How to Play Parlamento

Objective of the Game

In Parliament, players take on the roles of Roundland's parliamentarians trying to outwit each other by predicting how many tricks they’ll win each round. The game is a trick-taking challenge where players bet on their success, and unresolved tricks are decided later through a poll resolution. The goal is to score the most points over three rounds by correctly predicting your trick wins. The player with the highest total points becomes the prime minister and wins the game.

Preparation (Setup)

1. Each player chooses a set of betting cards and player cards of the same color. Place unused cards in the box.
2. Shuffle the chosen player cards and place one face-up in the center to determine the first leader.
3. Arrange the remaining player cards in a column below the leader’s card, with arrows pointing right.
4. Place the betting index card to the left of the column.
5. Prepare the main deck based on player count:
   • 5 players: Use all cards.
   • 4 players: Remove one card from each common suit.
   • 3 players: Remove additional cards (e.g., a 2 from green, a 3 from purple, a 4 from red).
6. Deal cards face down:
   • 5 players: 9 cards each (2 leftover).
   • 4 players: 10 cards each (1 leftover).
   • 3 players: 12 cards each (no leftovers).
7. Place leader markers within reach.

Flow of the Game

Each round consists of players taking turns playing cards to win tricks. The leader starts each trick by playing a card, and others follow clockwise, obeying suit rules. After all cards are played, unresolved tricks are settled via the poll resolution. The game lasts three rounds, with scoring after each.

Actions and How to Play

Playing Cards

Players must follow the lead suit if possible. If not, they may play any card. Cards with dual values (e.g., and) must be declared as one value when played, aligning with the player card’s arrow.

Betting

During their turn, players may place a bet by playing a card face-up next to them, declaring how many tricks they’ll win. Bet placement depends on timing:

• First trick: Bet card goes left of the index.
• Middle tricks: Bet card goes above the index.
• Last trick: Bet card goes right of the index.

Settling the Trick

After all players play a card, resolve the trick:

• If a trump (hammer) is played, the highest trump wins.
• Otherwise, the highest card of the lead suit wins.
• If the outcome is unclear (e.g., dual-value cards could change the result), the trick remains pending until the poll.

End of Game and Scoring

At the end of each round:

1. Resolve the poll: For pending tricks, the most common value among dual-value cards becomes official. Ties are broken by the last card played.
2. Score bets:
   • First-trick bet: Correct = 4 pts; off by 1 = 1 pt; off by 2+ = 0 pts.
   • Middle-trick bet: Correct = 2 pts; incorrect = 0 pts.
   • Last-trick bet: Correct = 3 pts; off by 1 = 1 pt; off by 2+ = 0 pts.

Tips for Winning

• Time your bets carefully: Early bets (first trick) offer higher rewards but are riskier.
• Monitor dual-value cards: These can swing pending tricks during the poll.
• Track trump cards: They dominate tricks and can secure wins even with low-value cards.

Note: For the "Opposition" micro-expansion rules, consult the manual.