Thousand (1000) – how to play

Thousand (Tysiąc) is a card game for three: you and two computer players. After each deal the players add the points of their cards and marriages, and the first to reach 1000 points wins. Here is everything step by step.

How to play, step by step

Step 1

The table

You play with two computer players: they sit on your left and on your right. The game uses 24 cards, from the nine to the ace in each suit. Each player gets 7 cards, and the last 3 lie face down in the middle. That is the kitty: the player who wins the bidding gets it (step 4).

Step 2

A trick: one round of cards

The game is played in tricks. One player puts a card in the middle, and the other two, in turn, add one card each. Whoever played the strongest card takes all three: that is one trick. Whoever took the trick starts the next one. A deal has 8 tricks.

Step 3

What the cards are worth

What counts are the points of the cards you take in tricks. An ace is worth 11 points, a ten 10, a king 4, a queen 3, a jack 2 and a nine nothing. All the cards together make 120 points. The cards are strong in the same order: here the ten beats the king, the queen and the jack, and only the ace beats it.

Step 4

The bidding: who plays, and for how much

Before the play, the players bid. The player on the dealer's left starts at 100. Then each in turn bids 10 more or says "pass" and stops bidding for this deal. The last one left is the declarer. Without a marriage in your hand (step 8) you may bid at most 120; set the number with − and +, then press "Bid".

Step 5

The kitty and two cards for the others

The declarer turns the kitty up so that everyone sees its 3 cards, then takes it into the hand. That makes 10 cards, so the declarer gives one card to each of the others: first to the player on the left, then to the one on the right. Tap the card you want to give. Then everyone holds 8 cards.

Step 6

How much you play

Now the declarer says how much to play for: at least the bid, or more when the kitty helped. Here too the limit is 120 without a marriage, and 120 plus their values with marriages. The declarer must then score that many points with cards and marriages. Choose the number and press "Play".

Step 7

Playing a card: the suit, a higher card, a trump

The declarer starts the first trick. You must play a card of the suit led, and a higher one than the highest already there, if you have one. With none of that suit you must play a trump (step 8) if you have one. Only with neither the suit nor a trump may you play any card. The game lights up the cards you may play and dims the rest.

Step 8

Marriages and trumps

A marriage is the king and the queen of one suit. It gives points: hearts 100, diamonds 80, clubs 60, spades 40. You declare it when you start a trick: lead the king or the queen of the pair (the game marks them with a gold dot); not in the first trick. From then on that suit is trumps: every trump beats every card of another suit, even an ace. The next marriage changes trumps to its own suit.

Step 9

Counting the points

After 8 tricks everyone counts the points of the cards in their tricks and of their marriages. A declarer who scored at least the contract gets exactly that number; with less, the declarer loses as much. The others get their points rounded to tens (5 rounds down). For example: the declarer played 120 and scored 78 with cards and 60 with a marriage, 138 in all, so gets 120; the others, with 24 and 18 points, get 20 each.

Step 10

The barrel and the end of the game

The first to reach 1000 points wins. From 800 points a player is "on the barrel": they score only as the declarer, so they must win the bidding and make the contract. A player who does not declare never goes above 990. In the Games window you can choose a shorter game, to 500 points; the barrel then starts at 400.

The rules in this game

Thousand is played a little differently in every home. Here the rules above apply.
You must beat: a higher card of the suit led, and without the suit a trump higher than a trump already played, if you have one.
A marriage is declared from the second trick on, by leading its king or queen; the game declares it for you.
With four nines, or with fewer than 10 points in your cards and no marriage, you may ask for a new deal before the bidding.
The barrel starts at 800 points (at 400 in a game to 500).

Scoring

Move	Points
Ace	11
Ten	10
King	4
Queen	3
Jack	2
Nine	0
Marriage in hearts	100
Marriage in diamonds	80
Marriage in clubs	60
Marriage in spades	40

You win when you are the first to reach 1000 points (or 500 in the shorter game). A won game goes to your stats and the Ranking with a score equal to your points.

Tips

Bid above 100 only with a marriage or with several aces and tens.
Give the others cards without points: nines and jacks of your short suits.
Before you declare a marriage, take a trick with an ace: only then can you lead the king or queen of the pair.
When the declarer's other opponent is taking the trick, add a ten or an ace: the points stay on your side.