How To Play Réunion


Réunion is a German trick-taking game that has a number of resemblances to the game Euchre. However, unlike Euchre, Réunion is designed for play by 3 players, each playing independently. Reunion is also sometimes played under the name Vereinigungspiel.

Réunion uses the same 32 card deck as is used in Euchre and it's variations. This deck can be created from a standard 52 card deck by removing all cards lower than 7 from a standard deck. The ranking of the cards as used in this game are also similar to that used in Euchre. Thus, the ranking is slightly different for the trump suit as in the other suits, as follows:
The full trump suit if spades were turned as the trump suit

As will be noticed, the trump suit contains one additional card. This card, which is the second highest ranked card in the suit, is the Jack of a different suit, but the same color, as that of the trump suit. For example, if spades were the trump suit, the Jack of spades would be the highest card in the suit, followed by the Jack of clubs, with the remaining cards in the suit being Ace, 10, King, Queen, 9, 8, 7, all in the trump suit. Since this opposite Jack is considered a member of the trump suit rather than it's printed suit, it can and should be played as would any other member of the trump suit. The Jack of the trump suit has the name right bower, and the Jack of the opposite suit is given the name left bower in this game.

Determination of seating positions, and first dealer can be performed using a variety of methods, with draw for high card often the method of choice. Using that method, each player draws a card from the face-down shuffled deck. Any players drawing cards that are equal in rank to that drawn by another player must draw another card, continuing to do this until drawing a uniquely ranked card. The player drawing the highest card has first choice of seats with the remaining players taking their preferred seat in order of rank of card drawn. The player who drew the highest card is designated the first dealer and the player drawing the lowest ranked card is set as the scorekeeper for the game. After each hand the role of dealer rotates in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.

Hearts as the trump suit in a hand of Reunion Once the identity of the first dealer has been determined, he thoroughly shuffles the deck and offers it to the player at his left to cut. After the cut, the dealer then begins dealing the cards around the table in a counter-clockwise direction, starting with the player at his right. He first deals a round of three face-down cards to each player, followed by a round of four such cards, and finally a round of three cards. Each player should have a total of 10 cards, leaving 2 cards remaining in the deck. The dealer then places these two cards face-down in the center of the table, and turns over the top of these two cards. The suit exposed is thus set as the trump suit for the hand.

After all players have had an opportunity to see the exposed card which identifies the trump suit for the hand, the dealer takes this and the other card on the table into his hand. He then selects any two cards from his hand (which may include those taken from the table) and discards them to the side, face-down and out of play. He may not, however discard any Ace, the bowers, or more than one card of rank 10. The cards discarded by the dealer are set aside and are added to the dealer's collection of cards captured in tricks, for purposes of scoring at the end of the hand.

After this discard, play of the hand begins. The player to the immediate right of the dealer has the first turn, leading the first card to the first trick. After the lead, each other player in a counter-clockwise direction around the table then plays one card to that same trick.

The leader to a trick may play any card of choice remaining in their hand to start the trick. Each other player in turn, must play a card of the same suit as originally led to that trick if they have one. If they have no such card, but they do have a card in the trump suit (if the trump suit was not led to the trick), they must play a card from the trump suit. If the player does not have a card in the suit led or does not have a card in the trump suit, they may play any other card from their hand.

After all three players have played one card to the trick, it is determined who has won the trick. The player of the highest card in the trump suit played to the trick wins it. If the trick contains no cards in the designated trump suit, it is won by the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick. Cards won in tricks should be placed in a face-down captured tricks pile near the player who won that trick, for later analysis during scoring of the hand. The leader of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all ten tricks have been played and won, the players review the cards they had won in tricks during the hand. Each card has a certain card point value which contributes to that player's score during that hand, as per the following chart:

CardCard Point Value
Left Bower, Right Bower12 Points Each
Ace11 Points Each
King4 Points Each
Queen3 Points Each
Jack (not including the Bowers)2 Points Each
1010 Points Each
9, 8, 70

Winning the last trick also entitles the winner of that trick to an additional 10 points.

The scorekeeper should then records the score of each player's total for that hand into an ongoing, accumulated score retained for each player. After each player has dealt exactly one time (for a total of three hands), the player who has the highest accumulated total over those three rounds is declared the game winner.

