King (Rıfkı) – Rules
Play King (Rıfkı) against the computer
1. Overview
| Name | King (Turkish also Rıfkı) |
| Type | Trick-taking game with changing contracts |
| Players | 4, everyone for themselves |
| Recommended age | 12 and up |
| Playing time | one deal 3–5 minutes; a game (20 deals) 60–90 minutes |
| Material | 52 cards, pen and paper |
| Goal | Have the highest score after all deals. |
| Difficulty | medium |
What is it about? King is one of Turkey's most popular card games. A game consists of many deals, each with a different task: sometimes you must avoid hearts, sometimes queens, sometimes the king of hearts (“rıfkı”). In the trump deals, on the other hand, every trick scores plus points. Whoever is ahead at the end wins.
2. Cards and material
- Pack: 52 French cards without jokers.
- Ranking (high → low): A, K, Q, J, 10 … 2.
- Face up and face down: Hands concealed, tricks face down in front of the winner.
- Extra material: A score sheet on which you tick off which contracts have been chosen.
3. Preparation and start
- Deal: Everyone gets 13 cards.
- Choosing a contract: The player whose turn it is chooses a contract after looking at their cards.
- Choice rotates: The right to choose passes on after each deal.
- Limits: Everyone chooses 2 trump deals and 3 penalty deals in total. Each penalty contract may be chosen only twice in the whole game.
- Start: The chooser leads.
Start example: It's your turn to choose and you hold many low hearts. You choose “kupa almaz” (take no hearts).
4. Goal and winning
- A deal: Depending on the contract, avoid penalty points or take tricks.
- Game: After all 20 deals (4 players × 5 choices) the highest score wins.
5. Play in detail
The contracts.
| Contract | Task | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| El almaz | no tricks | −50 per trick |
| Kupa almaz | no hearts | −30 per heart |
| Erkek almaz | no kings or jacks | −60 per card |
| Kız almaz | no queens | −100 per queen |
| Rıfkı | not the king of hearts | −320 |
| Son iki | not the last two tricks | −180 per trick |
| Koz (trumps) | as many tricks as possible | +50 per trick |
A trick.
- The leader plays any card (restrictions below).
- Follow suit if possible.
- A player who can't follow discards anything – in a trump deal they must trump.
- The highest card of the suit (or highest trump) wins; the winner leads.
Restrictions.
- In kupa almaz and rıfkı, hearts may only be led once a heart has been discarded (or you hold only hearts).
- In rıfkı you must discard the king of hearts as soon as you can't follow suit.
- In a trump deal the chooser names the trump suit.
Example with Players 1 to 4. Contract: kız almaz (no queens). Order: Player 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Player 1 leads the 2 of clubs. Player 2 plays the 5 of clubs, Player 3 the 9 of clubs, Player 4 has no clubs and discards the queen of spades.
- The highest club is Player 3's 9: Player 3 gets −100.
- Player 3 leads the ace of diamonds. Player 1 holds the queen and 3 of diamonds. Since Player 3's ace surely wins, he plays the queen of diamonds – it goes to Player 3: another −100 for Player 3.
6. Scoring
| Contract | Total points |
|---|---|
| El almaz | −650 |
| Kupa almaz | −390 |
| Erkek almaz | −480 |
| Kız almaz | −400 |
| Rıfkı | −320 |
| Son iki | −360 |
| Koz | +650 |
- Recording: One column per player; enter the results after each deal.
- End: After all 20 deals; when all deals are played, all players' scores add up to 0.
7. Special rules and situations
- Ending a penalty deal early: Once all penalty cards are out (e.g. all four queens), the deal ends at once.
- Forced choice: A player who has used up their penalty choices must choose koz (and vice versa).
- Trump duty: In koz you must follow with a trump when trumps are led.
- Revoke: Failing to follow when you could gives you the full penalty for that deal.
- Common mistakes: leading hearts too early; keeping the king of hearts too long in rıfkı.
8. Variants
Standard in this description: 20 deals, everyone chooses 2 koz and 3 penalty contracts.
| Variant | What changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Short game | 8 deals: everyone one koz and one penalty contract. | little time |
| Barbu | French relative with domino and salad. | a change |
| Trix | Arabic relative with the trix building game. | experts |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play 8 deals (everyone one koz and one penalty contract) or the full game of 20 deals.
9. Tips for beginners
- Choose to fit: Many low cards of a suit? Choose the matching penalty contract.
- Koz with a long suit: With many cards of one suit a trump deal pays off.
- Shed high cards early: In penalty deals aces and kings are dangerous.
- Void suits: Without a suit you can discard penalty cards.
- Watch others: Discards show who lacks which suit.
- Rıfkı: Only keep the king of hearts with enough low hearts.
- Track contracts: Note which penalty contracts have been chosen twice.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- 52 cards, four players, 13 cards each.
- Anticlockwise.
- The chooser picks a contract.
- Everyone chooses 2 koz and 3 penalty contracts.
- Each penalty contract at most twice per game.
- Follow suit, else discard (in koz trump).
- Penalties: tricks, hearts, kings/jacks, queens, king of hearts, last two.
- Koz: +50 per trick.
- A penalty deal ends once all penalty cards are out.
- After 20 deals the highest score wins.
11. Frequently asked questions
What is rıfkı?
The penalty deal for the king of hearts. Whoever takes it in a trick gets −320.
How often may a penalty contract be chosen?
Twice per game in total, no matter by whom.
Who names trumps?
In koz, the player who chose the deal.
Must I trump in koz?
Yes, if you can't follow suit.
May I lead hearts in kupa almaz?
Only once a heart has been discarded, or if you hold only hearts.
How long does a game take?
20 deals take about 60 to 90 minutes.
Origin & history
King is a compendium game of the Barbu family in which different contracts are played one after another. In Turkey, as Rıfkı (after the king of hearts), it is one of the most popular card games.