Labjassen

Labjassen is a trick-taking card game in the Jassen family, played primarily in the Netherlands. It is typically played by four players who form two partnerships, using a 32-card deck (A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each suit). The game emphasizes bidding and partnership play, with rules and terminology varying by region.

In a hand, cards are dealt to all players, after which a bidding phase determines the trump suit and the contract. The winner of the bid becomes the declarer and plays against the other two players (defenders). Tricks are then played in a fixed order. The standard principle applies: the highest card of the led suit wins the trick unless a trump card is played, in which case trumps outrank non-trumps. The declarer’s objective is to reach a set number of points by taking tricks and fulfilling the contract; the defenders try to prevent that.

Scoring in labjassen combines points earned from tricks with card-point values and sometimes bonuses for specific feats. The exact scoring values and rules vary by local tradition and the specific variant used. Games are typically played over several hands, with the overall score determining the winner of the session or match.

Variants and related games: Labjassen is a regional variant within the broader Jassen family, related to Klaverjassen and other Dutch trick-taking games. Regions may have distinct conventions on bidding, trump selection, and scoring, making the exact rules differ from place to place.