Based on these scores, the winner may win a number of Game Points. For each other player who scored less than 150 points, but 100 or more, the winner scores one Game Point. For each player who scores less than 100 but 50 or more, this player scores two Game Points. And for each player that scores fewer than 50 points, the winner scores three Game Points. In addition, there are a few other situations during play which may allow a player to earn Game Points. If a player plays the left bower to a trick, and that trick is won by another player with the right bower, the winner of that trick immediately earns one Game Point. Similarly, if a player wins no tricks during the hand, each other player earns one Game Point. This is usually recorded on the score sheet by placing a slash for that players score on the score sheet for that hand, unless that player is the dealer and earned points from the cards discarded at the start of the hand, in which the score is recorded with an underscore under the number of points recorded from that hand.

If multiple game sessions are thus to be played, the player with the highest grand total in Game Points is declared the overall game session winner.

Variations and Optional Rules

Viersche: Viersche is rare variant of the Réunion family of card games that is known to be commonly played in only one relatively small area of the World, specifically the Black Forest region of Germany. The game is also known by the name Hundert or Hunderte.

Viersche is a four player game, with the players divided into two teams of two players each.

Viersche is commonly played using the 36 card Jass deck, which can be formed from a standard deck by removing all cards of rank five and less. The ranking of the remaining cards, which form the deck used for play, is dependent on the specific suit which will used as the trump suit for the game. As in the game Reunion it will be noted that the trump suit contains one additional card. This card, which is the second highest ranked card in the suit, is the Jack of a different suit, but the same color as that of the trump suit. This card is called the Little Man. Since this opposite Jack is considered a member of the trump suit rather than the suit actually marked on the card, it can and should be played as would any other member of the trump suit. The Jack of the trump suit is called the Old Man.

Each player should be seated at the table directly across from his partner for the game.

The designated dealer for the game should thoroughly shuffle the deck. After the shuffle, he offers it to the player at his left to cut, and after the cut, he begins dealing the cards in a counter-clockwise direction around the table, starting with the player at his immediate right. He deals each player three card packets of face-down cards, continuing around the table until each player has a total of nine cards. The last card to be dealt to the dealer should be dealt face-up on the table. The suit of this card designates the trump suit to be used for this hand. Once the first trick is started, the dealer picks up this card adding it back into his hand.

If a player cannot play a trump to the first suit, they must play their card face-down The player to the dealer's immediate right (forehand) leads the first card to the first trick. If this player has any cards in the designated trump suit, he must play such a card as his lead, face-up to the table. If he has no such card, he can play any other card, playing it face-down to the trick (and this card can never win the trick). On this first trick, each other player must also play a card in the designated trump suit to that trick if they have one. If they have no such card, they may play any card to the trick (face-down to the trick). This first trick is won by the highest card in the trump suit played to it. The player of this card takes these cards, setting them aside in a face-down capture pile, and plays the first card to the next trick.

After the first trick, the leader to a trick may play any card to start the trick remaining in his hand. Each other player, in a counter-clockwise direction then also plays one card to the trick. If the player has a card of the suit led, he may play that card or play a card from the trump suit. If the player has no cards in the suit led, he may play any other card from his hand, including a card from the trump suit.

After each player has played one card to the trick, it is determined who has won the trick. The highest card played to the trick in the designated trump suit wins the trick. If the trick contains no cards from the trump suit, it is won instead by the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick. Cards won in tricks are added to that player's face-down capture pile, and the winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all nine tricks have been played and won, each team combines all the cards that the team manages to win in tricks during the hand, and earns a number of card points on that hand based on the cards captured. The following chart shows the value of each card captured:

CardCard Point Value
Old Man, Little Man12 Points Each
Ace11 Points Each
King4 Points Each
Queen3 Points Each
Jack (not including Old Man and Little Man)2 Points Each
1010 Points Each
9, 8, 7, 60

Scoring diagram at the beginning of a game session of Viersche The goal of each team is to accumulate at least 100 points in total card points. If either team manages to thus earn 100 or more points in the first hand of a game, that team wins one "Game" and is entitled to erase one rung of the ladder diagram (horizontal line) from their side of the score sheet.

However, if after the first hand, neither team has managed to score at least 100 points, a second hand must be played to determine the winner of that "game". The team with the higher score from the first game, then writes on the slate, the number of points won in the previous hand, under their ladder diagram (see below). To win the game, this team thus needs to win, on this second hand, a number of points equal to the difference between the number written from the first hand and 100. For the opposing team to win, that team must earn a number of points, on this second hand, equal to forty subtracted from that same printed score.

