Tarot card games
Card games with a permanent trump suit, originating in Italy.
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Tarot card games are trick-taking games played with specialized packs that feature a permanent trump suit in addition to the usual four suits. Originating in Italy, the concept of a separate, fixed trump suit was a major innovation in the history of card games, appearing around the early 15th century. The earliest known example of such a trump suit was commissioned by Filippo Maria Visconti around 1420, featuring 16 trumps depicting Greek and Roman gods.
A basic description of the game appears in a manuscript from before 1425. From Italy, tarot spread to France and Switzerland in the 16th century, to Belgium in the late 17th, and across most of Europe in the 18th, notably excluding the British Isles, the Iberian peninsula, and the Balkans. The first detailed rules for a tarot game were published in 1637 by the Abbé de Marolles, who learned a variant from Princess Louise-Marie of Gonzague-Nevers. This three-player game used a 66-card pack, derived by removing the three lowest cards from each suit of a standard 78-card Italian-suited deck.
Players received 21 cards, with the dealer taking 25 and discarding four. Points were awarded for declaring card combinations, playing the Ace of Coins, and taking the last trick with a King or the Pagat. The winner was the player with the most trick points, paid by the losers based on the score difference.
Tarot decks were not invented for occult purposes but purely for gaming; the association with ancient wisdom began with an essay by Court de Gébelin in 1781, later debunked. Tarot games are played by two to eight players, most commonly three or four, either individually or with fixed or variable partnerships. Deck sizes vary regionally: a full 78-card French tarot deck includes 14 cards per suit (pip cards Ace to ten, plus Jack, Knight, Queen, King), 21 numbered trumps, and the Fool. Austrian-Hungarian Tarock and Italian Tarocco decks are smaller, often 54, 40, or 36 cards, removing pip cards to increase the chance of voids.
Deck of cards
Regional decks use either Latin suits (Cups, Coins, Clubs, Swords) in parts of Italy and Switzerland, or French suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) elsewhere. The trump suit is ranked by numerals. In the 54-card Tarock deck, the trumps include the Sküs (Fool) as an unnumbered XXII, the Mond as XXI, and the Pagat as I, collectively known as the Trull or Honours.
Quick Facts
- Origin
- Italy, early 15th century
- Common deck size
- 78 cards (full) or regional subsets (63, 54, 40, 36 cards)
- Key regions
- France, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, south Germany, south Poland
Facts from the source article.
Background
Tarot games are played with specially designed packs that feature a permanent trump suit in addition to the four standard suits. The games are known by various names across Europe: tarocchi in Italian, Tarock in German, and tarot in French. These games enjoy widespread popularity in Europe, particularly in France, where French tarot ranks as the second most popular card game, and in Austria, where variants like Königrufen are common and host major tournaments. Italy remains a stronghold, and tarot games are also played in Hungary, Slovenia, Liechtenstein, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, southern Germany, and southern Poland.
History
The defining innovation of tarot is the introduction of trumps, one of only two major advances in trick-taking games. The earliest known trump suit was commissioned around 1420 by Filippo Maria Visconti, featuring 16 trumps depicting Greek and Roman gods. A basic description of the game appears in a manuscript by Martiano da Tortona written before 1425. The first detailed rules were published in 1637 by the Abbé de Marolles, describing a three-player game using a 66-card pack (a standard 78-card deck with the three lowest cards of each suit removed).
Players received 21 cards each, while the dealer took 25 and discarded four. Payments were made for declaring card combinations, playing the Ace of Coins, and taking the last trick with a King or the Pagat. The winner was the player with the most points in tricks. Tarot decks were invented purely for gaming, not for occult purposes; the association with divination began only in 1781 with Court de Gébelin’s essay, an idea later debunked.
Modern tarot decks vary regionally: full 78-card packs are used for French tarot, while Austrian-Hungarian and Italian decks often have 63, 54, 40, or 36 cards, removing pip cards to increase voids. Suits are either Latin (Cups, Coins, Clubs, Swords) in parts of Italy and Switzerland, or French (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) elsewhere. The trump suit lacks a suit symbol and is numbered with Arabic or additive Roman numerals. The 78-card deck includes 14 cards per suit (ace to ten plus four court cards: Jack, Knight, Queen, King), 21 numbered trumps, and the Fool (or Excuse), which can excuse a player from following suit or act as the strongest trump.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cards does a tarot card game use?
A complete tarot deck holds 78 cards, but many regional variants trim it down to 63, 54, 40, or even 36 cards. The exact count depends on which local version you're sitting down to play.
How many people do you need to play a tarot card game?
Most traditional tarot card games are set up for 3 or 4 players, though rulesets for anywhere between 2 and 8 exist. The right group size shifts depending on the particular regional ruleset you choose.
Where are tarot card games still actively played today?
They remain a staple pastime in France, Austria, and Italy, with strong communities also in Hungary, Slovenia, Czechia, Slovakia, Switzerland, Denmark, southern Germany, and southern Poland. Each of those regions keeps its own distinct rule set and deck layout.
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Sources
Compiled from Wikipedia and the sources listed below. Text from Wikipedia is available under CC BY-SA 4.0; this entry is adapted from it.
- Wikipedia: Tarot card games (CC BY-SA 4.0).
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