
• Jack: 2 points
• 9: 0 points (lowest)

There are 120 points total in the deck. The first dealer is chosen randomly, then the deal passes counterclockwise.

Each player receives 7 cards, and 3 cards are placed face down in the center (called the talon or prikup). Cards are dealt one at a time, with one card to the talon in each of the first three dealing rounds.

The player to the dealer's left starts bidding with a minimum of 100 points. Bidding continues counterclockwise, and each player must either bid higher (in multiples of 5: 105, 110, 115, etc.) or pass. Once you pass, you cannot bid again. The highest bidder becomes the declarer.

You cannot bid over 120 points unless you have at least one marriage in your hand!

The declarer picks up the three talon cards (showing them to everyone) and adds them to their hand. Then the declarer gives away two unwanted cards, one to each opponent (face down). Everyone now has 8 cards.

After the exchange, the declarer may increase the bid (in multiples of 5) or leave it as is.

Special rule: If a player has four 9s after the exchange, they can show the cards and demand a redeal with no point changes.

Marriages (King and Queen of the same suit) give bonus points when declared:

• Hearts: 100 points
• Diamonds: 80 points
• Clubs: 60 points
• Spades: 40 points

The game starts with no trump. When a player wins a trick and has a marriage in hand, they can declare it and lead the King or Queen. That suit becomes trump until another marriage is declared or the round ends.

Important: You must have both cards in hand when declaring, and you can only declare after winning a trick (not in the first trick).

The declarer leads first, then the winner of each trick leads to the next. Trick-taking rules:

• You must always follow suit if possible
• If there's no trump: If you can't follow suit, you may play any card
• If there's trump: If you can't follow suit, you must trump if possible
• Highest trump wins the trick, otherwise highest card in the led suit
• Remember: 10 is higher than King!

Opponents cooperate to defeat the declarer but keep their own tricks separate for scoring.

After each round, players count the points in their tricks plus any declared marriages.

• Declarer: If the declarer scores at least as many points as bid, the bid is added to their total score. If not, the bid is subtracted.
• Opponents: Always receive the points they took, rounded to the nearest 5.

Example: Declarer bid 130. With 145 points, declarer gets +130. With 125 points, declarer gets -130.

The Barrel (880-999 points): When a player reaches 880-999 points, their score is set to 880 and they are "on the barrel". The player then has 3 chances to bid and score at least 120 points to win. Points scored as an opponent don't count. If they fail within 3 rounds, 120 points are deducted from their score.

Zero rounds: If an opponent scores no points in 3 rounds (not necessarily consecutive), 120 points are deducted from their score on the third occurrence.

Rospisat: The declarer can give up after seeing the talon. Opponents get 60 points each. This is allowed 2 times without penalty; the third time costs 120 points.

With four players, one sits out each round (the player to the dealer's right or the player opposite the dealer, depending on local variant).

The inactive player can score points in two ways:

• 40 points for each Ace in the talon
• The value of any marriages in the talon

These points are not awarded if the inactive player is on the barrel.

The game ends when a player reaches Thousand points or more. It's possible to win directly without being on the barrel first (e.g., going from 845 to 1005 points in one round).

If the declarer and an opponent both reach Thousand+ in the same round, the declarer wins. If two opponents reach Thousand+, the one with the higher score wins.

Here are some useful tips for succeeding at Thousand:

• As declarer: Be careful with your bid - it's better to bid slightly low and make it than bid high and fail
• Remember that 10 is second highest - this often surprises new players
• Use marriages strategically - they provide both points and establish trump
• As opponent: Cooperate to stop the declarer, but remember you score your own points
• On the barrel: You must be declarer and score 120+ points - plan carefully!
• Watch for four 9s - both as declarer (don't give away the fourth) and opponent