Kozel is a Russian trick taking game with the unusual feature in that multiple cards can be led and played to a trick. Kozel is designed for play by two, three, or four players, with one of the most common version played by four participants playing in two partnerships. Thus, this partnership version of the game will be described first. See the Variations section below for the 2 and 3 player variants.

Kozel is played using a 36 card deck which can be formed from a standard 52 card deck by removing all cards of rank five or lower. The ranking of the cards as used in this game is as follows (from highest to lowest): 6 of spades (♠), Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6 (in all other suits except spades).

Determination of partnerships and the first dealer can be performed using a variety of methods, with a common method being a draw of cards from the shuffled deck. The players drawing the two highest cards playing as partners against the players drawing the two lowest. Any cards drawn of equal rank should be discarded and replaced with a newly drawn card. The player drawing the highest card of all is set as the first dealer, with the role of dealer then rotating around the table in a clockwise direction after each hand. Each player should sit directly across the table from their partner during play.

Once the partnerships and the first dealer have been determined, the dealer should then thoroughly shuffle the deck. After shuffling, the player to the immediate right of the dealer than cuts the cards, and passes them back to the dealer. The dealer then begins dealing the cards in a clockwise direction around the table, with the player at his immediate left getting the first card. The dealer should thus deal the cards, one-by-one, and face-down to each player, until each player has a total of four cards. After each player has the requisite four cards, he then deals the next card face-up near the center of the table. He then places the remainder of the undealt deck partially on top of this card, perpendicular to this card. This card, and all other cards of that same suit set the trump suit for that hand.

The player to the immediate left then has the lead to the first trick, with each other player in a clockwise direction, in turn, playing to that same trick.

The leader to a trick may play one, two, three, or four cards to start the trick. He may play any cards of his choice from his hand, however, if leading with more than one card, all cards led to that trick must be of the same suit.

After the lead, each other player in turn, then plays to that same trick. These players must play an equal number of cards as led to the trick by the leader and these cards played can be of any suit. The goal of these subsequent players is to beat the trick. In order to beat the entire trick, a player must beat each card played by the current highest play to the trick. For example, to beat a play of three cards, another player would need to play three cards, with each of the three cards beating a different one of the three cards currently winning the trick. If unable to beat the entire trick, the player simply plays his cards (of an equal number as led to that trick) face down on the table. A card in the trump suit can only be beaten by a higher card in the trump suit, and a card not of the trump suit can be beaten by a higher ranked card (of any suit) or, any card from the trump suit. The six of spades, being the highest card in the deck, can beat any other card and cannot be beaten by any card. If played as part of a lead to a trick, the six of spades can be included with cards of a suit other than spades.

If any player is able to beat the lead, subsequent players to that same trick must then beat the new highest play to the trick, in order to win the trick. After each player has played to the trick, the player who played the highest combination wins the trick. This player takes all the cards won from that trick and places them in a face-down pile of captured cards from tricks. Starting with the winner of the trick, each player in a clockwise direction around the table then draws cards from the stock to replenish his hand to four cards. The exposed trump card is considered the last card of the stock pile. If there is not enough cards in the stock to allow each player to fully replenish his hand to four cards, each player draws only the appropriate number from the stock such that each player will have the same number of cards. Once the stock is so exhausted, play continues as normal, albeit with no draw until, all cards have been played.

Normally, the winner of the previous trick leads the first card or cards to the next trick. However, there two special card combinations which will allow a player to interrupt this normal flow and become the leader to the next trick:

• Moskva:
A Moskva (also called a Moscow) is a four card combination consisting completely of Aces and tens in a player's hand. The hand may also include the six of spades, but must include at least one actual Ace.


• Molodka:
A Molodka is a hand consisting of four cards, all in the same suit. The hand may also consist of three cards of the same suit and the six of spades.

If a player finds that he had either of these types of combinations in his hand (usually immediately after drawing), that player may (but is not required to), declare it, indicating his intention to thus be the leader to the next trick (even if another player would be entitled to lead to the trick by winning the last trick). If multiple players declare this intent, a player having a Moskva has precedence over a Molodka, and if multiple players declare this intent having the same hand type, the player who is nearest to the actual winner of that last trick (in a clockwise direction around the table) is considered to have the precedence. The player who usurps the lead in this circumstance thus obtains the lead for this trick, leading his announced combination.

After every trick has been played and won, both players in each partnership combine all the cards they had won in tricks, and calculate the total number of cards points captured during that hand. Each card in the deck has a card point value as per the following chart:

Card Denomination	Card Point Value
Ace	11 Each
Ten	10 Each
King	4 Each
Queen	3 Each
Jack	2 Each
9, 8, 7, 6	0

Whichever team scores the fewest card points earns zero points for that hand. The opposing team scores a number of penalty points based on the number of points they managed to capture. If that team captured at least 31 points, they earn two penalty points. If they managed to capture 30 or fewer, but have taken at least one trick, that team earns four penalty points. If that team won no tricks at all during that hand, the team earns six penalty points. If both teams capture exactly 60 card points (there are a total 120 in the entire deck), each team scores 2 penalty points.

Once a team reaches or exceeds an accumulated total of 12 penalty points, the game ends and the team with fewer total penalty points is declared the winner.

Variations and Optional Rules

Two Player Kozel: Kozel can also be played by two participants. Other than the fact that each player is playing independently, with no teams, the game is played identically to the partnership, four player version as described above.

Three Player Kozel: In addition to the four player and two player variants of the game, there is also a three player version which can be played. The game is played similarly to the four player version, with the following differences:

• Each player plays and scores independently.



• The scoring is slightly different in the three player variant. The winner of the hand earns zero penalty points, while the two other players each earn a number of points based on the number of cards points that had captured during that hand. If one of these players earned 21 or more points during that hand, that player earns two penalty points. If one of these players managed to win less than 21 points, but won at least one trick, that player earns four penalty points. A player that won no tricks during that hand earns six penalty points. If two or more players tie for the most card points during the hand, each of the tying players earns two penalty points, while any other player earns zero penalty points.



• Once one player reaches or exceeds 12 or more points, that player must drop from the game. The other two players continue play, until another player also reaches or exceeds 12 penalty points earned, with the last player remaining declared the victor of the game. If, on the same hand, two or more players reach or exceed twelve points, the player amongst these who has the least penalty points is declared the winner.