Thus, if this second hand needs be played, the team to first reach their goal on that hand is then declared the winner. In fact, at any time during a hand, after a player wins a trick, he may declare that he believes his team has won a game. If such a declaration is thus made by a member of either team, play immediately stops and the cards won in tricks are reviewed, and if the declaring team has indeed reached the required points to win, they have thus won that "game". However, if they do not yet have the necessary points to win, the opposing team wins that game instead, regardless of the number of points earned by either team during this game.

Scorekeeping is usually performed using a small slate and chalk. At the start of the game, the designated scorekeeper draws a rough "Chicken Ladder" on the score sheet. This consists of one vertical line intersected by four horizontal lines along it's length. These horizontal lines are thus used to retain the score for each individual team. Each time one team manages to win a "game" (requiring either one or two hands to complete), that team is entitled to erase one of the horizontal lines on their side of the chicken ladder diagram on the score sheet. However, if one team manages to win all nine tricks during the hand, that team immediately wins the game, and is thus entitled to erase two of the horizontal lines from the ladder diagram.

The first team to manage to erase all four horizontal lines or "rungs" on the chicken ladder corresponding to their side of the score sheet, is declared the winner of the entire game session.

Hindersche: Hindersche is another game which appears to have been descended from Réunion. It is played in the same areas as Vindersche, and can be thought of as a reverse variant of that game. Hindersche is also sometimes called Vier-Strich.

Similar to Vindersche, Hindersche is also played by four players, however in this game, each player plays independently (no partners). The game uses the same 36 card deck as is used for playing Viersche. The ranking of the cards is also the same as in that game, as follows: As will be noticed the Jack of the same color but opposite suit as that in the trump suit is the second highest card in the trump suit. This card is considered a full part of the trump suit (and not of the suit actually printed on the card), and thus would and should be played at any time a card from the trump suit would be played.

Determination of the first dealer can be performed using a variety of methods, with draw for low cards commonly used. The player thus drawing the lowest card from a random draw of cards from the shuffled deck would be set as the first dealer. After each hand the role of dealer rotates around the table in a counter-clockwise direction.

After thoroughly shuffling the deck, the dealer offers the deck to the player at his left to cut. After the cut he then begins dealing the cards in a counter-clockwise direction around the table, starting with the player at his right. He deals the cards in face-down packets of three cards each, continuing around the table until each player has a total of nine cards. The last card dealt, which belongs to the dealer is dealt face-up on the table. The suit of this card designates the trump suit to be used for that hand. The card is left face-up on the table until play begins to the first trick, after which the dealer then picks it up, adding the card into his hand.

It should be noted that, as play progresses, players will begin to drop out of the game. As this occurs, there will be cards remaining in the stock after each active player has received their requisite nine cards. Thus, after the deal of that hand, there will remaining undealt cards. Instead of the dealer's last card turned up to determine the trump suit, the top card of the remaining unused deck will instead be turned up and exposed, with this suit setting the trump suit to be used for that hand.

Hindersche is played in two phases, the first phase called Vier-Strick and the second phase called Butzen. Actual gameplay during both phases is the same, however, the method of scoring is quite different.

During both phases, each hand is a series of tricks, to which each player plays one card to the trick. The first trick in each hand is led by the player to the dealer's right (forehand) and then each other player, in a counter-clockwise direction around the table contributes one card to that same trick. The leader to the trick may play any card of choice remaining in their hand to start the trick. In playing to an existing trick, a player on his turn, must play a card of the suit originally led to the trick, or a card of the trump suit. If the player has no cards in the suit led to the trick, that player may play any card remaining in his hand, including a card from the designated trump suit for that hand. After each player has thus played one card to the trick it is examined to determine who has won that trick. The player of the highest card in the trump suit to the trick wins it. If the trick contains no cards in the designated trump suit, it is won by the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick. Each player should put the cards won in tricks in a face-down pile near him for determination of scoring at the end of the hand.

Each card in the deck has a corresponding point value earned by the player capturing it, as per the following chart:

CardCard Point Value
Jack of trump suit, Jack of Same Color (as trump suit) but Opposite Suit12 Points Each
Ace11 Points Each
King4 Points Each
Queen3 Points Each
Jack (not including Old Man and Little Man)2 Points Each
1010 Points Each
9, 8, 70

After all tricks have been played and won, each active player then reviews the cards won in tricks to determine scoring for that hand.

Scoring for Hindersche is performed using a slate and chalk. Each of the four players retains their score in one corner of the slate, using a diagonal line. At the start of the game, each player has a score of 0, and thus there will be no lines yet on the slate.

