Tarot

Tarot, not the one you use for fortune-telling, but the card game, likely has its roots in Italy and is a super versatile game system that has given rise to a multitude of variants across Europe. The most well-known version, especially in English-speaking countries, is French Tarot. It's played with a special 78-card deck: 56 of these are numbered and divided into four suits (like a poker deck, but with the addition of a Knight between the Jack and Queen in each suit), plus 21 unsuited trump cards and a Joker, which here is called 'The Fool' and has a slightly different function.

In French Tarot, one player takes on the role of 'taker' and faces all other players, who form the 'defense'. The taker's goal is to accumulate a specific amount of points to fulfill a contract that they themselves bid on at the start of the round. The defense, in turn, works as a team to prevent the taker from achieving that score. After the cards are dealt, players bid to see who will be the taker, based on how many points they believe they can make. The last to place a bid becomes the taker, and the game begins! It's a game that requires strategy, bluffing, and a good read of your opponents. There are many variations of Tarock, such as Straw Man Tarock for 2 players, Tarock Tapp for 3, and Königrufen for 4 players, each with its own peculiarities and adjustments to bidding and partnership rules.