Game Rules

Everything you need to know about Slovenian Tarok — cards, modes, scoring, and special rules.

What is Tarok?

Tarok (also known as Tarock or Slovenian Tarok) is a traditional trick-taking card game for 3 or 4 players. It uses a special 54-card deck consisting of 22 trump cards (taroki) and 32 suit cards across four suits: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs.

The goal varies by game mode — in most contracts, the declarer tries to collect more than 35 card points out of 70 total. In negative games like Klop or Berač, the objective is reversed.

Tarok is beloved across Central Europe, with Slovenian Tarok being one of the most popular and strategically rich variants.

Game Flow
A standard round goes through these phases in order
1
Dealing
Each player receives 12 cards (3-player) or 12/16 cards (4-player). 6 cards go to the talon.
2
Bidding
Players bid on game modes in ascending order of value. Higher bids beat lower ones. Pass or bid higher.
3
Talon Selection
In normal/solo modes, the declarer chooses a portion of the talon to pick up.
4
King Calling
In 4-player normal games (Tri/Dva/Ena), the declarer calls a king — the holder of that king becomes their secret partner.
5
Stashing
The declarer exchanges cards from their hand, putting unwanted cards into their point pile (cannot stash Pagat, Mond, Škis, or Kings).
6
Predictions
Players may announce bonuses: Trula, Kralji, Pagat Ultimo, Kralj Ultimo, Valat. Opponents may counter with Kontra.
7
Playing
Players play tricks in clockwise order. Must follow suit; if unable, must play a tarok; if no taroks, may play any card.
8
Results
Points are counted in batches of three. Scores are calculated based on game mode, difference from 35, and announced bonuses.
Basic Trick Rules
  • Follow suit: You must play a card of the same suit as the first card in the trick if you have one.
  • Trump if unable: If you cannot follow suit, you must play a tarok (trump card) if you have one.
  • Free play: If you have neither the led suit nor any taroki, you may play any card.
  • Highest wins: The highest tarok in the trick wins. If no taroki were played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
  • Trick leader: The winner of each trick leads the next one.