Rules of Pilotta

Overview

Pilotta is a four-player trick-taking card game played in fixed partnerships. Each deal, players bid a trump suit (called kozi) and a contract, then play tricks. Points come from cards taken and from declared combinations (annonces). A match continues until one side reaches the chosen points limit.

Teams and seats

Four players sit at a table with these positions:

A short look at the table

This is the first-person view you get in the playground: your hand along the bottom, partner opposite, and opponents on the sides. The clip shows one quick trick.

The deck

A 32-card deck is used: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten, Nine, Eight, and Seven in each of the four suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades).

Trump (kozi) and bidding

Before play, a trump suit is chosen — the kozi — along with a bet (contract). The bidder’s side must try to fulfill that contract. Trump cards outrank non-trump cards when trumps are played according to the rules below.

Card point values

Declarations (annonces)

Players may declare combinations for bonus points:

How tricks are played

Match length and journal scoring

Matches are played to a points limit of 151, 301 (default), or 501. Card points are converted for the score journal by dividing by 10, with rounding: round up when the remainder is 7 or more, or when the remainder is 6 and the player was the kozi bidder; otherwise truncate.