🃏 Kaiser Tutorial: How to Play

🎯 Objective

Win tricks to earn points. Each trick = 1 point. The goal is to win at least as many tricks as you bid.

🧠 Game Setup

Played with a modified deck: cards 2–7 are removed except ♦7, ♣7, ♥5, and ♠3.

These remaining cards have special roles or scoring implications.

4 players compete individually.

📢 Bidding Phase

Starts with the player to the dealer’s left.

You can bid or pass.

First bid must be at least 6.

Each bid must be higher than the previous.

You may also bid No-trump, which changes how tricks are ranked.

🃎 Playing Tricks

Each round consists of multiple tricks.

Players play one card per trick.

The highest card (or best card based on trump rules) wins the trick.

Each trick won = 1 point toward your bid.

🔄 No-Trump Twist

If you bid No-trump, suit rankings are reversed.

This adds strategic depth and risk.

🏆 Scoring

Meet or exceed your bid → you score the number of tricks won.

Fail to meet your bid → you score zero for the round.

Complete guide to Kaiser

Here’s a complete tutorial for Kaiser, the trick-taking card game featured on Board Game Arena. This guide covers everything from setup to strategy so you can play confidently and competitively.

🃏 Kaiser: Full Tutorial

🎯 Objective

The goal of Kaiser is to win tricks and score points by bidding accurately and playing strategically. Each trick won earns 1 point. The player with the highest score after several rounds wins.

🧰 Game Setup

Players: 4 (individual play)

Deck: Modified standard deck

Cards 2 to 7 are removed except:

♦7 (Seven of Diamonds)

♣7 (Seven of Clubs)

♥5 (Five of Hearts)

♠3 (Three of Spades)

These four special cards have unique scoring effects.

📦 Card Roles

Card Role/Effect

♠3 Bonus card (+3 points)

♥5 Penalty card (−5 points)

♦7, ♣7 Regular cards, used in tricks

📢 Bidding Phase

Starts with the player to the dealer’s left.

Players take turns to either:

Bid: Declare how many tricks they aim to win (minimum 6 if no bids yet).

Pass: Skip bidding.

Each bid must be higher than the previous.

No-trump bid: Optional bid that removes suit hierarchy and allows rank reversal.

🃎 Playing Tricks

Each round consists of multiple tricks.

Players play one card per trick.

The highest card (based on suit and rank) wins the trick.

In No-trump, suit hierarchy is ignored and ranks may reverse.

🔄 No-Trump Rules

No suit is dominant.

Trick-winning depends solely on card rank.

Rank reversal: Lower cards may beat higher ones depending on the variant.

🧮 Scoring

Each trick won = 1 point.

♠3 adds +3 points to your total.

♥5 subtracts −5 points from your total.

If you meet or exceed your bid → score all points earned.

If you fail your bid → score 0 points for the round.

🧠 Strategy Tips

Bidding

Count your winners: Estimate how many tricks you can realistically win.

Bid conservatively early on.

Use No-trump if your hand lacks strong suits but has high-ranking cards.

Playing

Track suits: Know which suits are still active.

Save special cards: Use ♠3 strategically; avoid ♥5 unless necessary.

Lead with strength: Control the round by starting with your best card.

Psychological Play

Bluffing: Bid higher to pressure opponents.

Reading opponents: Watch their bids and plays to predict their hands.

🏁 Winning the Game

The game is played over multiple rounds.

After all rounds, the player with the highest cumulative score wins.

Smart bidding and tactical card play are key to victory.