Illustrated Hungarian Tarokk: Example Deal 3

contributed by Révész Gábor

Pagátultimó announced and made against the skíz and the XXI

Card distribution after the exchange			The discard
A:	III, X, XI, XII, XIV, XIX, XX, Q, K		A, J
B:	II, VI, XXI, skíz, C, K, A, C, Q		Q, 10
C:	V, IX, XVII, 10, J, J, K, J, K		C
D:	I, IIII, VII, VIII, XIII, XV, XVI, XVIII C		Q (declarer)

Announcements

D:	Nyolc tarokk, hívom a XX-ast, passz		(Eight tarokks, I call the XX, pass)
A:	Négykirály, passz		(Four kings, pass)
B, C:	Passz		(Pass)
D:	Pagátultimó, passz		(pagátultimó, pass)
A:	Passz		(Pass)
B:	Kontra négykirály, passz		(Kontra the four kings, pass)
C, D, A:	Passz		(Pass)

The play

Trick	A	B	C	D	A	B	C
1.	XIX	XXI	V	IIII
2.		Q	J	VII	X
3.	XI	II	XVII	XVIII
4.				VIII	XX	VI	IX
5.	XII	skíz	K	XIII
6.		C	10	XV	XIV
7.				XVI	III	A	J
8.				C	Q	K	K
9.			J	I	K	C

Comments:

1. B started with just the skíz and two other tarokks; that is why he did not hold the one. He picked up the XXI from the talon. D's hand was strong enough to undertake a bid of one.
2. A had two reasons for announcing four kings: if D has the skíz (and the XVIII), he may try to announce XXI-catch; if he has the pagát, announced pagátulti seems possible.
3. It was reasonable for B to kontra the four kings. D has declared 8 tarokks and A has made an encouraging announcement of 4 kings without a high honour, so is probably also strong in tarokks. If A has seven tarokks, C will only have three, so will probably be able to put a king into the trick won by the skíz. If A has six tarokks then C and B have equal length in tarokks, but B will still have the chance to make himself longer compared to C after winning his first trick. If A encouraged with only five tarokks, the four kings is likely to be made.
4. When A led the XIX to the first trick he was still hoping that his partner held the skíz and that they might be able to catch the XXI silently.
5. Then until the sixth trick the play was normal. B leads suits to preserve his tarokks; A takes the lead whenever possible in order to help D's pagátulti by leading tarokks through B and C. A keeps the III as his last tarokk. In general it is good technique to do this when your partner is trying to make an ultimó: you do not want to take the lead with your last tarokk as you would then have to lead a suit.
6. At trick 7, D faced the following choice: he did not know where the only tarokk he had not seen was: in his partner's or in B's hand. As the cards lie, A holds the last tarokk and A and D can win the last three tricks if D leads his diamond now. But if B has both this last tarokk and the K, the pagátulti will certainly fail if D leads the C to the seventh trick. So D chose the safe way to make the pagátulti, sacrificing the eighth trick and the game by leading his tarokk to trick 7.

Result

Card value of declarer's team's tricks: 46 points

Lost game (one):	-3 points
Four kings lost with kontra:	-4 points
Pagátultimó made:	10 points
Total:	3 points