How to Play Batak Gommeli
Description
Four buried cards nobody sees until the bidding is over. Win the auction and they are yours to use.
Objective
Win the bidding, then improve your hand from the buried cards before committing to the contract.
Setup
A standard 52-card deck for four players. Deal twelve cards each, with four cards buried face down as the widow.
Nobody sees the widow before the bidding closes.
Rules
Players bid the number of tricks they will take alone, as in standard Batak.
The winning bidder takes the four buried cards into hand, names trump, and then buries four cards of their own choosing face down. Buried cards count toward their tricks.
Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or discard. Highest trump takes the trick, or the highest card of the suit led.
Winning
The bidder scores the contract if they make it and loses it if they fall short — the widow makes higher bids viable, and riskier.
The three defenders score for the tricks they each take.