South African Thunee Masters Champion

HOW THE GAME IS PLAYED

The game is played with 4 people, made up of two teams.

Your partner sits opposite you at the table and your opponents are to the left and right of you. There are two main roles in the game – the scoring team and the trumping team. If you are the scoring team your aim is to win 105 points worth of cards. If you are the trumping team, youmust stop your opponents from counting to 105 points. By achieving your aim, you will be awarded a ‘ball’ basically a game point. You must win 13 balls (game points) to win the game.

POINT VALUES OF THE CARDS

Jack = 30               Nine = 20              Ace = 11 Ten = 10 King = 3  Queen = 2

The most important rule is to follow suit, if a player doesn’t have that suit, he/she may play any other card in his deck.

The most important features to familiarise yourself with are as follows:

• Keeping Trump: the person to the right of the dealer must select trump from his/her first 4 cards which will be the highest card of the suit he/she has the most of.
• Calling to trump: Calling is done midway through dealing when you receive your first 4 cards. Calling is done if you have a favourable hand and would like to trump. The thinking is that you can hold off the opposition team with your hand. The call which is generally increments of 10 is subtracted from the counting score. The maximum call is 104.
• Trumpless: Both teams are to have at least 1 trump. If not would lead to a re-deal. The
• responsibility to call “no trump” is up to the counting team.
• Chopping: A hand can be chopped (cut) if a player doesn’t have the suit of the first card on the table. If you have the suit and decide to chop the hand and if you are caught you will lose 4 game points (4balled).
• Thunee: After receiving the 6 cards one can call “Thunee”. When Thunee is called the first card played is trump and one has to win all 6 hands to gain 4 game points. If you don’t you will lose 4 points (4 balled). If you were in a “calling” and won it, you as the Trumper get the first choice to call Thunee.
• Jodhi: Jodhi cards are the Queen, King and Jack of the same suit. You and your partner can call Jodhi upon winning your first and third hand. Both teams’ Jodhi’s are offset, and the balance is used on the 105 counts.

The various Jodhi combinations:

• Jodhi Combinations (non-trump): Queen and King = 20. Queen, King, and Jack = 30.
• Jodhi Combinations (trump): Queen and King = 40. Queen, King, and Jack = 50.
• Khanuck: Only directly related to Jodhi. You can call a Khanuck in the last hand if you are going to win that last hand and you believe that your opponent took a lower score than your Jodhi, So if your Jodhi was 30 + (10 for taking the last hand) and your opponent took hands that have a total score less than your 40, then your Khanuck call is correct and you are awarded three balls. A 4 ball is awarded against you should the score not be less than 40. Only the controlling card holder that secures the last hand can call khanuck on the last hand. A 4 ball is awarded against your team should the wrong partner call a khanuck.

Double/Two: when you have taken the first five hands and believe you will win the last hand you can call a double/two. Only the controlling card holder that secures the last hand can call double/two on the last hand. If you successfully win the last hand (all 6 hands) you will be awarded 2 balls after calling double/two. A 4 ball is applicable should the incorrect partner call a double/two.

TO START THE GAME

1. Jack Deals – the first jack (any suit) dealt to a player will be the first dealer.
2. Left cut, right trump – the dealer will offer the cards to the person on his/her left to cut (the option to refuse to cut is allowed) and play will start by dealing to the player on the right. (No Table cut) No riffling of the cards is allowed, and the dealer may not look at the bottom card. These offences are a 4ball.
3. Flipped/turned card accidentally – automatic re-deal if card flipped by the dealer while passing out the cards at the beginning. If any cards are intentionally or accidentally flipped or turned over by a player, it’s a 4ball. Also, it is the responsibility of the dealer to ensure that there are no boxed cards, if boxed cards are found when the player to the left of the dealer is given the pack to cut, it’s a re-deal.
4. Single card trump down on the table – the trump person must select trump from his/her first 4 cards before his/her partner receives their first 4 cards. The selected card must be kept face down separate from his/her other 3 cards. NO LAST CARD TRUMP. Trump man has the option of asking for re deal if his first 4 cards add up to 10 or fewer points provided, he has no Jodh
5. Trump card will be shown to everyone – once the first card is played, the trump man will show the trump card (trump suit) to all players. ASKING WHAT IS TRUMP IS IS ONLY ALLOWED BEFORE YOUR PARTNER PLAYS HIS/HER CARD DURING THE HAND-IN-PLAY. (This will result in a 4 ball against you)
6. Deal change – the deal will only change once the dealing team reaches or passes the opposing teams’ points on the ball cards.
7. Wrong come down – if a person plays and it is not his/her turn to play then this is a 4ball against that person.
8. End of game – the game is won when a team reaches 13 balls, no double can be played on “corner house” at 12 balls however Thunee and Khanuck can be played at any time of the game including corner house.
9. Points –

Thunee: 4 points for a win and 4 points for a loss or partner catch to the opposing team.

Double: 2 points and a wrong claim is 4 points to the opposing team

Khanuck: 3 points and a wrong claim is 4 points to the opposing team.

