How To Play Charlemagne

Charlemagne is a trick taking game that is popular in many areas of Eastern Canada as well as in some of the neighboring states of the United States, such as Maine. Charlemagne is a trick taking game with some similarities to Euchre, including the ranking of the Jacks. The game is designed for play by four players, playing in two partnerships consisting of two players each.

The deck used in the play of this game is one standard deck which has been reduced to 32 cards (by removing all cards of lower rank than 7) and adding two Jokers, resulting in a 34 card deck as used for the game. The two Jokers added to the deck should be distinguishable from each other in some manner as one Joker is ranked higher than the other. By tradition, in decks in which the Jokers are so distinguishable, the black and white Joker is considered higher than the color Joker.

The ranking of the cards is dependent on specifically which suit has been set as the trump suit for the hand:

In the designated trump suit for the hand, the cards rank in the following order (from highest to lowest); Black and White Joker, Color Joker, Jack of the trump suit, Jack of same color but different suit as the trump suit, Ace of trump suit, King of trump suit, Queen of trump suit, 10 of trump suit, 9 of trump suit, 8 of trump suit, 7 of trump suit.
In the other suit of the same color as the trump suit, the ranking of the cards in that suit is as follows (highest to lowest); Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7.
In the two remaining suits (of a different color than the trump suit), the ranking of the cards is as follows (from highest to lowest); Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.

As will be noted, the two Jokers and the Jack of the same color but different suit as that of the designated trump suit is actually considered part of the trump suit (the fourth highest card in that suit), and would thus be played, as appropriate any time a card of the trump suit should or could be played. The Jack of the actual trump suit is called "le bar" and the Jack of the same color, in a different suit is called "le petit bar".

Example of trump suit ranking in Charlemagne

Determination of partnerships, seating positions, and first dealer can be performed in a number of ways with a cut for high card common. Using this method, each player would cat a card from the shuffled, face-down deck. The players cutting the two highest cards would play as partners opposing the two players drawing the two lowest cards. The player drawing the highest card has first choice of seats at the table and his partner should sit directly across the table from him. The remaining two players, forming the second partnership, should then take the remaining two seats at the table. The player drawing the highest card of all is also set as the first dealer. If two or more players draw cards of the exact same rank, each of those player would discard those cards and draw again, continuing to draw until drawing a uniquely ranked card. After each hand, the deal rotates in a clockwise direction around the table.

Initial deal in Charlemagne

After the players are seated the dealer should thoroughly shuffle the cards and the player at his immediate right then has the option to cut the deck. After the cut, the dealer then begins the deal, dealing the cards face-down to the players in a clockwise direction, starting with the player at his left. The cards are dealt in packets of two cards, continuing in rotation until each player has a total of eight cards. After each player has the requisite number of cards, the dealer then deals the last two cards face-down to the center of the table as the kitty.

Once the dealing procedure has been completed, a single round of bidding occurs. The player to the immediate left of the dealer has the first opportunity to bid. Each player must pass or name a bid which is higher than any previously made bid. The following are the possible bids, shown from lowest to highest such bid:

Five - This is the lowest bid, and is a bid by a player indicating the intention of he and his partner winning five or more tricks during the hand.
Six - This is a bid indicating that the player intends for he and his partner to win six or more tricks during this hand.
Seven - This bid indicates the intention of the player and his partner to win a minimum of seven tricks during the hand.
Eight - This is a bid by the player obligating he and his partner to win every trick (all eight) in the hand.
Mulot - This is a bid by a player indicating that he will play alone (without the aid of his partner) and without using the kitty, with the goal to win zero tricks during the hand.
Charlemagne (Petit Charles) - This is a bid by the player indicating he will play alone, with the option to exchange cards with the kitty and the highest card from his partner.
Gros Mulot - This is a bid by the player to play alone, however, he must place his entire hand, face-up on the table exposed to every player.
Gros Charlemagne - This is the highest bid in the game, and is a bid for the player to play alone, and may exchange cards with the kitty or with the top card from his partner, but not both.

After each player has had exactly one opportunity to bid, the player making the highest bid sets his partnership as the Bidding team for the hand.

If the highest bid was a bid of "Five", "Six", "Seven", or "Eight", the high bidder adds the two cards from the kitty into his hand, and then, after examining the hand, discards any two cards form his hand aside, and out of play and then names his choice of trump suits at which the hand is to be played at. The player to the immediate left of the high bidder than leads the first card to the first trick.

