Best Trick Avoidance

Sticheln is a trick-taking card game designed by Swiss game designer Urs Hostettler, first published in 1993 by Edition Perlhuhn. The game uses a custom deck of cards in multiple colors, with each player having a 'pain color' that generates penalty points when captured. Unlike traditional trick-taki...

Barbu is a French card game played with a standard 52-card deck by four players. The game consists of a series of different contracts or 'kings,' with several rounds specifically designed for trick avoidance rather than trick taking. Each player takes turns selecting which type of round to play, cho...

Omnibus Hearts is a variant of the classic American trick-avoidance card game Hearts. The game is distinguished by introducing the Jack of Diamonds as a bonus card, awarding a 10-point subtraction to the player who captures it. This specific rule alters the standard scoring dynamics and provides pla...

Black Maria is a trick-taking card game and the standard British variant of the American game Hearts. It is played with a standard 52-card deck and follows the trick-avoidance mechanic, where players aim to avoid winning penalty cards in each trick. The Queen of Spades serves as the most significant...

Cancellation Hearts is a multiplayer variant of the Hearts trick-avoidance card game, adapted for groups larger than the standard four players. It uses multiple standard 52-card decks shuffled together, and when identical cards of the same rank and suit are played to a single trick, they cancel each...

Rovescino is a historical Italian trick-taking card game played with a 40-card deck, notable because the lowest cards hold the highest value, reversing traditional rankings.

Podrida is a traditional Spanish trick-taking card game notable for its rescue mechanic and dynamic bidding system where players can challenge opponents for control.

Traversone is an Italian trick-taking card game similar to Tressette where the primary goal is to avoid winning tricks, making it a classic avoidance game for up to six players.

Polignac is a historical French trick-taking card game where the primary objective is to avoid capturing any Jacks, particularly the Jack of Clubs.

Lorum is an Hungarian trick-taking card game played with a standard 32-card deck, notably featuring a rotating trump system determined by a card flipped after each round of dealing.

Slobberhannes is a traditional German trick-taking card game notable for its negative scoring, where players actively try to avoid winning specific tricks.

Reversis is an historical Spanish card game that served as a primary predecessor to Hearts, utilizing a unique negative scoring system to penalize tricks.

Knaves is a historical English trick-taking card game notable for its specific ruleset that elevates the Jack cards to the highest-ranking position during play.