Trix – Rules
Play Trix against the computer
1. Overview
| Name | Trix (تركس) |
| Type | Trick-taking game with five contracts and a layout game |
| Players | 4, everyone for themselves (team variant) |
| Recommended age | 12 and up |
| Playing time | one deal 3–5 minutes; a game (4 kingdoms, 20 deals) 60–90 minutes |
| Material | 52 cards, pen and paper |
| Goal | Have the highest score after all kingdoms. |
| Difficulty | medium |
What is it about? Trix is a classic in Lebanon, Syria and the Gulf. Each player is “king” of a kingdom once and chooses five deals in turn: four penalty contracts in which certain cards must be avoided, and the layout game “trix”, which scores plus points.
2. Cards and material
- Pack: 52 French cards without jokers.
- Ranking (high → low): A, K, Q, J, 10 … 2.
- No trumps: In all contracts the highest card of the suit led wins.
- Face up and face down: Hands concealed, tricks face down; in trix the rows lie face up.
3. Preparation and start
- First kingdom: Whoever holds the 7 of hearts is the first king.
- Deal: Everyone gets 13 cards.
- Choosing a contract: The king chooses one of the five contracts not yet played in their kingdom.
- Start: The king leads (in trix, players lay jacks in turn starting with the king).
- Kingdom passes: After five deals the next player is king.
Start example: You hold the 7 of hearts and are the first king. You have hardly any diamonds – you choose “diamonds” first.
4. Goal and winning
- A deal: Depending on the contract, avoid penalty cards or go out early in trix.
- Game: After 4 kingdoms (20 deals) the highest score wins.
5. Play in detail
The five contracts.
| Contract | Task | Scoring |
|---|---|---|
| King of hearts | don't take the king of hearts | −75 |
| Queens (banat) | take no queens | −25 per queen |
| Diamonds (dinari) | take no diamonds | −10 per diamond |
| Tricks (lutoush) | take no tricks | −15 per trick |
| Trix | build from the jacks | +200 / +150 / +100 / +50 |
Trick contracts.
- The leader plays any card.
- Follow suit if possible; otherwise discard anything.
- The highest card of the suit led wins.
- In the king contract you must discard the king as soon as you can't follow (variant).
Doubling. A player holding the king of hearts or a queen may show it before play and double: whoever then takes it loses double, and the doubler gets half of that as a bonus.
Trix.
- On your turn you place a jack to start a row or add to a row: upwards (Q, K, A) or downwards (10, 9 … 2) in the same suit.
- If you can't play, you pass.
- The first to shed all cards scores +200, then +150, +100, +50.
Example with Players 1 to 4. Contract “queens”. Order: Player 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Player 1 leads the 3 of clubs. Player 2 plays the 9 of clubs, Player 3 the ace of clubs. Player 4 has no clubs and discards the queen of spades.
- Player 3's ace is the highest club: Player 3 gets −25.
- Player 3 leads the 2 of hearts. Player 4 plays the queen of hearts, Player 1 the 5 of hearts, Player 2 the king of hearts. Trick to Player 2: −25 for Player 2.
6. Scoring
| Contract | Total |
|---|---|
| King of hearts | −75 |
| Queens | −100 |
| Diamonds | −130 |
| Tricks | −195 |
| Trix | +500 |
- A whole kingdom: 0 – penalties and trix points cancel out.
- Recording: One column per player.
7. Special rules and situations
- Order of contracts: The king decides; each contract once per kingdom.
- Ending a penalty deal early: Once all penalty cards are out, the deal ends.
- Trix without jacks: A player without a jack who can't add anything passes.
- Partnership variant: Players opposite each other score together.
- Common mistakes: keeping high cards too long in queens; laying jacks too early in trix and opening rows for the others.
8. Variants
Standard in this description: 4 individual players, 4 kingdoms, doubling of king of hearts and queens.
| Variant | What changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Trix complex | Several contracts at once in one deal. | experts |
| Partners | Players opposite play together. | teams |
| Shorter | Only 1 or 2 kingdoms. | little time |
| King (Turkey) | Related game with trump contracts. | a change |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play 1, 2 or 4 kingdoms (5, 10 or 20 deals); king of hearts and queens can be doubled.
9. Tips for beginners
- Choose to fit: Few cards of a suit? Then “diamonds” or “queens” suits you.
- Shed high cards early: Aces are dangerous in penalty contracts.
- Void suits: Then you can discard penalty cards.
- Plan trix: Lay jacks only when you hold many cards of that suit.
- Double boldly: With a well-protected king of hearts it brings bonus points.
- Watch others: Discards show who lacks a suit.
- Use your kingdom: Play difficult contracts when your cards fit.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- 52 cards, four players, 13 each.
- Anticlockwise.
- The 7 of hearts decides the first king.
- The king chooses five contracts in turn.
- King of hearts −75, queens −25, diamonds −10, tricks −15.
- Follow suit; no trumps.
- Doubling: double penalty, bonus for the doubler.
- Trix: build from the jacks; +200/150/100/50.
- After 5 deals the kingdom passes.
- After 4 kingdoms the highest score wins.
11. Frequently asked questions
What is a kingdom?
Five deals in which one player chooses all contracts – each exactly once.
Are there trumps?
No. The highest card of the suit led always wins.
How does trix work?
Like a layout game: starting from the jacks, each suit is built up and down.
What does doubling bring?
Whoever takes the doubled card loses double; the doubler gets a bonus.
Why does a kingdom add up to 0?
The penalties (−500) and the trix points (+500) cancel out.
How long does a game take?
20 deals take about 60 to 90 minutes.
Origin & history
Trix is a compendium game of the King family, widespread in the Middle East. It combines four trick-avoidance contracts with the layout game 'Trix'.