Marias is a classic three-player trick-taking game played with a 32-card Czech deck (7, 8, 9, 10, under-knave, over-knave, king, ace) in four suits. Each player receives 10 cards and two go to the talon. Bidding decides the contract: a suit game (value 1), a Betl (5 — take zero tricks) or a Durch (10 — take all ten). The winner picks up the talon, discards two cards and plays against the defending pair; aces and tens score 10 points each, the last trick 10 and marriages 20/40. Games run to 20 points.
Play now — it's freeThe deck has 32 cards in four suits: hearts (červené), bells (kule), acorns (žaludy) and leaves (zelené). With trumps the order in a suit is ace, ten, king, over-knave, under-knave, 9, 8, 7. In no-trump contracts (betl, durch): ace, king, over, under, 10, 9, 8, 7.
Each of the three players is dealt 10 cards; the last two cards form the talon, which the bidding winner picks up.
The forehand opens the bidding by naming one of the contracts. The others answer in turn with «good» (the contract stands), «take over» (the answerer picks up the talon and must name a higher contract) or — for no-trump contracts — «flek» (the contract stands doubled):
| Contract | Value | Answers |
|---|---|---|
| Suit game | 1 | good / take over |
| Betl | 5 | good / take over / flek |
| Durch | 10 | good / flek |
A player who takes over picks up the talon, discards two cards and names a higher contract (betl or durch after a suit game, durch after a betl). Durch is the ceiling — from there the only raises are fleks.
Only the original bidder may run a suit game; the defenders may flek the game and announce counter-bonuses during the announcement phase.
The bidding winner adds both talon cards to their hand (10 → 12) and discards two cards face down. In a suit game aces and tens (sharp cards) may not be discarded.
The discards and the talon are revealed at the end of the deal.
In a suit game the declarer names the trump suit. Hearts as trumps double every payment in the deal.
A marriage (king and over-knave of one suit held together) is declared by playing the over-knave first: 40 points in trumps, 20 in a side suit. The declarer may announce the seven (last trick with the trump seven — 2 announced, 1 quiet) or the hundred (at least 100 points including a marriage — 4 announced, 2 quiet). Defenders may announce the seven and hundred against. Flek doubles the game (flek ×2, re ×4, tutti ×8).
The declarer leads to the first trick. The obligation chain: follow the led suit and beat the card currently winning the trick whenever you can (even a partner's winner). If you are void in the led suit you must play a trump and overtrump if possible; if you cannot overtrump, any trump. Void in both, play anything. In betl and durch the same duty to follow suit and beat applies.
The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the led suit. A player who announced the seven may not play the trump seven while any legal alternative exists.
All payments run between the declarer and each defender; both defenders always win or lose the same amount. In a suit game the declarer needs more than half of the points (45:45 is a draw with no payment). A hundred replaces the game score. Values multiply with the flek ladder (×2/×4/×8) and hearts trumps (×2):
| Event | Entry |
|---|---|
| Suit game won / lost | ±1 × flek (±2 in hearts) |
| Betl made / failed | ±5 × flek |
| Durch made / failed | ±10 × flek |
| Quiet seven | +1 to the side winning the last trick with it |
| Announced seven won / lost | ±2 × seven flek |
| Seven killed in the last trick (unannounced) | −1 |
| Quiet hundred | +2, doubling for each extra 10 points |
| Announced hundred won / lost | ±4 × flek, stepped per 10 points |
The game ends when someone reaches 20 points (or after 20 deals). The final point difference is converted into chips according to the table stakes — the highest score wins.
Don't open a suit game from a weak hand: a lost game costs you a payment to both opponents.
Marriages are declared automatically by playing the over-knave — keep the king until the over has been played.
In a betl, dump your highest cards in the talon; in a durch, dump the lowest.
An announced seven binds you: the trump seven cannot be played while any other legal card exists.
32 cards — 7 through Ace in four suits (hearts, bells, acorns, leaves); each of the three players is dealt 10 cards and two cards form the talon.
The forehand names a contract (suit game, betl or durch). The others answer good, take over (they grab the talon and must name a higher contract) or — on betl and durch — flek, which doubles the payment.
Betl (value 5) means winning zero tricks; durch (value 10) means winning all ten. Both are no-trump contracts. The declarer loses immediately on the first unwanted (betl) or missed (durch) trick.
The king and over-knave of the same suit held in one hand. It is declared by playing the over-knave first: 40 points in trumps, 20 in a side suit.
A bonus for winning the last trick with the trump seven. Quiet it is worth 1, announced 2; an announced seven that fails is paid as a penalty. A seven beaten by a higher trump in the last trick is always paid by its side.
A bonus for taking at least 100 points including a marriage (you cannot reach 100 without one). Quiet it is worth 2, announced 4; every extra 10 points doubles the value. A hundred replaces the game score.
A double of the game value declared by a defender who believes the contract will fail. The declarer may answer re and the defenders tutti — the multiplier climbs ×2, ×4, ×8.
When hearts are trumps, every payment for the game and all bonuses is doubled.
On this site to 20 points (or at most 20 deals); the final point difference is converted into chips according to the table stakes.
Yes — you can play free at marias.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, with no download or sign-up needed.
Yes, the site is mobile-first: quick match in seconds, Czech and English interfaces.