Trick Taking

Description
In a trick taking game, players take turns playing cards (or an equivalent) from a personal, limited supply in a round of cards being played called a “trick”. The player that played the best individual set of cards in a trick “takes” the trick, collecting the played cards and often being the first player able to play in the next trick.

Trick taking games use a phase called a “hand”. A hand starts with all of the players being dealt or drawing a number of cards and ends when a predetermined number of players have played all of their cards. Scoring happens at the end of a hand and if the game’s winner is has not been determined, players begin a new hand. Trick taking generally falls into two categories:
 * Each player plays an individual card each trick with the player playing the best card taking the trick. These games either reward a player or team for the number of tricks that they have taken or punish a player for having specific bad cards in the tricks that they have taken.
 * Players may continue playing cards in turn order until no player can play a card or set that is better than the current set. Often the goal of these types of games reward players for playing all of their cards before opponents do.

Use for Surprise
As the cards are not public knowledge, players will not know which other players have cards and sets that are better than their own. Often these games use teams, so finding out that a teammate has something that you were afraid your opponent would use against you can bring relief and excitement.

Some trick taking games use trump. Cards of the trump suit outvalue those of the non-trump suits for the hand. Since players generally receive their new hand before the trump suit is determined, another player determining a trump suit that is particularly good or bad based on your hand also adds surprise.

Use for Strategy
In most trick taking games the cards dealt to players comprise a small, knowable, pool. Players know what cards and sets can be played that are better than theirs and can adjust this knowledge as each card is played.