Preferans is a classic three-player trick-taking game played with a 32-card deck (7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace). Each player receives 10 cards and two go to the talon. Players bid in a fixed ascending order from 6♠ to 10 no-trump, with misère sitting between 8NT and 9♠. The winning bidder takes the talon, discards two cards and plays the contract while defenders may whist. Scores go to pool, hill and whists under the Sochi system until a pool of 10 is closed.
Play now — it's freeThe game uses 32 cards in four suits (spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts), ranks 7 through Ace. Within a suit the order is Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.
Each of the three players is dealt 10 cards in packets of two; the last two cards form the talon, which the auction winner will pick up.
Bidding starts with the player to the dealer's left. Each player either passes or names a higher contract. Within every level the suit order is spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts and no-trump:
| Level | Contracts |
|---|---|
| Sixes | 6♠, 6♣, 6♦, 6♥, 6NT |
| Sevens | 7♠, 7♣, 7♦, 7♥, 7NT |
| Eights | 8♠, 8♣, 8♦, 8♥, 8NT |
| Misère | special bid: take zero tricks |
| Nines | 9♠, 9♣, 9♦, 9♥, 9NT |
| Tens | 10♠, 10♣, 10♦, 10♥, 10NT |
Misère ranks between 8NT and 9♠, may only be a player's first bid, cannot be followed by any other bid from the same player, and is never whisted.
If everyone passes, the hand is played as an all-pass: no trump, and the goal is to take as few tricks as possible.
The winning bidder turns the talon face up, adds both cards to their hand (10 → 12) and discards any two cards face down. Discarded cards take no further part in the deal.
In misère the talon is not taken: the declarer plays their original ten cards while the defenders' hands are laid open.
After the discard the defenders in turn either whist (try to beat the contract), pass, or — on sixes and sevens after the first defender passed — declare half-whist.
The declarer leads first. You must follow suit if you can, otherwise play any card; a trump beats any non-trump. The contract is made by taking at least the promised number of the ten tricks.
| Contract | A whister must take |
|---|---|
| Six | 4 tricks (2 each if both whist) |
| Seven | 2 tricks (1 each if both) |
| Eight, nine, ten | 1 trick |
Sochi scoring: a made contract writes its value into the declarer's pool; every whist trick is written as whists at the contract's value; a whister short of the quota writes the difference into the hill; a declarer who fails writes the value per undertrick into the hill and the same amount as whists to each defender. Misère is worth 10 in pool, or 10 into the hill per trick taken. All-pass: one hill point per trick, or one pool point for taking none.
| Event | Entry |
|---|---|
| Contract made | 2 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 10 into pool |
| Each whist trick | whists at the contract value |
| Whister short of quota | hill at the contract value per trick |
| Declarer fails (remise) | hill × undertricks and whists to both defenders |
| Misère made / failed | 10 into pool / 10 into hill per trick |
| All-pass | 1 into hill per trick; 0 tricks — 1 into pool |
The game ends when every player has closed their pool (10 points by default). Before the settlement the hills are amnestied: the lowest hill is cancelled for everyone, then each remaining hill is split between the two opponents (1 hill point = 10 whists). The highest net whist total wins.
Don't bid from a weak hand: a failed contract costs you the hill and hands whists to both opponents.
Count sure tricks honestly: four to five solid tricks with a long trump is a normal six.
Before whisting a six, count trumps — without three or four trumps plus an ace, beating the contract is hard.
In all-pass hands lead low from your shortest suits and never take a trick you can avoid.
32 cards — 7 through Ace in four suits; each of the three players is dealt 10 cards and two cards form the talon.
Players bid in a fixed ascending order: 6♠, 6♣, 6♦, 6♥, 6NT, then sevens, eights, misère, nines and tens. A player who passes is out; if everyone passes the hand is played as an all-pass.
A bid to take zero tricks. It is worth 10 points, may only be a player's first bid, cannot be whisted, and is played without the talon while the defenders play with open hands.
A defender's commitment to take tricks: at least 4 on a six, 2 on a seven, 1 on eight and above. Falling short is penalised in the hill.
On a six or seven, after the first defender passed, the second may declare half-whist: the deal is not played, the half-whister is credited half the whist quota (4 whists on both six and seven) and the declarer writes the contract into the pool.
A declarer who falls short of the contract writes the contract value per undertrick into the hill, and both defenders write the same amount as whists against the declarer.
A deal where everyone passed. It is played without trumps for the fewest tricks: each trick costs one hill point, and taking zero tricks earns one pool point.
Until every player closes their pool — 10 points by default. The hills are then amnestied and net whists decide the winner.
Yes — you can play free at preferans.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, with no download or sign-up needed.
Yes, the site is mobile-first: quick match in seconds, Russian and English interfaces.