Toepen – Rules

Play Toepen against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Everyone has only four cards, and only the last trick counts. Whoever loses it gets penalty points. At any time a player may knock (Dutch “toepen”): the stake rises by one point, and everyone else must decide whether to stay in or fold. Because nobody knows whether the knocker really has good cards, the game lives on bluffing. Toepen is a popular pub and student game in the Netherlands.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 32 cards of a French pack (Skat pack): 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace in clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds.
• Unusual ranking (high → low):

• No trumps: A card of another suit can never win. The highest card of the suit led always wins.
• No card points: Only tricks count – more precisely, only the last one.
• Face up and face down: Hand cards concealed, played cards face up. The rest of the pack lies face down in the middle.
• Extra material: Pen and paper for penalty points (or matches as “lives”).
• Dealer: Shuffles and deals. Whoever wins the last trick deals the next round.

3. Preparation and start

1. Choosing the dealer: The first dealer is chosen by lot. After that the winner of the last trick always deals.
2. Shuffling: The dealer shuffles the 32 cards.
3. Cutting: The player to the dealer's right cuts.
4. Dealing: Everyone gets 4 cards face down, clockwise, starting on the left.
5. Rest of the pack: The remaining cards go face down in the middle.
6. Stake: Each round starts with a stake of 1 penalty point.
7. Start: The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick.

Start example: Player 2 deals 4 cards to everyone. Player 3 sits to his left and leads. The stake is 1 penalty point.

4. Goal and winning

• Round: Only the fourth trick counts. Whoever wins it gets no penalty points.
• Losers of the round: Everyone else still in gets the current stake as penalty points.
• Game (standard): The first player to reach 10 penalty points has lost. Everyone else has won.
• Winning by knocking: If everyone else folds after a knock, the knocker wins the round at once.
• Draw: Impossible – exactly one player wins the last trick.

5. Play in detail

A trick.

1. The leader plays any card.
2. The others must follow suit: a player who holds a card of the suit led must play one of them.
3. Only a player who has no card of that suit may play any other card. It can never win the trick.
4. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick (10 before 9 before 8 before 7 before ace …).
5. The winner leads to the next trick.
6. The first three tricks decide nothing. They only serve to save good cards for the last trick or to secure the lead.

Knocking (toepen).

1. Any player still in may knock at any time – even in the middle of a trick.
2. Each knock raises the stake by 1 penalty point.
3. In turn (starting left of the knocker) every other player decides: stay in or fold.
4. A player who folds immediately gets the stake before this knock as penalty points and puts their cards away.
5. The last knocker may only knock again after someone else has knocked.
6. If only the knocker is left, they win the round.

Example with Players 1 to 4. Player 2 deals, Player 3 leads. Player 1 holds the 10 of hearts, ace of hearts, 7 of spades and 9 of clubs.

1. Player 3 leads the 7 of clubs. Player 4 follows with the 10 of clubs. Player 1 must follow clubs and plays his only club, the 9 of clubs. Player 2 has no clubs and throws the queen of hearts. The 10 of clubs is the highest club: trick to Player 4.

Important: Player 1 had hearts – but clubs were led and he had a club. So he had to play the club. Player 2, on the other hand, could throw a heart because he had no clubs.

2. Player 4 leads the jack of spades. Player 1 plays the 7 of spades, Player 2 the ace of spades, Player 3 the 8 of spades. The highest spade is the 8: trick to Player 3.
3. Player 3 leads the 8 of diamonds, Player 4 plays the 9 of diamonds. Player 1 has no diamonds and plays the ace of hearts. Player 2 throws the king of hearts. Trick to Player 4.
4. Before the last trick Player 1 knocks: the stake rises to 2. Player 2 folds (+1 penalty point), Players 3 and 4 stay in.
5. Last trick: Player 4 leads the 8 of hearts. Player 1 plays the 10 of hearts – the highest heart. Player 3 has no hearts and throws a card. Player 1 wins the last trick. Players 3 and 4 get 2 penalty points each, Player 2 has 1. Player 1 deals the next round.

6. Scoring

• Recording: One column per player; penalty points are added (or matches handed in).
• End: The first player to reach 10 penalty points loses the game.

7. Special rules and situations

• Dirty laundry (vuile was): A player holding only aces and court cards (jack, queen, king) may discard their 4 cards face down and take 4 new ones from the rest of the pack. Any other player may turn the discarded cards over and check:
  • If there is a 7, 8, 9 or 10 among them, the exchanger gets 1 penalty point (and keeps the new cards).
  • If it really was only aces and court cards, the checker gets 1 penalty point.
• Rest of the pack empty: No more exchanges are possible.
• Winning player folds: If a player whose card is currently winning folds, their card no longer counts. The trick goes to the highest card of the suit led among the remaining players; if there is none, the next remaining player to the left leads again.
• Everyone folds: The knocker wins the round without penalty points.
• Close to the end: A player who already has 9 penalty points may no longer knock (they couldn't pay the stake).
• No legal card: Cannot happen – a player who can't follow suit may play any card.
• Revoke: A player who plays another suit although they held the suit led loses the round at the current stake.
• Misdeal: Deal again.
• Common mistakes: not following suit when you could; thinking the ace is the highest card; believing the first three tricks count.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: 32 cards, 4 cards each, knocking at any time but not twice in a row, game to 10 penalty points, dirty laundry allowed.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone, you may knock when it's your turn, and a player reaching the limit drops out until only one is left. The limit (5, 10 or 15 penalty points) can be chosen; there is no dirty laundry there.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Learn the ranking: 10, 9, 8, 7 are the strong cards – ace, king, queen, jack the weak ones.
2. Save your strong card: Play your weak cards in the first tricks and keep the best one for the last.
3. The lead matters: Whoever wins the third trick leads to the last – and chooses the suit.
4. Bluff: Feel free to knock with average cards now and then. Many players fold.
5. Fold in time: One penalty point for folding is cheaper than three for losing.
6. Watch others: Whoever throws high cards early has nothing left in that suit.
7. Don't forget to follow suit: It's compulsory – and often reveals what the others still hold.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 32 cards, 4 cards each.
2. Ranking: 10, 9, 8, 7, ace, king, queen, jack; no trumps.
3. The player left of the dealer leads.
4. Following suit is compulsory; only a player who can't plays another suit.
5. The highest card of the suit led wins; the winner leads.
6. Only the fourth trick counts.
7. Knock at any time: stake +1; not twice in a row.
8. After a knock: stay in or fold (pay the stake before the knock).
9. Losers of the last trick pay the stake; the winner deals next.
10. The first to 10 penalty points loses.

11. Frequently asked questions

Must I follow suit?

Yes. If you have a card of the suit led, you must play one of them – even if you'd rather play another. Only a player without that suit may throw freely. This is the most common mistake.

Why doesn't my ace win?

In Toepen the ace ranks below the 7. The 10 is the highest card.

Can you play Toepen with two?

Yes. Knocking is especially exciting with two, because every bluff hits your opponent directly.

How long does a game take?

A round takes only one or two minutes, a game to 10 penalty points about 20 to 40 minutes.

What does folding cost?

The stake before the last knock: 1 on the first knock, 2 on the second, and so on.

What are the first three tricks for?

They don't count, but they decide who leads to the last trick and which cards are left for it.

May I knock when it's not my turn?

Under the standard rule yes – at any time. Only the same player may not knock twice in a row.

Origin & history

Toepen is an old Dutch pub game, related to games in which only the last trick counts. 'Toepen' means knocking – whoever knocks on the table raises the stake. It is often played as a drinking game.