Rules for Tribello

Tribello is a trick-taking game for three players, popular in Illinois, USA. It mixes strategic thinking with a bit of luck, and is played with a standard 52-card deck (no jokers). A full game usually takes 45–60 minutes.

The goal is to win the right number of tricks in each phase, based on your position at the table. The game has four rounds, each with three deals, for twelve deals in total. The player with the most points after all twelve deals wins.

Cards are dealt as follows:

• 13 cards to each of the three players
• 13 cards to a separate face-down pile called the pickup pile

Cards are dealt one at a time, with the last card going to the dealer. The order in which cards go to opponents and to the pickup pile can vary, but must stay the same throughout the game.

There are four rounds of play, with three deals per round (twelve deals total). The deal passes to the left after each hand. Each player will play once in each of the three positions per round.

The game has four rounds, each with different rules:

• Round 1: Trump is determined by cutting the deck. The suit of the revealed card becomes trump.
• Round 2: The dealer looks at their cards and chooses the trump suit.
• Round 3: No trump. The highest card in the led suit wins the trick.
• Round 4 (Nullo): No trump. Players try to avoid taking tricks.

In rounds 1–3 the goal is to win tricks. In round 4 the goal is to avoid them.

Each player has a trick target based on their position:

• Dealer: 6 tricks in rounds 1–3, 3 tricks in round 4
• Left of dealer: 4 tricks in all rounds
• Right of dealer: 3 tricks in rounds 1–3, 6 tricks in round 4

Scoring is based on how close you get to your target:

• Rounds 1–3: +1 point per trick over your target, -1 point per trick under
• Round 4: -1 point per trick over your target, +1 point per trick under

After looking at their hands, players may swap cards with the pickup pile:

1. The dealer decides how many cards to take from the pickup pile (0–13).
2. The dealer discards that many cards from their hand face down, then draws the same number from the top of the pickup pile.
3. If cards remain in the pickup pile, the player to the dealer's left may do the same.
4. If cards still remain, the player to the dealer's right may also exchange.

Discarded cards go face down into a separate discard pile and are reshuffled before the next deal.

The rules of play for each round:

• The dealer leads the first trick.
• Players must follow suit if they can.
• A player who cannot follow suit may play any card.
• Rounds 1 and 2: The highest card in the led suit wins, unless a trump card has been played, in which case the highest trump wins.
• Rounds 3 and 4: The highest card in the led suit wins (no trump).
• The winner of each trick leads the next.

Play continues until all tricks have been played.

Scoring depends on the round:

• Rounds 1–3 (win tricks):
  • +1 point per trick above your target
  • -1 point per trick below your target
• Round 4 (avoid tricks):
  • -1 point per trick above your target
  • +1 point per trick below your target

The total score per hand always adds up to zero, as does the total across all twelve deals. The player with the most points at the end of round four wins.

Example from round 2:

• Dealer (target: 6 tricks) takes 8 tricks → +2 points
• Left player (target: 4 tricks) takes 3 tricks → -1 point
• Right player (target: 3 tricks) takes 2 tricks → -1 point

The scores add up to 0 (+2 + (-1) + (-1) = 0).

Example from round 4 (nullo):

• Dealer (target: 3 tricks) takes 4 → -1 point
• Left player (target: 4) takes 2 → +2 points
• Right player (target: 6) takes 7 → -1 point

Again the total is 0 ((-1) + 2 + (-1) = 0).

A few things worth keeping in mind:

• In rounds 1–3, try to hold onto high cards and trump cards to reach your trick target.
• When swapping from the pickup pile, pay attention to which cards have already been seen.
• In round 4 (nullo), use the exchange phase to get rid of high cards and keep low or mid-range cards.
• Track how many tricks each player has taken and adjust your play accordingly.
• As dealer, make the most of choosing trump in round 2 and leading the first trick.
• Because scoring is zero-sum, if one player is doing well, the others are likely losing points.

A few things set Tribello apart from typical trick-taking games:

• It is a compendium game, meaning the rules change each round. It feels like four different games played in one session.
• Deciding how many cards to exchange is a key decision that shapes the rest of the hand.
• The final round flips the goal entirely: instead of winning tricks, you want to avoid them.
• Your position at the table (dealer, left, right) gives you a different target each round, which changes how you play.
• Zero-sum scoring means your choices always affect the other players directly.

These features give Tribello a depth that rewards both careful card play and awareness of what the other players are trying to do.