Pesë Katësh – Rules

Play Pesë Katësh against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Pesë Katësh is an Albanian card game related to Barbu and King. It is played in "storeys": each storey has four deals with fixed tasks. In the first you want as many tricks as possible; in the other three, no hearts, no queens and certainly not the king of spades.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 52 French cards, ace high, 2 low.
• No trumps.
• The four deals of a storey:

• Face up and face down: Hands concealed, tricks face down.

3. Preparation and start

1. Dealing: Everyone gets 13 cards.
2. Dealer: rotates with every deal.
3. Start: The player left of the dealer leads.

Start example: Deal 3 – queens. You hold the queen of hearts and the ace of spades. You want to get rid of the queen as early as possible.

4. Goal and winning

• A deal: Fulfil the deal's task as well as possible.
• Game: After five storeys (20 deals), the player with the most points wins.

5. Play in detail

A trick.

1. The leader plays any card.
2. Following suit is compulsory.
3. A player who can't follow may discard any card – in the penalty deals ideally a penalty card.
4. The highest card of the suit led wins.

Early end. Once all penalty cards of a deal have been played, it ends at once.

Example with Players 1 to 4. Deal 4 – king of spades. Order: Player 1, 2, 4, 3.

1. Player 1 leads the 3 of diamonds. Player 2 plays the ace of diamonds, Player 4 has no diamonds and discards the king of spades, Player 3 plays the 9 of diamonds.
2. Player 2 wins the trick – and with it the king of spades: −16 points.
3. All penalty cards have gone – the deal ends at once.
4. Play moves on to the next storey.

6. Scoring

• Per storey: +26 and −26 – zero in total.
• Recording: Each player's total after every deal.

7. Special rules and situations

• Discarding in penalty deals: A player who can't follow should give away penalty cards.
• Early end: Saves time once all penalty cards are gone.
• Fixed order: tricks, hearts, queens, king of spades.
• Common mistakes: holding high cards of your queen's suit too long in the queens deal; not using long suits in the tricks deal.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: 4 players, 5 storeys of 4 deals.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play against three computer opponents over 5, 3 or 1 storey.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Tricks deal: Lead long suits – the last cards become tricks.
2. Hearts deal: Shed high hearts early when you don't have to follow.
3. Queens deal: Without small protecting cards a queen is dangerous.
4. King of spades: The ace and queen of spades help you catch it – or discard it safely.
5. Void suits: Then you can discard penalty cards.
6. Keep count: Which penalty cards are still out?
7. Watch the total: A good tricks deal makes up for many penalties.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 52 cards, 4 players, 13 cards each.
2. No trumps, follow suit.
3. One storey = four deals.
4. Deal 1: each trick +2.
5. Deal 2: each heart −2.
6. Deal 3: each queen −4.
7. Deal 4: king of spades −16.
8. All penalty cards gone: the deal ends.
9. Five storeys = 20 deals.
10. The most points wins.

11. Frequently asked questions

What does Pesë Katësh mean?

"Five storeys" – that's how many are played.

Are there trumps?

No.

Why does a deal sometimes end early?

Once all penalty cards are gone, there is nothing left to lose.

How many points are there per storey?

+26 in the tricks deal and −26 in the three penalty deals.

May I discard penalty cards?

Yes, if you can't follow suit.

How long does a game take?

Five storeys take about 60 to 90 minutes.

Origin & history

Pesë Katësh means “five floors”: a match consists of five rounds of four games each, every one with a different task – similar to King or Barbu. It is played with the international 52-card pack and is popular today as an app as well.