If the highest bid was a bid of "Mulot" or "Gros Mulot", the partner of the high bidding player simply places his cards face-down on the table, and these cards as well as those from the kitty are set aside, and out of play. There is no declared trump suit, but the two Jokers still retain their ranking as the two highest cards in the deck. Thus, the ranking of the cards is as follows: Black and White Joker, Color Joker, Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7. If the bid was Gros Mulot the high bidder must also lay his entire hand face-up on the table for all players to see. The high bidder is entitled to lead the first card to the first trick.

If the highest bid was "Charlemagne" the high bidder takes the kitty into his hand and the partner of the bidder than is entitled to pass the high bidder any one card across the table to the high bidder. The high bidder than discards any three cards from his now enlarged hand to the table and sets them aside, out of play. The high bidders partner also sets the remainder of his hand aside out of play, and he takes no further part in that hand. The high bidder is entitled to lead the first card to the first trick immediately after declaring the trump suit to be used for that hand.

If the highest bid was "Gros Charlemagne" the high bidder has the option of either adding the two cards from the kitty into his hand, and discard two cards, or he may opt to not take the kitty and request a card from his partner. If he takes the kitty, he adds these cards to his hand, and then discards two cards from his hand aside and out of play. Instead if he opts for a card from his partner, the cards from the kitty are set aside, and his partner passes this player any one card of his choice from his hand. The high bidder add this card to his hand, and then discards any one card from his hand aside, and out of play. The partner also discards his cards aside and those cards and that player take no further part in that hand. After examining his hand, the high bidder than declares a trump suit of his choice and leads the first card to the first trick.

In a bid of Mulot or Gros Mulot, if one Joker is led to the trick, the player with the other Joker must play it to that same trick

The leader to each trick may play any card of his choice from his hand, and each other play in a clockwise direction around the table than plays a card remaining in his hand to that same trick. If the player has a card of the same suit as originally played to the trick he must play it. If he has no such card, he may play any other card remaining in his hand, including a card from the trump suit. It should be remembered that the Jokers and the opposite Jack (in hands featuring a trump suit) are considered actual members of the declared trump suit. In hands in which no trump suit has been declared (Mulot or Gros Mulot), the Jokers still retain their high ranking, however the rules of play of these cards is slightly different. If a player has either Joker, and is unable to follow suit to the suit of the current trick on his turn, he must play a Joker to that trick. Also, in a Mulot and Gros Mulot hand, if a Joker is led to the trick, the player with the other Joker (if that card is still in play), must play that card to the same trick, if able. In that situation, the other players, if having no such Joker play any card of choice to that trick (which can never win the trick).

After each player has played one card to each trick it is determine who has managed to win the trick. The player of the highest card in the trump suit (if there is a trump suit) is considered the winner of the trick. If the trick contains no cards from the trump suit, the highest card of the suit originally led to that trick wins it. The cards from that trick are set aside out of play for the remainder of the hand. The leader of each tricks then leads the first card to the next trick.

The hand continues in this way until all eight tricks have been played and won, after which time it is determined if the bidder managed to make his contract and earns or loses points accordingly:

In a bid of Five, Six, Seven, or Eight, if the bidding team manages to win at least as many tricks as bid, that partnership earns a number of points for the hand equal to the number bid (5, 6, 7, or 8). If they fail to win at least as many tricks as bid the opponents instead win a number of points equal to the amount of the bid.
In a bid of Mulot, if the bidding player manages to win zero tricks during the hand, that player's partnership earns 15 points for the hand. However, if that player takes one or more tricks during the hand, the opponent's score 7 points for the hand.
In a bid of Charlemagne, if the bidding player manages to win every trick, his partnership earns 16 points. If the bidder does not win every trick during the hand, the opposing team wins 8 points instead.
In a bid of Gros Mulot, if the bidding player manages to lose every trick during the hand, his partnership earns a score of 30 points for the hand. However, if that player wins one or more tricks during the hand, the opponents score 15 points.
In a bid of Gros Charlemagne, if the bidding player manages to win every trick during the hand, he and his partnership instantly win the entire game (32 points). However, if he fails to win one or more tricks during the hand, the opposing team scores 16 points.

Scores accumulate for each partnership from hand to hand, until, at the end of any hand, one of the partnerships has scored 32 or more points. That team is then declared the winning partnership.

