Preference is basically a game for three players but is very often played by four, with dealer sitting out of each hand. Preference is played in different versions across a wide area of Central Europe and Russia. Here the Austrian version is described - first the basic game and then some variations.
Other main types of preference include
A 32 card pack is used - either German or French suited. The ranking of the cards in each suit, from highest to lowest is:
French German
Ace Ace (strictly Deuce)
King King
Queen Ober
Jack Unter
10 X
9 IX
8 VIII
7 VII
and the ranking of the suits themselves is:
French Bid German
Hearts 4 Hearts
Diamonds 3 Bells
Spades 2 Leaves
Clubs 1 Acorns
In the bidding, each suit is represented by a number, as shown in the above table.
Throughout the rest of this description, we will assume French suits.
Although it is possible to score on paper or with chips, in Austria it is normal to use money. Dishes are used to hold the stakes, a larger one for the pot, and three (or four) smaller ones to hold the coins belonging to the players.
Before starting the players need to agree the stake - in what follows we assume the stake is 1 - this might represent one penny, one dime, 10 Groschen, or whatever is appropriate in the currency being used.
In each hand, one player (the declarer) chooses the trump suit and tries to make six of the ten possible tricks. The other two (the defenders) try to prevent the declarer from winning, but also have an objective to make two tricks each. A defender who thinks he cannot make his quota of tricks is allowed to drop out.
At the beginning of each hand there is an auction to decide who will be declarer. As the contract is always 6 tricks, the different bids relate to the different trump suits, and whether the declarer wants to make use of the two undealt cards.
There are 3 active players at a time; if 4 wish to play the dealer sits out of each hand. The game is played clockwise.
After shuffling and after the dealer's right hand neighbour has cut, the cards are dealt clockwise 3 to each player, 2 face down to the table to form the talon, 4 to each player and then 3 to each player, so that each player has 10 cards. The turn to deal rotates clockwise.
At the start of the game, each player contributes an equal sum to the pot. This amount should be divisible by ten. If the pot later becomes empty and the players wish to continue the game, each must contribute a further stake.
The player on the Dealer's left has first opportunity to bid, and the turn to bid passes clockwise. If all pass then the next dealer deals.
The possible bids are the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4 representing the suits, "game", meaning that the player wishes to be declarer without using the talon cards, and "hearts", which is a game bid in hearts. A player who has bid a number does not necessarily have to play with the trump suit corresponding to that number - having seen the talon he may choose a higher suit. When bidding numbers, only the minimum legal bid can be made at any time.
Thus the first player to bid can only pass or say "one", "game" or "hearts". Saying "one" expresses the intention to exchange with the talon and then take 6 or more tricks in his choice of trumps. Saying "game" expresses the intention to choose trumps (not hearts) and take 6 or more tricks without exchanging cards. Saying "hearts" is an undertaking to win at least 6 tricks with hearts as trumps and without exchanging cards. A bid of "hearts" immediately ends the auction.
Once a player has bid "one", a subsequent player has the option of biding "two" or "game" or "hearts" or passing. Over a bid of "two", "three" can be bid, and so on. Numerical jump bids are not allowed.
No player who has passed may reenter the bidding and a player who has made a "number" bid cannot later increase his bid to "game" or "hearts". Therefore if you want to bid a game (or hearts) at all you must do it at your first opportunity to speak.
Once "game" has been bid only another bid of "game" or a bid of "hearts" can outbid it. If more than one player bids "game", they must each reveal their proposed trumps and the highest suit wins. In the unlikely event that more than one player wishes to play game in the same suit then the first player (counting clockwise starting from the player on the dealer's left) has precedence.
When the bidding reaches a player who bid a number on the first round and has been outbid by a higher number, the first bidder can either pass or say "hold". Holding is equivalent to bidding the same number as the second bidder, which is sufficient to allow the first bidder to be declarer. If the second bidder wants to continue, he must go on to the next number, which the first bidder may "hold" again, and so on.