10. What constitutes a valid Khanuck – A Khanuck can only be called if the person calling the Khanuck takes the last hand and the value of the cards in the opposing team’s hands is less than the Jodhi called plus the 10 points for the last hand.
11. Ball cards – the ball cards can only be kept by one member of the team throughout the entire game (13 balls). It is acceptable to switch between players for the next game and so on but not during the game. Do not remind the scorekeeper to open points that he/she has forgotten to open. If this happens a 4ball will be awarded to the opposing team.
12. If you pick up a hand that does not belong to your team and close the hand on your side then a 4ball is awarded to the opposing team. If the hand is still on the table and you call jodhi but it’s not your hand, you will give up your Jodhi, a marial has to be called on your Jodhi by the opposing team
13. It’s the trumper is dealt 6 cards of the same suit he/she must call for a re-deal otherwise the opposing team will be awarded a 4ball. If the trumper has less than 6 trumps then the game continues. It’s the opposition’s duty to establish that they do not have trumps and claim a “no trump” game which will be a re-deal. The trumper is not obliged to pull trump. No Thunee can be played if the trump man has 6 trumps, this is a re-deal.
14. Highest call for trump is 104, if both players of the same team call together to bid for trump then the original trumper has the choice of which player can trump by adding 10 points to the call. To explain further, if player 1 of team A is trumping and player 1 and player 2 of team B call “10”. Then player 1 of team A can choose either player from team B to keep trump for a 20 call.
15. Jodhi must be called after the 1st or 3rd hand taken and before the 3rd card of the following have falls. No jodhi can be called after the 3rd card falls. If jodhi’s are called at incorrect times during the game then this is a 4ball. No showing of jodhi cards to any/all players. This will be a 4 ball if jodhi’s are shown. (If you show your jodhi you are alerting your partner to what jack you do or don’t have). If an incorrect jodhi is called then it’s a 4ball. (E.g. if you call 40 jodhi but its 20 jodhi and vice versa.)
16. No calling jodhi’s during a hand (unless it is from the previous hand before the third card falls), this is a 4 ball to the opposing team because you are alerting your partner, before he/she throws his card, that you are taking the hand, and this could influence what card he/she plays.
17. If you do not play a suit and you have the suit, it’s a 4 ball to the opposing team if they catch out.

GENERAL RULES:

1. Only one re-entry buy-in if a team loses in the first round. No re-buys will be allowed thereafter.
2. No flipping or banging of cards or signs between partners (these can lead to a 4ball to the other team if done repeatedly.
3. The trumper has first preference to play Thunee, thereafter the first person to call Thunee is entitled to play a Thunee. Any player can ask to “hold the game” if he/she needs a moment to decide to play a Thunee. Once a player calls a Thunee, he/she is forced to play the Thunee and is not allowed to change their mind unless the trumper decides to play a Thunee.
4. Only one team can claim a 4ball at a time (i.e if a team claims a 4ball and it is found to be an incorrect claim then the team must close the 4ball and opposing team will open 4ball for the incorrect claim.
5. Any member of a team can claim a 4ball against the other team but only the score keeper is allowed to open the 4ball after proving the claim is valid. If the other team member (not the score keeper) opens the 4ball, this will be considered a 4ball against his/her team thereby cancelling each other’s 4ball, resulting in a re-deal.
6. A “marial” can be called on an incorrect jodhi call and the jodhi will be forfeited, the player will not be allowed to call that Jodhi later in that game.
7. The following acts result in a 4ball for the opposing team when claimed and proved;

• Wrong colour played, or cutting when you have colour,
• wrong come down,
• wrong claim to a hand,
• telling your partner to open a ball or touching the ball cards if you are not keeping the ball cards
• calling double on a corner house (12 ball for a 13 ball win)
• looking at other player’s card or showing your cards to other players.
• any deemed violation of the rules of the game by the judges or adjudicators

If there are any rules or situations that have not been addressed here, then the judge’s decision will be final.

CONDUCT DURING THE TOURNAMENT

In the spirit of maintaining respect to everyone at the event and to the game of Thunee;

• Absolutely no fighting, no use of vulgar language, no banging of tables will be allowed
• No post-mortem of the games will be allowed during the games while in the auditorium.
• No commentary or activity on the side lines that will interrupt or stop other teams from playing or favour any team will be allowed.
• Alcohol and meals are NOT allowed in the players’ area.

These acts may result in an automatic expulsion from the event and those involved will be prohibited from entering any future events.

All players are urged to be respectful towards each other, be good sports and enjoy the tournament.

The judges reserve the right to change the rules before the start of the tournament should it be to the benefit of the event and the entrants.

ROLE OF THE ADJUDICATORS

• To ensure that the rules reflected and agreed to, be upheld at all times during the tournament;
• Adjudicate any conflicts between teams related to the rules of the game and tournament;
• Provided clarity on the rules and the application of specific rules when required;
• Refrain from any biases or favoritism towards any team or player at all times;
• Refrain from making any comments, prompting or reminding any player of any specifics of a particular game unless called upon to provide clarity to a specific rule/s.
• Through the applications of the rules, objectively observe players or teams in their assessment of claims to a 4ball and make a fair ruling if there is a deadlock between the teams regarding the violation that led to the 4ball claim
• Adjudicators are only to get involved in resolving conflicts or disputes and assisting the judges in upholding the rules of the tournament.
• An unresolved dispute by the adjudicators or judges will be taken to the match commissioner who will make the final ruling on the matter.