Jo-Jotte Game

In the lower illustration hearts are trumps. Neither player has a meld. Defender declares his four-card sequence in spades but he cannot score for it because the declarer has an equal sequence in the trump suit (hearts).

The declarer, therefore, scores 40 points above the line for his four-card sequence in hearts and a further 20 points for his three-card sequence in diamonds.

Finally, it is to be noted that if the declarer elects to play the hand in the same suit as the turned card, either player if he holds the 7 of the suit may exchange it for the turned card.

The player who leads to a trick may lead any card that he chooses. The second player is limited in his play; for he must obey the three rules that follow:

He must follow suit if he can. If a trump has been led he must not only follow suit if he can, but win the poker trick by playing a higher trump if he holds one.

If a plain suit has been led and he is unable to follow suit, he must win the trick by trumping if he can. Second player may discard a worthless card only when he is unable to obey one or other of these three rules.

Winning a trick has no value in itself. What counts is winning tricks with certain cards in them; these are scored as follows:

The example that follows is simple one to illustrate the mechanics of the poker game (see hands illustrated below).
Hearts are trumps. The turned card is ♠ K: the information card ♦ Q.
Defender leads ♣ A, and the play is:

Declarer scores for taking:

Defender scores for taking:

In addition to the above, if a player holds the King and Queen of the trump suit (if there is one) he may score 20 points provided he announces ‘Jo’ when he plays the King and later ‘Jotte’ when he plays the Queen. He cannot score for the combination if he plays the Queen before the King.

Game is won by the player who first scores 80 points below the line, which may be made in one hand or in a series of part scores, and the poker player who wins the rubber (best out of three games) scores a bonus of 300 points.

The declarer of a nullo contract scores a bonus of 200 points if he loses every trick; if he takes a trick, however, his opponent scores 200 points if he loses every trick; if he takes a trick, however, his opponent scores 200 points for the first and 100 for every subsequent trick.

The declarer of a slam scores a bonus of 500 points if he wins every trick; and if a player wins every trick but has not bid slam he scores a bonus of 100 points.
Scoring below the line, towards game, is calculated as follows:

If the declarer’s total score, trick scores and bonuses (if any) is greater than the defender’s total score, he scores his trick score below the line, and the defender scores his trick score above the line.

If the defender’s total score is greater than the declarer’s, the two trick scores are added together and scored by the defender below the line.

If the contract is doubled or redoubled, the player with the higher total scores both his and his opponent’s trick score, doubled or quadrupled, below the line.

If there is a tie in total points, the trick scores of both players are put in prison and awarded to the player who obtains the higher total in the following deal.