Polignac (card game)
| A trick-taking avoidance game. | |
The Polignac | |
| Origin | French |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Four Jacks |
| Family | Trick-taking |
| Players | 3–6 |
| Cards | 32 |
| Deck | French |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Playing time | 20 min. |
| Chance | Easy |
| Related games | |
| Hearts | |
| Aim: avoid capturing Jacks, especially the ♠J (Polignac) | |
Polignac (a.k.a. Jeux des Valets) is a French 18th century trick-taking card game ancestral to Hearts and Black Maria. It is played by 3-6 players with a 32-card deck. It is sometimes played as a party game with the 52-card pack; however, it is better as a serious game for four, playing all against all. Other names for this game include Quatre Valets and Stay Away. Knaves is a variant and it is also similar to the Austrian and German games, Slobberhannes, Eichelobern and Grasobern.