How to play Klaverjas
A classic Dutch trick-taking card game played in teams of two, where trump cards change everything and roem can turn the tide.
Game overview
Players
4 players in 2 teams. Partners sit across from each other.
Deck
Piquet deck: 32 cards (7 and up in each suit). No cards below 7.
Goal
Score more points than the opposing team by winning tricks with high-value cards and bonus combinations.
Teams
Two teams of two. You play with the person sitting across from you.
How to play
Deal cards
The dealer gives each player 8 cards from the 32-card piquet deck, usually dealt in groups of 3-2-3 or 4-4.
Determine trump
A trump suit is chosen. In classic play, a card is turned face-up to propose the trump suit. Players then bid to play or pass. The team that plays must score more than half the points. In the Jack and Nine are the highest trump cards.
Play 8 tricks
The player left of the dealer leads the first trick. You must follow suit if you can. If you cannot follow suit, you must trump (rules differ by variant). The highest card wins the trick.
Count points and roem
After all 8 tricks, count the card points won by each team. Add any roem (bonus combinations) scored during play. The playing team must have more than half the total to avoid going nat (wet).
Play the next hand
A full match is 16 hands (4 deals per player), or play until one team reaches 1500 points. The team with the most points wins.
Card values
Cards have different point values depending on whether they are trump or not. In trump, the Jack (Jas) and Nine (Nel) become the two most powerful cards.
Trump cards
Non-trump cards
162 total points
Every hand has exactly 162 points: 62 from trump, 3 x 30 from non-trump suits, plus 10 for the last trick. The playing team needs more than half (including roem) to avoid going nat.
Roem (bonus points)
Roem are bonus points for specific card combinations played within a single trick. They count toward the total when determining if the playing team goes nat.
If stuk is part of a sequence, both bonuses stack. For example: a four-in-a-row that includes the King and Queen of trump scores 50 + 20 = 70 points. Sequences follow standard order: 7-8-9-10-J-Q-K-A.
Amsterdams vs. Rotterdams
The two main rule variants differ in what happens when you cannot follow suit and your partner is already winning the trick.
Amsterdams
You do not have to trump if your partner is already winning the trick. You can freely discard a card from another suit. This creates more room for teamwork and signaling between partners.
Rotterdams
You must always trump (or overtrump) when you cannot follow suit, even if your partner is winning. Only if you have no trump at all may you play another suit.
When a non-trump suit is led and you cannot follow suit:
The key difference
In Amsterdams, when your partner has the highest card in the trick and you cannot follow suit, you are free to discard any card. In Rotterdams, you must always trump regardless. This makes Amsterdams more team-oriented with more signaling opportunities.
Scoring
Winning a hand
The playing team (who chose trump) must score more than half of all points, including roem. With 162 base points and no roem, that means more than 81 points.
Going nat (wet)
If the playing team does not score more than half, they go nat: they get 0 points and the opposing team receives all 162 points plus all roem from both teams.
Pit (march)
If the playing team wins all 8 tricks, they score 100 extra roem on top of the 162 points. If the opposing team wins all 8 tricks, the playing team goes nat.
Last trick bonus
The team that wins the last trick receives 10 bonus points. These are already included in the 162 total.
Strategy tip
Roem counts toward the nat threshold. If the opposing team scores roem, you need even more card points to stay safe. Sometimes it is better not to report your own roem if it would help the opponent.
How the app helps
Automatic nat calculation
The app handles the nat logic automatically. Enter points and roem, and it figures out who wins the hand.
Roem tracking
Track roem (fame) per team per round. The app accounts for roem when calculating whether a team goes nat.
Running totals
See cumulative team scores after every hand so you always know who is ahead.
Edit any round
Made a mistake? Go back and fix any round. Totals update automatically.
Pit and wet indicators
Clear visual markers show which rounds had a pit or went nat, so you can see key moments at a glance.
Team management
Set up team names when you create the game. The scoreboard keeps everything organized per team.
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