Get the full experience in CardRules+
300+ games with text-to-speech, game night planner, quick reference cards, and offline access.
Download on Google Play- Use a 32-card deck (7 through Ace) for 4 players.
- Deal 8 cards to each player.
- Bid Rik (5+ tricks), Ricke (6+), Misere (0 tricks), Solo, or Misere Ouverte.
- Winning bidder chooses trump (no trump in misere).
- Follow suit if possible; overtrump when trumping.
- In Rik/Ricke, your partner holds a designated card.
- Rik: moderate reward/penalty.
- Solo: double Rik points.
- Misere: high reward but severe penalty per trick taken.
- Misere Ouverte: highest possible score, hand played face-up.
Rules
Rikken is a popular Dutch trick-taking game with a structured bidding system offering multiple contract types. Players bid for the right to declare trump and choose from contracts ranging from standard trick-taking to solo play and misere.
Objective
Win the bidding and fulfill your chosen contract by taking the required number of tricks. Defenders work together to prevent the declarer from succeeding.
Setup
- Players: 4 players.
- Deck: 32-card deck (7 through Ace in each suit).
- Deal: Deal 8 cards to each player.
Gameplay
- Bidding: Players bid in order: Rik (basic game, need 5+ tricks), Ricke (need 6+ tricks), Misere (must take zero tricks), Solo (play alone, need 5+ tricks), or Misere Ouverte (misere with hand exposed).
- Trump selection: The winning bidder chooses the trump suit (except in misere, which is played without trump).
- Trick play: Standard trick-taking rules. Follow suit if possible, overtrump if possible when trumping.
- Partnership: In Rik and Ricke, the bidder's partner is the player holding a designated card. In Solo, the bidder plays alone against three.
Scoring
- Rik: Moderate points for success, moderate penalty for failure.
- Ricke: Higher rewards and penalties than Rik.
- Solo: Double the base points of Rik.
- Misere: High reward for success, high penalty for any trick taken.
- Misere Ouverte: Highest possible score, as the bidder plays with their hand face-up.
Variations
- Rikken met Troef: The turned-up card determines trump rather than the bidder choosing.
- Pieken: An additional contract type where the declarer must win all 8 tricks.
Tips and Strategies
- Only bid Solo when you have very strong trump holdings and at least one long side suit.
- In misere, ensure you have no suits where you hold only high cards, as opponents will lead those suits to trap you.
- As a defender, pay close attention to which cards have been played to coordinate with your fellow defenders.
Tips & Strategy
Hand evaluation is the core skill in Rikken. Learn to distinguish between hands suited for Rik, those worth pushing to Solo, and those where passing is the wisest choice.
In misere bids, your hand must have escape routes in every suit. A single suit with only high cards and no low cards is enough to doom an otherwise perfect misere hand.
Trivia & Fun Facts
Misere Ouverte, where you play with your entire hand exposed, is considered the ultimate showpiece bid in Rikken and earns enormous respect when pulled off successfully.
What is the name of the highest-risk contract in Rikken where the player's hand is shown to all?
History & Culture
Rikken has been played throughout the Netherlands for well over a century, particularly in the southern and eastern provinces. It evolved from older European trick-taking traditions.
Rikken is a cornerstone of Dutch card gaming culture, especially in the provinces of Limburg and Brabant, where weekly Rikken evenings are a cherished community tradition.
Variations & House Rules
Rikken met Troef introduces randomized trump selection, while the Pieken contract challenges players to win every single trick in the round.
Introduce a 'double' option allowing defenders to challenge a bid for increased stakes, or add a Pieken contract for an extra layer of ambition.
