Before Tarot became the cards on a fortune-teller’s table, it was a trick-taking game played in Italian courts. Nearly six centuries later, tarot decks are still being shuffled for cards, not prophecy — most famously in France, where Tarot is one of the country’s most popular card games and even has its own national federation. This guide explains how the game works, how to play the standard four-handed French Tarot, and how it relates to the wider family of tarot card games still enjoyed across Europe.
What “Tarot” Actually Means as a Card Game
Most English-speaking players meet tarot through divination decks, but that is a much later use of the cards. Tarot was invented in northern Italy between roughly 1425 and 1440 as a trick-taking game called tarocchi, and for the first three centuries of its life it was played strictly for fun. The cards became associated with cartomancy only in the late 18th century.
Today the word “Tarot” at a card table almost always refers to one of several trick-taking games played with a 78-card tarot deck. The most widely played is French Tarot, which is the version this guide focuses on. Other living members of the family include Italian Tarocchini, Austrian Königrufen, and the Danish-German Grosstarok.
Why Card Game Fans Should Care
Tarot is historically important because it introduced the idea of a dedicated trump suit — the mechanic behind almost every modern trick-taking game, from Spades and Hearts to Euchre and Bridge. Learning Tarot is a direct look at the ancestor of those games.
The 78-Card Tarot Deck
A tarot deck used for games is not mystical, but it is unusual. It contains 78 cards split into three groups.
The Four Suits
French Tarot uses the familiar French suits: Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, and Clubs. Each suit has 14 cards instead of the usual 13, because the court includes a Jack (Valet), Knight (Cavalier), Queen (Dame), and King (Roi). Numerals run from 1 (Ace) up to 10.
The 21 Trumps
There is a dedicated trump suit of 21 numbered cards, usually labelled I through XXI. The higher the number, the stronger the trump.
The Fool (L’Excuse) and the Oudlers
The final card is the Fool, often called L’Excuse. It is neither a trump nor a suit card in the usual sense — it generally lets you avoid following suit, but it does not win the trick. Three cards — the 1 of trumps (Petit), the 21 of trumps, and the Fool — are called the oudlers or bouts and play a special role in scoring.
How to Play French Tarot (Four-Player Rules)
French Tarot is playable with three to five players, but the four-handed game is the standard at clubs and in the rules published by the Fédération Française de Tarot. The goal is not to win the most tricks, but to capture enough card points to fulfil your bid.
The Deal
Shuffle the 78 cards and deal 18 to each of the four players, three at a time. Six cards are set aside face down in the middle of the table; this is the chien (“dog”), sometimes called the kitty or talon.
Bidding
Starting to the dealer’s right, each player has one chance to bid or pass. Each bid must be higher than the previous one. The four standard contracts, from lowest to highest, are:
- Prise (Petite) — the declarer takes the chien, adds it to their hand, and then discards six cards face down to count for their side.
- Garde — same as Prise, but worth more points at the end.
- Garde sans le chien — the chien is not revealed but its cards still count for the declarer’s side.
- Garde contre le chien — the chien is not revealed and counts for the defenders.
Whoever bids highest becomes the taker and plays alone against the other three players, who form the defence.
Play of the Hand
The player to the dealer’s right leads the first trick. For every trick:
- You must follow suit if you can.
- If you cannot follow suit, you must play a trump.
- If a trump has already been played, you must play a higher trump than any already in the trick when possible (this is called monter, or “over-trumping”).
- The Fool can be played at almost any time and excuses you from following the normal rules. It is almost never captured — instead, it returns to the side that played it at the end of the trick.
The highest trump wins a trick, or if no trumps were played, the highest card of the suit led. Play continues until all 18 tricks have been taken.
Scoring in Plain Terms
Tarot scoring looks intimidating but is straightforward once you accept that cards are valued in half-points and counted in pairs. Typical values are:
- Kings and the three oudlers — 4.5 points each
- Queens — 3.5 points each
- Knights — 2.5 points each
- Jacks — 1.5 points each
- All other cards — 0.5 point each
The deck totals exactly 91 points. The taker needs to capture a target number of points — 56, 51, 41, or 36 — depending on how many oudlers (Petit, 21, and Fool) they end up with. The more oudlers the taker captures, the lower their target. If they meet it, they score positive points; if they fall short, the defence scores instead, and the contract is multiplied by the level of bid.
