Thunee Rules
THUNEE RULES (4 PLAYERS)
Contents
The deck consists of 28 cards. There are 4 score cards, called “ball cards”. The ball cards are used in pairs, the hearts and clubs together and the diamonds and spades together. A pair of ball cards together have 12 elements, each representing one point or ball. Each team has a pair of ball cards to keep score during the game.
There are four suits: Spades, Diamonds, Clubs and Hearts. Each suit is in a different colour. In each suit there are 6 cards; Jack, Nine, Ace, Ten, Queen and King.
Aim of the Game
The two teams are separated into the “Trump” team and the “Counting” team.
The counting teams main task is to win enough hands to give them 105 points, which qualifies them to open a ball. Jodi (see Jodi) may be added to the total count and the team to obtain the last hand gets 10 bonus points.
The trump team’s main task is to prevent the opponent team from winning enough hands to make up a point on the ball cards, referred to as a “ball”.
Trump
The trump team decides the trump and the opponent team counts their cards at the end of a round. The team that wins the last hand of the round gets a bonus 10 points (‘last hand’).
Game terms
Game: A standard game is made up of 12 points.
Exception: If a Kanak is played during the course of the game, the game then has 13 points. Each element on the ball cards represents a point or ball. Kanak is an intermediate to advanced trick that requires a fair amount of skill and experience to be executed properly. It is recommend that new players wait until they are familiar with the game before attempting to execute a Kanak. See below for how to play a Kanak trick.
Round: One round is made up of 6 tricks, referred to as hands.
Hand: There are 6 hands in a round. At the start of play, each player has 6 cards, one card for each hand in a round. One completed (or played) hand is thus made up of four cards, one card from each player.
Ball: A point on the ball cards (score cards), e.g. one ball is one point, 2 balls is 2 points.
Point: Each card has a value, as per figure provided. For example, the Jack is worth 30 points, the 9 is worth 20, and so on. Each hand won will therefore have a cumulative value. At the end of a round, the opponent team will count their hands based on the value of the individual cards to check whether their winnings make up the required 105 points to open a ball on the ball cards.
Players
4 players in teams of two, with partners sitting diagonally opposite each other. You keep the same partner throughout the game. The illustration below illustrates you as the dealer and play starting with your partner:
Dealer and Trumpman
The Dealer is determined by dealing out the deck face-up counter-clockwise until someone gets a Jack. This person becomes the first Dealer in the game. Deal can only pass once the Dealer team has equaled or passed the score (on the ball cards) of the opponent team. Deal passes to the right. Trumpman is the player that decides the trump for that round. By default the player to the right of the Dealer is always Trumpman. If a member of the opposing teams wants to keep Trump, he must call. See below for how to call for Trump.
Dealing
After shuffling the dealer must offer the deck to the opponent to the left to cut the cards. Strict rules say that failure to offer the deck for cutting entitles the opponent team to take a penalty or four points on the ball cards, referred to as “4 ball”. Once cut, deal is always to the right. R emember the simple rule: Cut left, deal right. Deal first four cards to each player. Pause for calls to trump. After calling is closed, deal two cards to each player.
Re-deal
In the following cases, where the deal is extremely unfavourable to one team, a re-deal is allowed. Trumpman is entitled to a re-deal if the total value of his first 4 cards equals 10 points or lower.Each team must have at least one trump card in a round. If you discover during the course of the round that your team does not have at least one trump, you can call for a re-deal.
Cross-deal
Often Thunee is played on a best of three, or best of five basis, i.e. the team that wins the most games out of three or five games, respectively. After a game is over, deal shifts to the right for the next game. If, however, the current dealing team has below 6 points on the ball cards, the deal moves across to the dealer’s partner and not to the opponent team player to the right.
Bidding for trump (Calling)
The player to the right of the dealer is Trumpman by default. However, after the first four cards are dealt, players are entitled to bid (call) to keep trump. The trump man’s partner may not be the first to bid.
Calling starts at 10 and proceeds in increments of 10.
It is not possible for partners to bid against each other for trump in a two man bidding war. However, if a third player enters a call, both partners in a team may in their turn call for trump, however, still not against each other.
Once there are no further calls, the player with the highest call becomes Trumpman.
Trumpman places a trump card face down on the table.
The Dealer now deals the remaining two cards to each player.