Maine Charlemagne Rules: Although the standard variation, as described above, is played in most places the game of Charlemagne is played, there is also another variant which is often found in some areas in the state of Maine in the United States. The game is similar to that as described above, with the following rule differences:

A 32 card deck is used, with no addition of Jokers.
The ranking of the cards is slightly different in this version of the game.
- In the selected trump suit, the ranking of the cards is as follows (high to low); 9 of trump suit, Jack of trump suit (called Big Jack), Jack of same color but different suit as trump (called Little Jack), Ace of trump suit, King of trump suit, Queen of trump suit, 10 of trump suit, 8 of trump suit, 7 of trump suit.
- In the other suit of the same color as the trump suit, the ranking of the cards is (from high to low); Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7.
- In the remaining two suits, the ranking of the cards is (from highest to lowest); Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.
The cards are dealt to the players in two batches of four face-down cards each.
There is no kitty dealt to the table, with all 32 cards dealt to the players.
The allowable bids as used in this game are as follows (shown from lowest to highest):
- One: This is a bid by a player requiring that player's partnership to win one or more tricks. When making this type of bid, the player also states a specific trump suit to be used during that hand.
- Two: This is a bid by a player requiring his partnership to win two or more tricks. With this bid, the bidder also names a specific suit which would be used as the trump suit for the hand.
- Three: This is a bid by a player requiring that player's partnership to win three or more tricks. In this bid, the bidder also names a trump suit to be used during that hand.
- Four: This is a bid by a player requiring his partnership to win four or more tricks. In this bid, the bidder also names a specific trump suit which would be used during the hand.
- Five: This is a bid by a player requiring that player's partnership to win five or more tricks. With this bid, the bidder must also name a specific suit which will be used as the trump suit if this becomes the winning, high bid.
- Six: This is a bid by a player requiring his partnership to win six or more tricks. Along with the bid, the bidder also names a specific trump suit which will be used as the trump suit for the hand if this becomes the high bid for the hand.
- Seven: This is a bid by a player requiring that player's partnership to win seven or more tricks. In making this bid, the bidder also must name a specific trump suit to be used if this bid becomes the high bid for the hand.
- Le Petit: This bid is made a player indicating he will play without the aid of his partner, aiming to lose every trick during the hand. If this becomes the winning bid, the players partner will take no part in the hand, there is no designated trump suit for the hand, and the ranking of all suits uses the non-trump rankings.
- High Card No Trump: This is a bid by a player with an intent for that player to win every trick during the hand, with the aid of his partner, however the hand is played with no trump suit declared, and thus every card ranking in the normal non-trump suit ordering.
- Charlemagne: This is the highest allowable bid in the game. This is a bid for the player to win all eight tricks during the hand with the aid of his partner. Along with the bid he must also declare specific trump suit to use for the hand. However, the maker of this bid may also declare the intention to play alone, which he states as part of his bid. He then asks his partner for a card and that player then gives him a card of his choice from his hand. In this event, the high bidder then discards one card of his choice from his hand and that card as well as his partners hand are set aside, out of play. If the high bidder opts to play alone, a member of the opposing team also has this option, and states this, after which his partner gives him card of choice from his hand, that lone defending player than discarding one card from his hand and his partner discarding his hand out of play.
If, on the dealers bid, no other player has made a bid of at least "Five", the dealer must make a bid of at least "Five" but may bid higher. Since bids lower than "Five" will never actually be played, these are used, as in some other bidding games, to convey information to the partner before the start of actual play.
The high bidder always leads to the first trick, and the winner of each subsequent trick leads to the next.
Any player may, at any time during the game, knock on the table. This is a signal to his partner that he wants that partner to lead a card in the same suit as the card just played, at that player's next opportunity to lead a card to a trick.
Scoring is similar to the standard game. For the numbered (Five, Six, and Seven) bids, if the partnership manages to win at least as many tricks as bid, they earn a number of points equal to their high bid. If unsuccessful, the opponents win a number of points equal to the bid. For the Le Petit and High Card No Trump bid, if the high bidder manages to make the bid, his partnership earns 8 points, however if the bid is unsuccessful, the opposing partnership earns 8 points instead. If the high bid was Charlemagne and the bid was successful, the team who made that bid instantly wins the entire game. However, if the bid was Charlemagne and the team making that bid was not successful, the opposing team instantly wins the game.
The first team to score an accumulated score of 21 or more points (barring a Charlemagne bid by either team) is declared the game winners.

In all other aspects the game is played identically to the standard version of the game as described above.