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The 162 on the table

Every hand of Tarabish has 162 points in play. Once you know where they sit, you can count a hand in your head while it's being played, and you'll spot a bad call before you make it.

Where the 162 live

Trump is worth about double any other suit. That's the whole reason calling trump matters.

What each card is worth

A trick is worth whatever cards land in it, theirs included. Win a trick with a King and your partner's Ace on top, and the whole pile is yours.

Three things worth burning into memory

• Aces and 10s are the plain-suit money. Together they're worth 21 in every suit. That's 63 of the 90 plain-suit points.
• The 10 outscores the King. Off-trump the 10 is worth 10 and the King only 4, even though the King wins a trick against it. When you're collecting points, the order is Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack.
• The Jack changes jobs. It's worth 20 in trump and a measly 2 anywhere else.

What it takes to win the call

The team that called trump has to finish ahead. With no runs or Bella in play, that means 82 of the 162. Land on exactly 81 and it's a half-bait. Fall short and it's a bait. Melds stack on top of the card points, so the target moves when someone is holding a run.

A worked example

Say your team takes the Jack of trump (20), the Ace of trump (11), the Ace of hearts (11), the 10 of hearts (10), and a King (4). Add the last trick (10). That's 66.

Five strong cards and the last trick, and you're still 16 short of 82. That's why one good card doesn't make a call. You need a handful of them, plus the tricks that carry the small points along.