Remember that whatever you call to keep trump will be added to the score of the opponent team at the end of the round when adding up the score.
The Play
The first hand starts with the player to the right of the Trumpman playing the first card.
Once the first card is played, Trumpman reveals the trump card on the table to everyone at the same time.
Play is always counter-clockwise.
Each player must follow suit. If you don’t have suit you can opt to trump the hand (“cut or chop”) or play any card of your choice.
The player that wins the hand leads the next hand.
Never play out of turn. Strict rules entitle the opposing team to take a penalty of 4 points on the ball cards (4 ball) for playing out of turn.
Continue until all 6 hands in the round are played.
Calls and tricks before and during play
Thunee
· What: A Thunee call claims that you ALONE will win all six hands. Your partner MUST NOT win a single hand.
· When: Thunee can only be called before the first card of the round is played. So it is important to tell everyone to ‘hold the game’ if you think you might want to play a thunee; this buys you time to consider your cards. However, any other player is still entitled the call Thunee before you do, even if you have asked to hold the game.
· Who: Only the player considering calling the Thunee, and not his partner, may call it. The ruling Trumpman is the only player that can counter a Thunee call with a Thunee call of his own. In this case, the ruling Trumpman gets to play out his Thunee.
· Play: Thunee man leads the play. The suit of the first card played automatically becomes the trump. Once a Thunee is in progress any other calls, including Jodis become null and void.
· Why: A successful Thunee counts for 4 points on the score cards (ball cards).
· Risk: A failed Thunee gives the opponent team 4 points.
· Penalty: A failed Thunee due to the Thunee man’s partner winning any hand (partner catch) gives the opponent team 8 points.
Double
· What: claims that your team has won all 6 hands of the round.
· Who: the player with the ruling card (boss card) calls double as he puts down his card on his turn in the play sequence.
· When: Double can only be called on the last hand of the round, as you put down the winning card.
· Why: A double counts for 2 points.
· Risk: A failed double results in 2 points to the opponent team.
· Penalty: If you call a double when your team is on corner house (11 points on the ball cards), the opponent team will win the game (close ball).
Jodi
· What: A bonus call for having a combination of face cards as described below.
Combinations:
o J+Q+K of any suit = 30 points (say ’30 Jodi’)
o J+Q+K of trumps = 50 points (say ’50 Jodi’)
o Q+K of any suit = 20 points (say ’20 Jodi’)
o Q+K of trumps = 40 points (say ’40 Jodi’)
· When: Jodi can only be called when your team wins its first or third hand of the round, provided the Jodi cards are still in the player’s possession at the time of calling. The very latest time at which a Jodi can be called is before the third card of the next hand has fallen.
· Who calls it: Jodi must be called by the player holding the Jodi cards.
· Why: These are bonus points added to your team’s score at the end of the game.
Kanak
(this an intermediate to advanced trick that requires a fair amount of skill to be executed properly)
A Kanak call is a claim that the total value of the opposing team’s winnings does not match or beat the total value of your Jodi calls plus the extra10 bonus points for taking the last hand of the round. In a Kanak game the opponents Jodis, or any calls to keep trump by either team are not taken into account.
When: Kanak can only be called on the last hand of the round.
Who calls it: Kanak must be called by the player (not team) that is claiming the hand.
Why: A successful Kanak counts for 3 points on the score cards (ball cards). A successful Kanak also means that the game on a whole will go over from a 12 ball game to a 13 ball game.
Risk: A failed Kanak results in 4 points for the opponent team.
Scoring or Balling
Only one member of each team will hold and control the ball cards throughout the game. The partner is not allowed to in any way signal or tell the partner to open a ball, or how many balls to open. In strict Thunee, this is considered a serious offence, which the opponent team is entitled to take a 4 ball for.
For the purpose of clarity, the trump team decides the trump and the opponent team counts their cards at the end of a round.
The team that wins the last hand of the 6 hands in a round gets a bonus 10 points (‘last hand’).
The opponent team must show a total of 105 points to open a ball (point on the ball cards) taking into consideration any other points. Failure to make 105 points means the trump team will open a ball.
Count your winnings as follows;
Add up your winning hands using the card values detailed under Card ranking and values.
Add all your Jodi calls to your score.
Subtract any opponent’s Jodi calls.
Add any opponent’s calls to trump.
Add 10 points for last hand, or subtract 10 points if the opponent team won the last hand.