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Official Boonaken Rules
Boonaken is a Dutch card game that falls under the broader category of "Jas" games, which are popular in the Netherlands and surrounding regions. It's a trick-taking game with some unique scoring elements.
Objective
Boonaken is a Dutch card game that falls under the broader category of "Jas" games, which are popular in the Netherlands and surrounding regions. It's a trick-taking game with some unique scoring elements.
Setup
A 32-card deck is used, containing the ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, and 7 of each suit (hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades). Boonaken is a point trick game with trumps. The ranking and point values of the cards are as follows:
Trump Suit
Jack (Boer): 20 points
9 (Nel): 14 points
Ace (Aas): 11 points
King (Heer): 3 points
Queen (Vrouw): 2 points
10: 10 points
8: 0 points
7: 0 points
Non-Trump Suits
Ace (Aas): 11 points
King (Heer): 3 points
Queen (Vrouw): 2 points
Jack (Boer): 1 point
10: 10 points
9: 0 points
8: 0 points
7: 0 points
There are 141 points in the deck. Unlike other Jass games, there are no extra points for winning the last trick.
Roem and Stuk
Certain combinations of cards in a player's hand, known as Roem, have point values. A sequence consists of three or more consecutive cards of the same suit. The cards are always considered in the order A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7. The combinations and their values are:
Sequence of three cards in a suit: 20 points
Sequence of four cards in a suit: 50 points
Sequence of five cards in a suit: 100 points
Sequence of six cards in a suit: 200 points
Four jacks: 200 points
Four queens: 100 points
Four kings: 100 points
Four aces: 100 points
King and queen of trumps (Stuk): 20 points
A single card cannot be used in more than one sequence, but the same card can be used simultaneously in a sequence, a four of a kind, and Stuk. For example, K-Q-J-10 of trumps is worth 70 points (50 for the sequence and 20 for the Stuk). Four aces with the king and queen of trumps are worth 140 points.
Deal
The dealer shuffles and the player to the dealer's right cuts the deck. Deal and play proceed clockwise, and the turn to deal passes to the left after each hand. The dealer deals six cards to each player, three at a time.
Five players: Two cards are placed face up in the center after each round of three cards to each player.
Four players: After the first three cards to each player, two cards are placed face down in the center. After the second round of three cards, two cards are placed face up in the center. The four cards left over are set aside until the end of the hand.
Two or three players: The deal is the same as with four players, but with a greater number of cards set aside (10 cards with three players and 16 cards with two players).
The declarer can use the center cards to improve their hand, factoring in the face-up center cards when deciding what to bid, and speculating on the face-down cards.
Gameplay
Bidding
The player to the dealer's left bids first. There are four types of bids:
Number bid: A multiple of 5, indicating the minimum points in tricks plus Roem, with a trump suit of choice.
Misère: An undertaking to lose every trick, with no trumps. Ranks between number bids 70 and 75.
Zwabber: An undertaking to win every trick, with no trumps. Ranks between number bids 100 and 105.
Boonaak: An undertaking to win every trick, with a trump suit of choice. This is the highest bid.
Players bid in clockwise rotation, each passing or bidding higher than the previous bidder (except for Misère). A player who has passed cannot re-enter the bidding. The last remaining player is the declarer and the final bid is played.
If all players pass initially, there is a redeal, but this rarely happens as the final player can easily make a bid. If the highest bid is Misère, other players can also bid Misère. When there are two Misère bids, no higher bids are allowed, and all remaining players decide whether to pass or also bid Misère.
If only one Misère bid is made, it can be overcalled by a number bid of 75 or more, Zwabber, or Boonaak. A Boonaak bid can include a quantity of Roem (e.g., "Boonaak 50" indicates taking all tricks and having at least 50 Roem). Boonaak with Roem outbids Boonaak without Roem.
Exchanging the Center Cards
The declarer takes the center cards and discards an equal number face down. Points in discarded cards do not count towards the bid, and discarded cards cannot be used in announced Roem.
If the contract is Misère, the first Misère bidder takes the center cards and discards an equal number. If more than one player bids Misère, the second Misère bidder picks up the discarded cards of the first bidder, and so on, until all Misère bidders have had an opportunity to exchange cards.
Play
The declarer leads the first trick. If several Misères were bid, the first Misère bidder leads.
Number or Boonaak bid: The declarer chooses the trump suit. If the declarer leads without announcing, the first suit led becomes trumps. Players must follow suit if they can, otherwise they may play a trump. The trick is won by the highest trump or the highest card of the suit led if no trumps are played.
Misère or Zwabber: No trump suit. Players must follow suit, and the trick is won by the highest card of the suit led.
If the declarer announces Roem when leading to the first trick, only the total value of the Roem is announced. If an opponent has Roem worth at least as much as the declarer's, they can also announce Roem. If the opponent's Roem is worth more, the declarer's Roem is canceled.
Scoring
If the bid was a number, add up:
The total value of the cards in the declarer's tricks.
The value of Roem announced by the declarer, if it was not canceled.
If this total is greater than or equal to the bid, the declarer wins. Otherwise, the declarer loses.
If the bid was Misère:
Any player who bid Misère and avoided taking tricks wins.
Any player who bid Misère and took one or more tricks loses.
If the bid was Zwabber or Boonaak and the declarer won every trick, the declarer wins. Otherwise, the declarer loses.
A win is recorded by a plus sign (+) in the player's column, and a loss by a minus sign (-). Only the declarer gets a "+" or "-"; nothing is written in the other players' columns. When several people bid Misère, each gets a "+" or "-", depending on whether they won or lost.
The game aims to find a loser who buys drinks. This is decided as follows:
Any player with two pluses is a winner and drops out of the game.
Any player with two minuses is the loser and buys the drinks.
If all players except one have two pluses, the last remaining player is the loser.
Pluses and minuses do not cancel each other. A player with a plus and a minus is in wip (a seesaw). The next time this player is the declarer, they will either drop out by scoring a second plus or become the overall loser by scoring a second minus.
If a new game is played by the same group, the player to the right of the previous game's loser deals the first hand.
Notes/Variations
Players and Deal
Some play that each hand after the first is dealt by the previous declarer.
With two, three, or four players, one card is dealt face down to the center, with two face up.
The game can start with six or seven players, dealing five or four cards each, with two cards face up and two face down in the center. With seven players, some play that everyone must bid Misère on the first hand.
Bidding
Some play that the minimum number bid is 25.
Some play that Misère ranks between 100 and 105, and Zwabber between 125 and 130 with four or more players.
Some allow bids of Zwabber with Roem, ranking above Zwabber without Roem.
Play
Some do not allow undertrumping unless the player's hand consists entirely of trumps.
Some play that in Misère with a single declarer, the declarer must choose a trump suit for the first trick. With multiple declarers, Misère is played without trumps.
Scoring
Some award only 100 points for a six-card sequence.
Some use point scoring rather than pluses and minuses. Each player begins with 5 points, aiming to reach zero. A successful declarer deducts points based on their bid (not exceeding points in hand). An unsuccessful declarer adds points. Misère or Zwabber is worth 5 points. A player scoring zero drops out, and the last remaining player is the loser.
Boonaken offers a strategic and competitive gameplay experience, requiring careful card management and trick-taking skills.
