Klaverjassen Rules — Dutch Card Game Guide

1. What is Klaverjassen?

Klaverjassen (often shortened to “Klaverjas”) is the most popular card game in the Netherlands. Around 2 million Dutch people play it regularly — in pubs, clubs, and at home. It is played by 4 players in 2 teams with a 32-card deck (7 through Ace) and belongs to the same family as the German game Klammern and the French game Belote. Klaverjassen combines tactical trick-taking with a declaration system (“Roem”) and a strict contract obligation.

2. Variants: Amsterdam vs. Rotterdam

The two most well-known variants are named after the Netherlands' largest cities:

3. Card Values

Card values and rankings are identical to Klammern and Belote. The total point value of all cards is 162 points.

4. Dealing & Trump Selection

The dealer is determined randomly at the start and rotates after each round. Cards are dealt in three rounds: 3 + 2 + 3 cards, so each player holds 8 cards.

Amsterdam Style (Mandatory)

The player to the left of the dealer (the “Voorhand”) must choose a trump suit — passing is not allowed. They examine their 8 cards and determine which suit becomes trump. Their team becomes the “player” and must score more than half the points.

Rotterdam Style (Voluntary)

Like Belote, passing is allowed here. The player to the left of the dealer may choose a trump suit or pass. If all players pass, the cards are re-dealt. Whoever chooses trump, their team becomes the player.

5. Roem (Declarations)

“Roem” is the Dutch declaration system — comparable to declarations in Belote or melds in Klammern. Declarations are announced when playing the first trick.

Sequences (Rij)

Stuk

King and Queen of the trump suit together are worth 20 bonus points — the Dutch equivalent of Belle (Klammern) or Belote-Rebelote (Belote). Stuk must be announced when playing the respective card.

6. Gameplay

A complete Klaverjassen game consists of 16 rounds (4 cycles with 4 rounds each, where every player deals 4 times). Each round consists of 8 tricks.

• The player to the left of the dealer (Voorhand) leads the first card.
• Following suit is mandatory.
• If you cannot follow suit and an opponent is winning the trick, you must trump (if possible).
• When trump is led, you must — if possible — overtrump (play a higher trump card).
• If your partner is winning and you cannot follow suit, you may discard any card.
• The last trick is worth 10 bonus points.

7. Nat (Wet)

“Nat” (Dutch for “wet”) means the playing team failed to meet their contract — they scored fewer than half the points (fewer than 82 out of 162). In this case, all points go to the opposing team: both the 162 card points and all Roem points from the playing team are forfeited. Only the Stuk (King + Queen of trump) always stays with the team that holds it — just like Belle/Belote-Rebelote. “Nat gaan” (going wet) is the greatest disgrace in Klaverjassen and often leads to heated discussions at the table.

8. Pit

“Pit” is the Dutch equivalent of Capot (Belote) or Durchmarsch (Klammern): one team wins all 8 tricks in a round. Achieving a Pit earns the team a bonus of 100 points on top of the 162 card points. A Pit is rare and requires a dominant trump hand combined with strong side cards.

9. Scoring

Points are accumulated over all 16 rounds. After each round, each team receives their earned points (card values + Roem + Stuk + last trick bonus) — unless the playing team goes “Nat.”

After 16 rounds, total points are compared. The team with the most points wins the game. The rotating dealer ensures that every player has the trump selection equally often.

10. Comparison with Klammern & Belote

Klaverjassen, Klammern, and Belote are closely related trick-taking games sharing the same trump hierarchy. Here are the key differences: