Solo two, trick 11. You are P1, a Defender. The Declarer (P3) led the XX, P4 played the C
, and P2 plays after you; P2 showed at trick 10 that they hold no Tarok.
P3Declarer
P2Defender
P4Dealer, Defender
P3
P4Your hand
Pad
- Still out: XXI, J♥, Q♥, J♣, Q♣, K♣ (2 of them are the Declarer's discards).
- P2 has no Taroks. P3 has no Hearts or Clubs. P4 has no Taroks.
- So far the Declarer's side has 28 cards with 17 pips, plus 2 discards you cannot see; your side has 16 cards with 13 pips, talon included.
Which Tarok do you play?
Answer
XII. P4 and P2 hold no Tarok, so the Moon, which has not been played, is in the Declarer’s hand and must come out in the last trick. Keep your Skus for it: the Moon falls to the Skus, and the Declarer loses 4 Victory Points. Take the XX with the Skus now and the Moon wins the last 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.