Solo three, trick 2. You are P2, a Defender, and your only Taroks are the Moon and the XIV. P1 led the XIII, and the Declarer (P3) plays after you.
P3Declarer
P1Forehand, Defender
P4Dealer, Defender
P1Your hand
Pad
- Still out: the Skus.
Which Tarok do you play?
Answer
XIV. The Skus has not been played and the Declarer plays after you, so a Moon played now can be caught by the Skus, and you lose 4 Victory Points. The XIV keeps the Moon in your hand until the Skus has fallen or nobody behind you can hold it. Play the Moon only into a trick that the Skus cannot reach.
Rule: Protect the Moon: keep the Skus as its cover when you hold it, and never lead the Moon late while the Skus has not been played, whoever holds it. The Moon can only be lost to the Pagat in a Fairy Tale Trick, or to the Skus in any other trick, even if it is your Partner’s Skus that captures it.