Four-player Tarot
The most common format and the reference for tournaments. Each player receives 18 cards, the dog has six, and the taker plays alone against the other three.
Five-player Tarot
The taker calls a King before play; the holder becomes a secret partner until the called King appears. Each player receives 15 cards and the dog has three cards. The hidden partnership makes inference and table awareness especially important.
Three-player Tarot
Each player receives 24 cards and the dog has six. The taker faces only two defenders, so longer hands make the bidding and tracking of trumps feel different.
Two-player variants
Two-player Tarot is less standard and is often played with adapted dealing or house rules. Without a team, memory and anticipating the opponent’s trumps become central. Agree on the rules before starting.
Agree on bonuses first
Some friendly games vary how they handle handfuls, slam and the Petit at the End. The best approach is to agree before the first deal. The core targets—56, 51, 41 and 36 points—remain a useful reference for standard French Tarot.