Ganjifa

You against two computers. Keep track of the top card in every suit, and lead what the rules make you lead.

Deal 1 of 3, computer 2 dealsDay: the Mir of Surkh opensYou hold the king and openLost the lead: 0 of 3Before the tigasta: not every seat has lost the lead yet

Computer 2dealer

32 cards · Won 0 this deal · Total 0

24 face down

Computer 1

32 cards · Won 0 this deal · Total 0

24 face down

On the table

Nothing played yet

Open: play the king and one more card

Youto act

32 cards · Won 0 this deal · Total 0

A dotted ring marks a card that was dealt face up.

Tajten high

Safedten high

Shamsherten high

Ghulamten high

Changone high

Surkhone high

Baratone high

Qimashone high

Cards left in each suit

Tajten high
1. M
2. W
3. 10
4. 9
5. 8
6. 7
7. 6
8. 5
9. 4
10. 3
11. 2
12. 1
hukm: Mir
Safedten high
1. M
2. W
3. 10
4. 9
5. 8
6. 7
7. 6
8. 5
9. 4
10. 3
11. 2
12. 1
hukm: Mir
Shamsherten high
1. M
2. W
3. 10
4. 9
5. 8
6. 7
7. 6
8. 5
9. 4
10. 3
11. 2
12. 1
hukm: Mir
Ghulamten high
1. M
2. W
3. 10
4. 9
5. 8
6. 7
7. 6
8. 5
9. 4
10. 3
11. 2
12. 1
hukm: Mir
Changone high
1. M
2. W
3. 1
4. 2
5. 3
6. 4
7. 5
8. 6
9. 7
10. 8
11. 9
12. 10
hukm: Mir
Surkhone high
1. M
2. W
3. 1
4. 2
5. 3
6. 4
7. 5
8. 6
9. 7
10. 8
11. 9
12. 10
hukm: Mir
Baratone high
1. M
2. W
3. 1
4. 2
5. 3
6. 4
7. 5
8. 6
9. 7
10. 8
11. 9
12. 10
hukm: Mir
Qimashone high
1. M
2. W
3. 1
4. 2
5. 3
6. 4
7. 5
8. 6
9. 7
10. 8
11. 9
12. 10
hukm: Mir

Crossed out: played. Boxed: in your hand. Dotted: face up in another seat’s hand. Dashed: burnt. Filled: the hukm.

In a ten-high suit the 10 is next to the Wazir. In a one-high suit the 1 is, so the number alone can mislead.

The words

Hukm: the top card left in a suit. Only the hukm can win a trick in its suit.
Dukkal: two or more of the top cards of a suit in your hand. You must lead all but the lowest.
Deni: your Wazir with the Mir of its suit still out. You must call for the Mir with a low card.
Talafa: you hold the second card of a suit. A low card of that suit calls out the hukm.
Utari: leading your hukm cards, which cannot lose.
Tigasta: the moment all three seats have lost the lead. The rules loosen after it.
Burnt: a card that lost its power. It counts as the lowest of its suit.
Face up: eight of each hand were dealt face up and stay on show until they are played.

T is Taj, the crown
S is Safed, the silver coin
Z is Shamsher, the sword
G is Ghulam, the servant
C is Chang, the harp
K is Surkh, the gold coin
B is Barat, the document
Q is Qimash, the cloth

The computers answer after a beat. Their hidden cards stay hidden.

How to play

Thirty-two cards each, eight of them face up for everyone. The holder of the opening king plays it with one more card, the other two seats give two cards each, and the opener takes all six and leads.

From then on the leader follows a ladder, and the table offers only the leads it allows: a run first, then a deni, then a call or the hukm cards, and with none of those the blind pick. Cards that are not offered are dimmed, and pressing one says why. The tracker beside your hand crosses off every card played face up and names the top card of each suit.

Pick a match of 3 or 6 deals above the table, and press Next deal after each count. The computers answer after a beat, and they see only what you can see of their hands.

The same game with friends instead of the computers is at a table of its own, three seats and a link for each of the other two.