Objective
Each hand, one player becomes the declarer by winning the bidding and choosing trumps. The declarer needs at least six of the ten tricks. The other two decide whether to play against the declarer; a defender who plays needs at least two tricks. Payments come from and go into a shared pot, and the game runs until the pot is empty or the players decide to stop.
Setup
Remove the twos through sixes from a standard deck, leaving 32 cards. Cards rank ace (high), king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven. Before the first deal, each player puts an equal stake into the pot, in an amount that divides by ten, such as 50 chips each.
The dealer gives three cards to each player, then two cards face down in the middle as the talon, then four cards to each player, then three more. Everyone holds ten cards, and the talon waits face down.
For bidding, the suits have numbers: clubs 1, spades 2, diamonds 3, hearts 4.
| Bid | What it promises |
|---|---|
| One | Six tricks after taking the talon, with clubs or any higher suit as trumps |
| Two | The same, with spades or higher as trumps |
| Three | The same, with diamonds or higher as trumps |
| Four | The same, with hearts as trumps |
| Game | Six tricks without the talon, any suit but hearts as trumps |
| Hearts | Six tricks without the talon, hearts as trumps; cannot be beaten |
How to play
The player on the dealer’s left bids first: pass, “one,” “game” or “hearts.” Bids go up one step at a time. When a later player outbids you with the next number, you may “hold,” matching their number and keeping your place, or pass. A player who passes is out of the bidding. “Game” beats any number, and if two players both bid game, they name their suits and the higher suit wins. “Hearts” ends the bidding at once. If all three pass, the hand is thrown in and the next dealer deals.
If the declarer won with a number, they pick up the talon, discard two cards face down, and name trumps: the suit of their bid or any higher suit. After a game or hearts bid, the talon is not used.
Next, the defender on the declarer’s left says whether they will play, then the other defender. If only one wants to play, they may invite the other, who must join; the inviter then answers for the pair taking at least four tricks between them. If both defenders pass, the declarer wins the hand without playing it.
The declarer leads to the first trick. You must follow suit if you can. If you cannot, you must play a trump if you have one. Within those rules, you must also play a card that beats the cards already in the trick whenever you can. The winner of each trick leads the next.
- 1Bid for the right to choose trumps
- 2Declarer takes the talon after a number bid, discards two and names trumps
- 3Each defender decides whether to play
- 4Follow suit, else trump, and beat the trick when you can
- 5Count tricks: six for the declarer, two for each defender
Scoring
Settle up as soon as the last trick is played. All payments are in units of the stake you agreed on.
| Result | Payment |
|---|---|
| Declarer takes 6 or more tricks | Takes 10 from the pot, then pays each playing defender 1 per trick they took |
| Declarer takes fewer than 6 | Pays 20 into the pot |
| A playing defender takes fewer than 2 | Pays 10 into the pot |
| Invited pair takes fewer than 4 | The inviter pays 10 into the pot |
| Hearts bid made | Each opponent also pays the declarer 10 |
| Hearts bid lost | The declarer also pays each opponent 10 |
| Declarer holds all four aces and makes 6 | Each opponent pays the declarer 10 |
If both defenders pass, the declarer is paid as if they had taken all ten tricks. When the pot runs dry and you want to keep going, everyone puts in a fresh, equal stake.
Variations
Russian Preferans: the best-known modern form. Players bid a number of tricks from six to ten in a named suit or no trumps, with misère (taking no tricks) as a special bid. Defenders need four tricks against a six contract, two against seven and one against eight or more. Scoring uses three columns on a score sheet: the pool, the mountain (penalties) and whists.
Older American books describe a simpler game. Players bid by naming a suit, a first-round winner plays without the talon, and if everyone passes, players bid chips for the right to use it.
Four players: the dealer sits out each hand and the other three play, which keeps everyone at the table through a long session.
Tips from the table
Count your sure tricks before you bid. Aces and protected kings in your long suit are what carry a declarer to six. A long suit of five or more cards headed by high cards makes a good trump suit.
Bid hearts only with a hand that can win without help from the talon. The bonus is real, but so is the penalty.
As a defender, play when you can see two tricks in your hand, such as two aces or an ace and a guarded king. If you can see only one, think about inviting your partner instead of passing.
Remember the must-beat rule. It often forces defenders to spend high cards early, so as declarer, lead suits that make them do it.
Video Guides Are on the Way
We’re filming Game Guides that walk through full hands at the table, from the deal to the score.
Frequently asked
Why is it called Preference?
Hearts are the preferred suit. A hearts bid outranks everything and cannot be overcalled, so it is the “preference.”
Do I have to take the talon?
Only after a number bid. If you win with game or hearts, you play the cards you were dealt and the talon stays out of play.
What happens if both defenders pass?
The declarer wins the hand without playing it and is paid as if they had taken all ten tricks.
How is it different from Russian Preferans?
Preferans bids on the number of tricks, adds no trumps and misère, and keeps score on a sheet with pool, mountain and whist columns instead of paying from a pot.
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