Some examples of legal bidding sequences:
A B C
Pass One Two
Hold Three
Hold Pass - B is declarer in three
A B C
One Two Three
Pass Hold Four
Pass - C is declarer in four
If the contract is a number, declarer now picks up the talon without exposing it, adds the two cards to his hand, and then discards any two cards face down.
After the exchange (if any) declarer announces the trump suit, which must be at least as high as the bid.
Now each of the defenders must decide whether to play. Playing is a commitment to win at least two tricks, and there is a penalty for failing to do so. A defender who does not think he can make two tricks can drop out, but dropping out makes it easier for declarer to win the pool.
First the defender on declarer's left announces whether he will play, followed by the other defender. If neither wishes to play then declarer has (by default) made 10 tricks. If only one defender wishes to play then he can choose to invite his partner to defend with him. This invitation cannot be refused, but the guest is not penalised if he fails to make two tricks - instead the host defender takes on the responsibility for the defending team making at least four tricks. A defender who does not wish to play and is not invited to do so lays his cards face down and takes no further part in the hand.
If both defenders have conceded there is of course no play - the declarer just wins.
If one or both defenders is playing, the declarer leads to the first trick. It is necessary
When ten tricks have been played, the players are paid from the pot according to the tricks that they took. This is the procedure:
These are paid by each opponent to the declarer or by the declarer to each opponent, irrespective of whether the opponents stayed in or dropped out.
There are several variations in whether and how the bonuses for four aces and no aces are played. For example:
Some players allow extra bids of 5, 6, 7 and 8 (or just some of these, for example some bid only up to 5 or up to 6. The game with these extra bids is called Illustrated Preference. The bidding mechanism is the same as in the basic game, except that the bidding can continue above 4. The declarer who has bid a number can play any contract which is at least as high as the winning bid.
The meanings of the extra bids are as follows:
In these extra contracts there is no opportunity for the defenders to drop out. The declarer receives or pays the value of the game directly from or to each defender. There are no bonuses for no ace or four aces.
These four extra contracts can also be played as games, that is, without exchanging the talon. In this case the payment for them is doubled. In the bidding they outrank the suit games.
In Illustrated Preference, if the declarer plays one of the no trump contracts (Bettel, Durchmarsch, Plauderer, Offener Durchmarsch), with or without exchanging the talon, each opponent in turn has the opportunity to say "Kontra", which doubles the payment between that defender and the declarer (but does not affect the other defender). After both defenders have had their turn to speak, declarer may then say "Rekontra", which doubles the payment again to or from any defender who said "Kontra".
It is important that this is done in turn. If the first opponent says "Kontra" this may encourage the second to say "Kontra" as well. However, if the first opponent passes and the second says "Kontra", it is then too late for the first opponent to change his mind and say "Kontra" as well.
This is a common variation in Illustrated Preference. It occurs when the declarer has bid a number and at least one of the defenders also took part in the bidding (i.e. did not just say "pass"). After the declarer has discarded the talon but before he announces a trump suit or other contract he says "ich liege" ("I have discarded"). A defender who has bid may then take over the right to be declarer by picking up the discarded cards, adding them to his own hand, discarding two cards, and announcing his contract, which must be at least 5 (Bettel). It is then possible for either the original declarer, or the third player if he too has bid, may take the contract away from from the new declarer by the same method, and announce a still higher contract, and so on.
For example it might happen that A bids one, B bids two and A passes. B picks up the talon, and discards (intending to play in diamonds). But A picks up the low cards that B discarded, and discards two cards. A will now be declarer in a Bettel (B's contract is cancelled), unless B decides to pick up the cards that A discarded (hoping they are high ones). If A does pick up B's discards, he becomes declarer again and will have to play a still higher contract, probably Durchmarsch. This will stand unless B decides to use A's discards to bid a Plauderer.
When Illustrated Preference is played with bidding up to 6 only, some players, instead of Durchmarsch, play 6 as a contract called Sans Atout. The declarer exchanges the talon, and there are no trumps. The player to declarer's right leads to the first trick and declarer's object is to win any 6 consecutive tricks.