During the first phase, players will earn penalty points (as these diagonal lines on the slate) in various ways: Example score after the first phase of a game of Hindersche Once, at the end of a hand, there are a total of four or more marks on the slate (divided amongst any number of the players), phase one of the game ends. Any player who has 0 marks on the slate at the end of phase one is entitled to drop, and thus are not in danger of losing the game. However, all players having at least one mark must continue on to phase two. If the same player has lost the first four hands, the game immediately ends (with no need for the second phase) with that player having lost a "Game". If there are more than four total marks on the slate (which can occur due to a number of different reasons), these marks are called excess marks.

The second phase of the game (butzen) is played similarly to the first phase, however instead of only adding marks to the slate, players are entitled also entitled to then erase marks from their corner of the slate in certain situations and depending on how many total marks are still remaining on the slate:
Once a player manages to erase his last mark, he is entitled to drop out of game. Eventually, the game will reach the situation with exactly two remaining active players. After each hand in which there are exactly two players, whichever player has the lowest card point score is entitled to erase one mark from their corner of the slate. If one of the players manages to capture 100 or more card points or win all 9 tricks during that hand, he is entitled to instead erase two marks from his corner of the slate. If the players tie for the most card points captured, no player is entitled to erase any marks from their corner of the slate. One of these two players manages to erase his last mark from the slate, the sole remaining player with marks still on the slate has lost that game. When this occurs, the slate is cleared for a new game, and the losing player must add one mark to the border or edge of the slate indicating they have lost a game. A full game session usually consists of four full games (a rubber) and the player with the least number of chalk marks on the edge of the sate is declared the overall game winner.

Bauer: Bauer is another game which appears to be related to the very early game Juckerspiel, which was a probable ancestor of Réunion. Bauer is a German game played with a deck consisting of 32 cards and played by four participants in two partnerships of two players each. The game is usually played using the 32 card German deck, if such a deck is not at hand, it can be played using a standard deck from which all cards lower than 9 have been removed. The ranking of the cards in this deck are as in most other games of this type, and are somewhat dependent on the current suit which is set as the trump suit for the hand: It should be noted that the Jack of the same color but opposite suit as that in the trump suit is the second highest card in the trump suit. This card is considered a full part of the trump suit (and not of the suit actually printed on the card), and thus would and should be played at any time a card from the trump suit would be played.

Determination of partnerships and first dealer can be performed using a variety of methods, with draw for low cards commonly used. The players drawing the two lowest cards play as partners against the two players drawing the two highest. Each player should be seated at the table directly across from their partner. The player drawing the lowest card is set as the first dealer.

Each team starts the game with a total of eight points, and during course of play attempts to reduce this number to zero.

The designated dealer for that hand should then deal out a total of eight cards to each player, in two packets of four cards each. These packets should be dealt in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.

A player selects a trump suit after their first four cards are dealt However, after only the first four cards are dealt, the player to the immediate right of the dealer picks up his hand, and based on the cards he has, he announces his choice of trump suit for the hand. This player and his partner are thus set as the declarers for this hand. After the trump suit is thus announced by this player, the dealer deals out four more cards to each player.

After the deal, the player to the right of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick. This first lead must be any card from the designated trump suit. Each other player, in a counter-clockwise direction around the table then also plays one card of choice to the same trick. If the other players also have cards in the led trump suit, they must play it. But if they have no such card, they may play any card still remaining in their hand. The player of the highest card in the trump suit to this first trick wins it, and leads the first card to the next trick.

After the first trick, the leader to each trick may play any card still remaining in their hand. Each other player must play a card of the same suit as led to the trick if they have one. If they have no such card, the player may play any card to that trick, including a card from the selected trump suit for that hand.

After each player has played one card, in turn, to the trick, it is determined who has won the trick. The highest card in the selected trump suit wins the trick. If the trick contains no cards in the selected trump suit, the trick is won by the highest card in the suit originally led to that trick. Cards won in tricks are set near to the player winning the trick, in a face-down pile, and the winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all eight tricks have been played, it is determined if the declarers team manages to win the hand. They must win five or more tricks to thus win the hand. If this team manages this, they are entitled to subtract one point from their ongoing score. However, if the opposing team wins the majority of tricks during that hand, the declarers must add one point to their current score, and the team winning the majority of the tricks is entitled to subtract one point from their ongoing score.

Once either team manages to drop their score to 0, that team has won one full "Game".

