Solo three, trick 1. You are P4, a Defender. The Declarer (P1) led the Skus, P2 played the V and P3 the VII. Your goal is to keep your Moon and give the Declarer as few pips as possible in this trick; nothing later can change this trick.
P2Defender
P1Forehand, Declarer
P3Defender
P1
P2
P3Your hand
Which Tarok do you play?
Answer
X. The Skus wins this trick: the Emperor’s Trick would need both the Moon and the Pagat in it, and you can add only one of them. Your Moon would be lost to the Skus, minus 4 Victory Points for you, and the Pagat would hand the Declarer 4 pips. The X keeps the Moon and adds no pips to the Declarer’s trick.
Rule: 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. If the three Trull cards (Skus, Moon and Pagat) all fall in the same trick, the Pagat wins it: in Slovenian Tarok this is the Emperor’s Trick.