Marias: Instructions
Marias is a card game for 3 players and is played with a deck of 32 cards. The regular trick strength of the cards is as follows: Ace – 10 – King – Ober – Under – 9 – 8 – 7. If a “Betl” or “Durch” is being played, the order changes as follows: Ace – King – Ober – Under – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7.
Aces and 10s are each worth 10 points. For the last trick, an additional 10 points is added. Therefore, a total of 90 points are achievable from tricks. Combinations of a Trump and a King, or Trump and Ober are worth a further 40 points if they are called beforehand and are played first in a trick. A King and Ober combination is worth a further 20 points. Such combinations are called Marias.
Players must follow suit and trumps, and must take tricks where possible.
The forehand receives 12 cards at the beginning of the game. The two opponents each receive 10 cards. The forehand begins the bidding by placing two cards in the talon and selecting a game. The forehand must call a normal game. If Aces or 10s are laid, only "Betl" or "Durch" can be bid. Otherwise, all game variants are available.
The next player is free to take both of the cards and join in with the bidding. Alternatively, the player can waive the right to join in and pass this onto the third player. Once the bidding has come to an end, the winner must select a game that is at least as high as the previously bid game. This player then plays against the other two opponents.
A number of different calls can be combined with the game variations. The calls are as follows:
The game variants including calls are ordered as follows:
If the player chooses a "Better" game, "Betl" or "Durch", no Trump needs to be defined - in "Better" games, Hearts in always Trump, while there is no Trump for the other two variants.
In a further round, the opponents of the player who selected the game can call Flek (contra) to double the game value. The single player can counter this in the following round by calling Re (re-contra).
If 100 points are reached in a game without it being called at the beginning, the team can add two further points to the value of their win. If the last trick is made with the Trump 7 without it being called at the beginning, the corresponding team receives an extra point.
Aces and 10s are each worth 10 points. For the last trick, an additional 10 points is added. Therefore, a total of 90 points are achievable from tricks. Combinations of a Trump and a King, or Trump and Ober are worth a further 40 points if they are called beforehand and are played first in a trick. A King and Ober combination is worth a further 20 points. Such combinations are called Marias.
Players must follow suit and trumps, and must take tricks where possible.
The forehand receives 12 cards at the beginning of the game. The two opponents each receive 10 cards. The forehand begins the bidding by placing two cards in the talon and selecting a game. The forehand must call a normal game. If Aces or 10s are laid, only "Betl" or "Durch" can be bid. Otherwise, all game variants are available.
The next player is free to take both of the cards and join in with the bidding. Alternatively, the player can waive the right to join in and pass this onto the third player. Once the bidding has come to an end, the winner must select a game that is at least as high as the previously bid game. This player then plays against the other two opponents.
A number of different calls can be combined with the game variations. The calls are as follows:
| Bid | Info | Points |
| Suit | Normal points game | +1 |
| Seven | Last trick must be won with Trump 7 | +2 |
| 100 | 100 points must be reached | +4 |
| Better | Hearts is Trump, game value is doubled | *2 |
The game variants including calls are ordered as follows:
| Game variant | Info | First card played by | Game value |
| Suit | Normal game (from 50 points) | Forehand | 1 |
| Better | Normal game with Hearts Trump | Forehand | 2 |
| Suit with Seven | Normal game, last trick with Trump 7 | Forehand | 3 |
| 100 | Normal game, 100 points must be reached | Forehand | 5 |
| Better with Seven | Normal game with Hearts Trump, last trick with Trump 7 | Forehand | 6 |
| 100 with Seven | Normal game, 100 points must be reached, last trick with Trump 7 | Forehand | 7 |
| Better 100 | Normal game with Hearts Trump, 100 points must be reached | Forehand | 8 |
| Better 100 with Seven | Normal game with Hearts Trump, 100 points must be reached, last trick with Trump 7 | Forehand | 12 |
| "Betl" | No tricks may be won, no Trump | Caller | 15 |
| "Durch" | All tricks must be won, no Trump | Caller | 30 |
If the player chooses a "Better" game, "Betl" or "Durch", no Trump needs to be defined - in "Better" games, Hearts in always Trump, while there is no Trump for the other two variants.
In a further round, the opponents of the player who selected the game can call Flek (contra) to double the game value. The single player can counter this in the following round by calling Re (re-contra).
If 100 points are reached in a game without it being called at the beginning, the team can add two further points to the value of their win. If the last trick is made with the Trump 7 without it being called at the beginning, the corresponding team receives an extra point.
