How to Play Batak Ihaleli
Description
The auction version. Bidding is open and competitive, and contracts climb higher than anyone's hand deserves.
Objective
Win the auction for the right to name trump, then take at least the number of tricks you promised.
Setup
A standard 52-card deck for four players, thirteen cards each.
Rules
This is the auction form of Batak. Rather than a single round of bidding, players compete openly, each raising the number of tricks they will take alone.
The highest bidder wins the auction, names the trump suit, and plays against the other three.
Follow suit if you can; otherwise trump or discard. Highest trump takes the trick, or the highest card of the suit led.
Winning
The auction winner scores their bid if they make it, and loses it if they fall short — the open bidding usually pushes contracts higher than plain Batak.
The three defenders score for the tricks they each take.