If any player, before the first trick is played believes they can win every trick, they may announce this by stating "Karten Weg". The opponent of that player simply puts his cards face-down to the side, and the player announcing "Karten Weg" plays alone against the other two players. The player announcing this is also entitled to play the first card to the first trick (which need not be a card in the trump suit). If that player manages to win every trick, as their announcement, they immediately win that entire game, and thus one Brot (or Game Point).

Hunsrücker Bauern: An apparently older variant of Bauer is called Hunsrücker Bauern. This is also a German game and is designed for play by six players in two teams of three players each. It uses the 32 card German pack. The ranking of the cards in this deck are the same as in other, similar games: It should be noted that the Jack of the same color but opposite suit as that in the trump suit is the second highest card in the trump suit. This card is considered a full part of the trump suit (and not of the suit actually printed on the card), and thus would and should be played at any time a card from the trump suit would be played.

Each player should be seated at the table with two players from the opposing team on each side. The role of dealer rotates around the table in a counter-clockwise direction. After thoroughly shuffling the deck, the dealer passes the card to the player at his right for the cut. The card in the bottom packet of the cut should be displayed to all players. If this card is any Jack, this card will set the trump suit for the hand (except if a Jack is later also dealt, see below).

Determination of potential trump suit for the hand The designated dealer for the hand the deals five cards to each player, one by one and face-down, in a counter-clockwise direction around the table and starting with the player at his immediate right. He continues dealing until each player has a total of five cards. He then places the remainder of the deck face-down in the center of the table as the skat. The top card of the skat is then turned over and exposed. If this card is any Jack, this suit is set as the trump suit to be used for this hand (even if the cut card on this hand was also a Jack). In addition, if the top card in the skat was a Jack, the dealer is entitled to turn over the second face-down card in the skat. If this card is of the same suit as the Jack turned as the first card in the skat, he may take this bottom card into his hand (discarding any other card from his hand, face-down and out of play).

If neither the cut card or the top card from the skat was a Jack, each player, starting with the player to the right of the dealer and continuing in a counter-clockwise direction, has the opportunity to request that the card turned from the top of the skat be used as the trump suit for the hand. If any player accepts this card as the trump suit, this immediately sets that suit as the trump suit to be used for that hand. In that event, the dealer is entitled, if he prefers, to exchange any one card from his hand for this top exposed card from the skat.

If none of the players thus accepts this card for trump for that hand, the turned up card is turned back over (face-down) and each player, starting with the player to the right of the dealer and continuing in a counter-clockwise direction around the table, is entitled to name a suit to use as the trump suit for that hand or pass. Once any player names a trump suit (which cannot be the same as the originally turned up card from the skat), that suit immediately is set as the trump suit for this hand. If all players pass, the cards are all gathered together, shuffled and redealt by the same dealer.

Whichever player accepts or names a trump suit for the hand, sets his partnership as the declarers for the hand. If the trump suit was instead set by the initial cut card or the top card of the skat, the dealer's team is set as the declarer team.

Once the trump suit to be used for the hand is set, play of the hand can begin. The player to the immediate right of the dealer leads the first card to the trick, and each other player in a counter-clockwise direction around the table also plays one card to that same trick.

The leader to a trick may play any card of choice still remaining in his hand to start the trick. Each other player, in turn, must play a card of the suit originally led to that trick if they so have one. If they have no such cards, the player may play any other card still remaining in their hands, including a card from the designated trump suit.

Each trick is then won by the highest card of the trump suit played to it. If no cards from the trump suit have been played to the trick, it is won by the highest card in the suit originally led to that trick. Won tricks should be set aside, face-down near one of the player's from the team that won that trick. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all five tricks have been played and won, it is determined if the declarers team was able to win the hand. If the declarer's team, amongst themselves, managed to win three of the five tricks, that team has won one point for the hand. If they win all five tricks (durch), they earn two points for that hand.

Scoring is traditionally recorded on a slate, with each team starting the game with five lines marked on a slate. If the declarers win the hand, they are entitled to erase one line from their side of the slate. If they win all five tricks, they may erase two such lines from the slate. If the declarers win two or fewer tricks during the hand, they must add one line to their side of the slate, and the opposing team is entitled to erase one line from their side of the slate. If the opponents of the declarer manage to win all five tricks during the hand, the declarers must add two lines to their side of the slate and the opponents are entitled to erase two such lines.

The first team to have completely erases all the lines on their side of the slate is declared the game winner.
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