How to Play

Mariage is the German two-player ancestor of Bezique, Pinochle, and Sixty-Six, played with 32 cards. Score 66 points first by capturing high cards and declaring King-Queen marriages.

Mariage (German Mariage, French Mariage, ancestor of Bezique, Sixty-Six, Pinochle, Schnapsen, and the Slavic Tysiacha and Mariáš) is the original two-player point-trick card game built around 'marriages', the pairing of King and Queen of the same suit. It uses a 32-card pack (Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7) shrunk to the upper half. Each player gets six cards; the next card is turned face up to set trump and the remaining 19 cards form a face-down stock. Players play tricks; the trick winner draws first from the stock and the loser draws after, refilling hands to six. Once the stock is empty, the rules switch to strict suit-following and trumping. Marriages declared at the moment of leading score 20 (40 in trumps). The first player to 1000 points across many deals wins the match.

Players

Strictly 2 players in the original German game, played head-to-head. A three-player adaptation exists (Sechsundsechzig zu Dritt) where each plays for themselves with a slightly different deal, but the canonical game is two-handed; the cited point thresholds and stock sizes here describe the two-handed version.

Card Deck

One stripped 32-card French or German pack: Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7 in four suits. Card-point values per card: Ace = 11, 10 = 10, King = 4, Queen = 3, Jack = 2; the 9, 8, and 7 score 0. Total card-point value across the deck is 120. Within each suit the rank order from high to low is A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7.

Objective

Score points by winning tricks containing high-value cards and by declaring marriages; reach 66+ points in a single deal to claim the deal. Across multiple deals, accumulate game points until you reach the agreed match target (commonly 7 game points, equivalent to a session up to 1000 points in some variants).

Setup and Deal

1. Choose a dealer by cutting for the highest card. Deal rotates after each deal.
2. The dealer deals 6 cards to each player in two packets (3 then 3 is standard; 2-3-2 is acceptable). Deal the cards face down in front of each player.
3. Turn the next card from the pack face up beside the stock; this card sets the trump suit for the deal. Place the remaining 19 cards face down on top of (or perpendicular across) this trump indicator so the indicator is still visible.
4. Trump exchange (the trump 7 'rob'): A player who holds the 7 of trumps may, when it is their turn to lead and before drawing, swap the 7 for the face-up trump indicator card. This legal exchange is announced clearly.
5. Misdeal: Any card exposed during the deal voids the deal; the same dealer redeals. A wrong number of cards in any hand is also a misdeal.

Gameplay

1. The non-dealer leads to the first trick by playing one card face up. The dealer responds with one card; the higher card of the led suit (or the higher trump if any trump is played) wins the trick.
2. Open phase (stock available): While the stock has cards, you do not need to follow suit; play any card you wish. The trick winner takes the trick face down in front of them, then draws the top card of the stock; the loser then draws the next card. Hands stay at 6 cards each. The trick winner leads to the next trick.
3. Marriages: When leading to a trick (and only then), you may declare a marriage by showing the King and Queen of the same suit and playing one of them. Score 20 if non-trump, 40 if trump. You must win at least one trick before any marriage you declare is credited; if a declaration is made on the first trick led and you fail to win any trick that deal, the marriage scores nothing.
4. Closing the stock: Either player may, on their turn to lead and before drawing, close the stock by turning the trump indicator card face down. From that moment no more drawing happens; the rules immediately switch to the closed-phase rules below. Closing is a tactical commitment to the current hand.
5. Closed phase (stock empty or closed): Players must follow suit if able. If unable to follow, they must trump if able to; if not able to trump either, they may discard any card. Tricks still count; marriages can no longer be declared in this phase.
6. Last trick: Winning the final trick of the deal scores +10 bonus points (in some variants).

Scoring

• Card points (per captured card): Ace = 11, 10 = 10, King = 4, Queen = 3, Jack = 2; nines, eights, and sevens score 0.A♠K♠Q♠J♠
• Marriage bonuses (only if you have already won at least one trick): Trump marriage = 40, non-trump marriage = 20.
• Last trick: +10 to the player who wins it (variant; Sechsundsechzig uses this; pure Mariage does not always).
• Reaching 66: A player who claims to have reached at least 66 points (cards plus marriages) at any time may stop the deal and claim the deal won. Verify by counting; if correct, score game points (1 if opponent has 33-65, 2 if opponent under 33, 3 if opponent has zero tricks). If incorrect, the opponent scores 2 game points instead.
• Closing penalty: A player who closed the stock and then fails to reach 66 grants the opponent 2 game points (3 if opponent has no tricks).

Winning

• Deal winner: The first player to reach 66 card-and-marriage points and call it correctly. If neither player calls and all tricks are played, the player with the higher total wins; ties go to the non-dealer.
• Match winner: First player to 7 game points (the standard German target) wins the match. Some groups play to 1001 raw points or to first to win three consecutive deals.
• Tie-breaker: If both players reach the match target on the same deal, the player with the higher game-point margin wins; if still tied, play one extra deal.

Common Variations

• Sechsundsechzig (Sixty-Six): The most direct German two-player descendant; identical mechanics but explicit 'going out at 66' rule and the 10-point last-trick bonus.
• Schnapsen: The Austrian two-handed cousin played with a 20-card deck (10s removed); marriages 20/40 and a 7-point game target.
• Tysiacha (Thousand): Polish three-player variant with bidding and a 1000-point target; marriages 40/60/80/100 across the suits in some variants.
• Mariáš: The Czech three-handed variant with bidding and the trump 7 'last-trick' bonus.
• Bezique and Pinochle: Western descendants that scale the marriage idea up to two and four-deck combined packs and add many more declarable melds.
• Three-handed Mariage: The dealer sits out each deal and there is no closing; rare today.

Tips and Strategy

• Hold a marriage in the open phase only as long as opponents look short of trumps. Lead a King to declare immediately if your opponent has already used several trumps.
• Track Aces and 10s; with only 32 cards, knowing where the four Aces and four 10s sit (40 of the 120 card points) wins most close deals.
• Use the 7 of trump rob early. Even if the upturned trump is a 9 or 8, putting it in your hand replaces a worthless card and frees the 7 of trump to be played as a low trump later.
• Close the stock when you are sure of crossing 66 with the cards already in your hand and the cards remaining in the stock that your opponent cannot possibly use to overtake you.
• Lead your weakest card in the open phase if you cannot capture; you will draw the new top card of the stock, which is now exposed, so you can plan ahead.
• Save trump 10s and Aces; they are big-point cards even if not trump-leading, and can pair into a marriage if you also pull the King and Queen.

Glossary

• Marriage: The King and Queen of the same suit. 20 points non-trump, 40 trump.K♠Q♠
• Trump indicator: The card turned face up under (or across) the stock that declares trump.
• Robbing the trump 7: Trading the 7 of trumps in your hand for the trump indicator card; legal once per deal, only on your lead.
• Closing: Turning the trump indicator face down to end stock-drawing; immediately switches the deal to closed-phase rules.
• Open phase: While the stock has cards; no obligation to follow suit; both players draw after each trick.
• Closed phase: After the stock is exhausted or closed; strict suit-following and trumping; no more marriages.
• Card points: Points scored by capturing high cards (A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2).
• Game points: The session-level scoring unit (1, 2, or 3 per deal); first to 7 wins the match.