KarHow to play Thousand
Thousand combines bidding, valuable tricks and King–Queen marriages. Win the auction, collect the kitty and declare a contract you can make. Tens outrank Kings, trump changes when a marriage is announced, and only the first player to 1,000 wins.
Start a game
- Play with a 24-card deck of Nines, Jacks, Queens, Kings, Tens and Aces.
- Bid from the compulsory 100 in increments of ten, or pass.
- The bidder takes a kitty, distributes or discards cards and declares a contract.
- Follow suit and beat the current card when required; trump if you cannot follow.
- Make your contract to add its value, or lose that value if you fail.
Card strength and marriages
There are 120 card points in a deal. A marriage is a King and Queen of the same suit held together. Lead one while holding its partner to announce it: hearts score 100, diamonds 80, clubs 60 and spades 40. The announced suit immediately becomes trump. You do not need to have won a previous trick to announce a marriage in this version.
| Rank, strongest first | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| Ten | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| Nine | 0 |
Bidding, kitty and declaration
The first bidder has a compulsory 100. Raise in multiples of ten or pass. A bid above 120 requires a marriage in hand and is limited by 120 plus the value of your marriages.
In two-player play, choose one of two two-card kitties, reveal it and discard two cards face down. With three active players there is one three-card kitty; the bidder takes it and gives one card to each active opponent. The final declaration must be at least the winning bid.
Playing and scoring
The bidder leads. Follow the led suit if possible and beat the highest card in the trick when you can. If you lack that suit, play trump when trump has been established and you hold it. The highest trump wins; otherwise the highest card in the led suit wins.
The bidder compares trick-card points plus announced marriages with the declaration. Making it adds exactly the declared amount, not every point collected; failing subtracts that amount. Other active players record their points rounded to tens.
Bombs, high scores and four-player play
Before the first card, the bidder may use a Bomb to abandon the deal. The first Bomb is free; later ones give opponents 60 points each, or 40 in a four-player game.
Once your score is at least 800, further positive progress requires being the successful bidder; defender and passive-dealer points no longer increase your score. Four Nines in your dealt hand allow a redeal request.
With four players, the dealer sits out that deal. That seat receives 50 points for each Ace in the kitty and the value of a marriage present there. The dealer rotates, and play continues toward 1,000.
Example: a contract is not the raw score
You declare 160, announce a heart marriage for 100 and collect 75 card points in tricks. Your deal total is 175, so the contract succeeds and your running score increases by exactly 160. If the deal total were below 160, you would lose 160 instead.
The ten-point card is especially valuable because it is also stronger than a King. Do not use the usual rank order from Poker when deciding whether you must overtake a trick.
Strategy and useful habits
- Base a bid on the hand you hold rather than a hoped-for kitty.
- Remember that Tens outrank Kings.
- Plan how you will gain the lead to announce a marriage.
- As a defender, deny the bidder valuable tricks while scoring your own cards.
Common mistakes
- Counting an unannounced marriage as already scored.
- Forgetting the obligation to follow and overtake.
- Adding the whole raw deal total instead of the declared contract.
- Expecting the four-player dealer to take an ordinary active turn.
Questions and answers
Must I first win a trick to announce a marriage?
No. In this version, lead the King or Queen while its matching partner remains in your hand.
Can I bid above 120 without a marriage?
No. The bidding limit above 120 depends on marriages in hand.
Which mode does a solo bot game use?
The two-player variant with two two-card kitties. Friend tables also support three or four players.