3-5-8

Each hand sets a trick target.

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How to play — 3-5-8

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  1. In short

    Three–Five–Eight is a game for three players, each for themselves, with a full 52-card deck. In every deal each player has a different target number of tricks: eight, five or three. You win by meeting your target and collecting surplus tricks.

  2. The deal and targets

    Everyone receives 16 cards, and four make up a face-down talon. In a given deal the dealer has a target of eight tricks, the next player five and the third three. The roles change after the deal. A trick consists of one card from each player.

  3. Trump and the talon

    The dealer chooses the trump, the suit that beats the others. Then they put down four chosen cards from their hand. Only after that do they receive the four talon cards, so they do not know them when choosing discards. The first trick is led by the player after the dealer.

  4. Playing the tricks

    The order of cards is A, K, Q, J, 10, 9 down to 2. You must follow the suit led if you have it. If you do not, you must play a trump if you hold any, and only with neither may you play any card. You are not obliged to beat with a higher card. The highest trump takes the trick, and with no trumps the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads the next trick.

    From the highest: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9 and on down to the two.

  5. Score and exchanging cards

    After 16 tricks the result of a deal is the number of tricks taken minus your own target. A surplus gives the right to an exchange in the next deal: you give chosen cards to a player with a shortfall, and the game returns that player's highest cards in the same suits to you. The number of cards exchanged matches the surplus and the shortfall being settled. The interface shows the recipient and the required number of cards.

  6. The end of the match

    Taking 12 tricks in one deal wins the whole match at once. Without that, further deals are played, and the total shows the balance so far. The clock set for the game also applies.

  7. Taking the rest and leaving

    A player who is on move and has at least two cards may once per deal announce “I take the rest”. Then everyone sees their cards, and the opponents have 20 seconds to decide. If both agree, the announcer takes all the remaining tricks. An objection or no reply means play continues. There is no resigning: leaving a game in progress, or running out of time, is a forfeit by that player and ends the game for the whole table, and the others win.