Beginner Strategy and Common Mistakes
Tarot rewards patience and careful counting far more than flashy play. A handful of habits separate confident players from beginners.
Count Trumps Early
There are only 21 trumps plus the Fool. Track who still holds them — especially the 1 of trumps (Petit), because capturing the opposing Petit on the last trick is one of the most valuable plays in the game.
Protect Your Kings
Kings are worth more than any other suit card, and losing one to an opposing trump is expensive. If you are the taker and your opponents are still pulling trumps, avoid leading suits where you hold a bare King.
Use the Fool Wisely
The Fool is almost untouchable, so many players throw it on tricks they are going to lose anyway. Remember, though: if your side wins enough tricks, keeping the Fool is worth the same as keeping a King.
Respect the Chien
When you win the bid at Prise or Garde and bring the chien into your hand, the six cards you discard are locked in as captured points for your side. Put low-value, safe cards there — never Kings, never trumps.
Tarot in Canada and Where to Play
French Tarot is not a mainstream card game in Canada, but it has a steady following in Francophone communities in Québec and parts of New Brunswick, and among players of European card-game traditions. The easiest place for most Canadian players to try it is online. A few reliable options:
- BoardGameArena — offers a full-featured implementation of French Tarot and scales from casual to rated play.
- VIP Tarot and QuentinC’s Playroom — free browser-based tarot rooms popular with French and international players.
- Fédération Française de Tarot — the official body in France, useful for the canonical rulebook if you want to play by tournament standards.
If you want a physical deck, any 78-card French-suited tarot deck labelled for gameplay (not a divination deck) will do. Divination decks use the same structure but often feature art and numbering that can be awkward to read quickly at the table.
Related Tarot Games Worth Knowing
French Tarot is the most common modern tarot card game, but it is not the only one.
Tarocchini (Italy)
The short-deck Italian descendant of the original tarocchi, usually played with 62 cards after the 2s through 5s of the pip suits are removed. It is centuries older than French Tarot and still played in Bologna.
Königrufen (Austria)
A four-handed Austrian game where the taker “calls a king” to secretly choose a partner. Famous for its enormous number of bonus contracts and rich bidding.
Grosstarok (Denmark/Germany)
An older three-handed tarot game with a distinctive bidding structure and some of the oldest surviving tarot strategy literature in the world.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Tarot the same as tarot card reading?
No. The cards are the same, but the activity is different. Tarot was designed as a card game in 15th-century Italy. Using the cards for divination began only in the late 18th century and is a completely separate tradition. A tarot game has rules, scores, and winners.
Can you play Tarot with a regular 52-card deck?
Not really. Tarot depends on a dedicated 21-card trump suit and the Fool, none of which exist in a standard deck. You can play similar trick-taking games like Euchre, Spades, or Hearts with a regular deck, but they are not Tarot.
How many players do you need for French Tarot?
Three to five. The most common version is four-handed, which is what tournaments and most clubs use. Five-handed French Tarot has the taker call a partner by naming a King, similar to Königrufen.
How long does a game of Tarot usually last?
A single hand takes about 15 to 20 minutes once everyone knows the rules. Full sessions are typically played as best-of-four or across a set number of deals, so expect an hour or two for a casual game.
Is French Tarot a gambling game?
It can be played for small stakes, and tournament scoring is cumulative, but the game is primarily a skill-based trick-taking game. Most Canadian players will encounter it socially or online, not in a casino.
Conclusion
Tarot is much older than the fortune-telling traditions attached to it, and it is still one of the most rewarding trick-taking games you can learn. If you already enjoy Spades, Euchre, or Bridge, French Tarot will feel like a deeper, weirder, and more historical cousin. Pick up a 78-card deck, start with the four-player rules, and you will be playing one of the oldest card games in continuous use in the Western world.