Trionfi — the tarot game, the way it began

Before any fortune was told with them, tarot cards were for playing: the 1440s Italian novelty was a set of trionfi — trumps — laid over an ordinary four-suit pack, cards that triumph over the suits in a trick-taking game. Play it below with any game-capable deck in the library. For the divinatory side, try the Caster or the Oracle ↗.

Goal. Win the most of 12 tricks. You lead first; the winner of each trick leads the next.

Follow suit. You must play the led suit if you hold it (other cards are greyed out). Void in it? Play a trump or throw anything.

Trumps triumph. Any trump beats any suit card. Between two trumps — or two cards of the led suit — the higher rank wins. Off-suit, non-trump cards can't win.

Suit, low→high Ace 2 … 10 PageKnightQueenKing · Trumps Bagatto I … the World XXI — any trump beats any suit card; the higher number wins.

In the long suits — Swords and Batons — that pip order inverts (Ace high, Ten low); the fuller game Tarocchino honours it. Court cards vary by tradition, too: Spanish-suited games keep three (no Queen), tarot four, and the Cary-Yale uniquely six. This Trionfi deals a short teaching pack (Ace–5 + courts, six trumps). Rules after John McLeod's pagat.com and the research dossier.