Tarot card games
Card games with a permanent trump suit, originating in Italy.
Tarot card games are trick-taking games played with specialized tarot packs that include a permanent trump suit alongside the usual four suits. Originating in Italy, they spread across Europe and remain popular in France, Austria, and Italy, with regional variations in rules and deck composition.
- origin
- Italy, early 15th century
- common_deck_size
- 78 cards (full) or regional subsets (63, 54, 40, 36 cards)
- typical_players
- 3 or 4, though 2 to 8 possible
- key_regions
- France, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, south Germany, south Poland
Lore & Background
The introduction of trumps is one of only two major innovations to trick-taking games, the other being bidding. Trump cards, initially called trionfi, first appeared with tarot cards. From Italy, tarot spread to France and Switzerland in the 16th century and Belgium in the late 17th century, then to most of Europe in the 18th century, except the British Isles, Iberian peninsula, and Balkans. That variant used a 66-card pack for three players, with payments for card combinations and the winner determined by points in tricks.
Reader's Guide
Tarot card games are significant as the origin of the permanent trump suit, a key innovation in trick-taking games. They are increasingly popular in Europe, especially in France where French tarot is the second most popular card game after Belote. In Austria, Tarock games like Königrufen are widespread with major tournaments. Italy remains a stronghold. Regional decks vary: Italian-suited (Cups, Coins, Clubs, Swords) in parts of Italy and Switzerland; French-suited elsewhere. The 78-card deck includes 14 cards per suit, 21 trumps, and the Fool. Scoring typically uses point values: Oudlers (trumps I, XXI, and Fool) and Kings worth 5 points, Queens 4, Cavaliers 3, Jacks 2, low cards 1. Counting often uses packets of three for efficiency. The games' rules emphasize following suit, trumping when unable, and anti-clockwise play.
Did You Know?
- In French tarot, the Fool (Excuse) can excuse a player from following suit or act as the strongest trump.
Frequently Asked Questions
What exactly are tarot card games?
Tarot card games are trick-taking games built around specialized decks that carry a fixed trump suit on top of the standard four suits. They trace their roots to early-15th-century Italy and eventually spread across much of Europe.
How many cards does a tarot card game use?
A complete tarot deck holds 78 cards, but many regional variants trim it down to 63, 54, 40, or even 36 cards. The exact count depends on which local version you're sitting down to play.
How many people do you need to play a tarot card game?
Most traditional tarot card games are set up for 3 or 4 players, though rulesets for anywhere between 2 and 8 exist. The right group size shifts depending on the particular regional ruleset you choose.
Where are tarot card games still actively played today?
They remain a staple pastime in France, Austria, and Italy, with strong communities also in Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, southern Germany, and southern Poland. Each of those regions keeps its own distinct rule set and deck layout.
More in Card & Tabletop Games 1-24
Elsewhere in the Card & Tabletop Games universe
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record