Willi Stich
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Common questions at the table and the terms of the game.
Frequently asked questions
Must I trump if I can't follow suit?
No. Without the suit led you may play any card, including a suit other than trump.
Must I play higher if I can?
No. There is no obligation to win the trick. You only have to follow suit if you can.
May I lead with trump?
Yes. Whoever leads a trick may play any card.
What happens if two identical cards are in the trick?
If both could win, the one played first wins.
Can I call zero tricks?
Yes. If you really take no trick you score +5; if you take some after all, −10 per trick.
Does the dealer rule apply in the special rounds too?
Yes, in every round: the calls must never add up to the number of tricks.
Can you end up below zero?
Yes. Your total can go negative.
Who deals in the first round?
Choose freely. After that the deal passes clockwise every round, into the next game as well.
May I change my call?
No. A call stands as soon as it is spoken.
May I look at played tricks?
Yes, all of them, at any time.
What if someone fails to follow suit?
If it is noticed during the trick, the card is taken back and suit is followed properly. If the trick has already been collected, the round is cancelled and dealt again by the same dealer; it does not count.
Can someone join mid-game?
No. Whoever arrives plays from the next game on.
What if someone stops early?
Their total is frozen and counts at the end; the others finish the game.
May we talk about our cards at the table?
Yes, in every round except the forehead round. There, hints about the visible cards are forbidden.
Glossary
- Dealer
- The player who deals the cards in the current round. The role passes clockwise after every round.
- Trump
- The especially strong suit of a round. Every trump card beats every card of another suit.
- Following suit
- Playing a card of the suit that was led. If you can, you must.
- Trick
- One card played by each player; one player wins all cards of the trick.
- Call
- The number of tricks you predict you will take in a round.
- Dealer rule
- The calls must never add up to the number of tricks in a round. The dealer calls last and has to make sure of it.
- Obligation to trump
- Does not exist in Willi Stich: if you can't follow suit, you don't have to trump.
- Obligation to win
- Does not exist in Willi Stich: nobody has to play higher to win the trick.
- Special round
- One of the six rounds with a rule of its own: trump choice (5, 15), no trump (7, 13), blind bid (10), forehead round (19).