Official World Championship Rules of Kloepper

• The Pack - The deck consists of 24 cards - Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, Nine in each suit.
• Number of Players - Four
• Rank of Cards - The two black queens, all four jacks, and all the diamonds (including the queen) are trumps, ranking in order Queen of Clubs (high), Queen of Spades, Jack of Clubs, Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds, Ace of Diamonds, Ten of Diamonds, King of Diamonds, Queen of Diamonds, Nine of Diamonds.  The non-trump suits (Clubs, Spades, Hearts) rank Ace (high), Ten, King, Queen, Nine.
• The Deal - One participant is appointed by agreement to keep score.  The player at his left deals first.  The deal then rotates clockwise around the table until a game is over.  The cards are dealt face down three at a time until each of the four players has 6 cards.  The player to the left of dealer begins play.
• Determining Players - The holders of the black queens are partners and the non-black queen holders are partners.  If a  player gets both black queens he may call for an Ace of any non-trump suit to be his partner before he plays a card.  If he feels he has strong enough cards, he may play the hand alone and the other three will be the opposing partners.
• The Play - The player at the dealer's left makes the opening lead.  Winner of each trick leads for the next.  Other players must follow suit to the lead if able.  If unable to follow suit, a play may trump or discard non-trump at will.  There is no compulsion to win any trick if able.  The highest trump played, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump is played wins the trick.
• Game - A game is over when one player reaches a score of 30 points or more.  If 2 or more players reach a score of 30 points, the player with the most points at the end of the preceding hand is the winner.  If a tie still exist, use preceding hands until one player's score exceeds the other.
• Scoring - For the purpose of determining game, the cards have point values as follows (whether trump or non-trump): Ace-11, Ten-10, King-4, Queen-3, Jack-2, Nine-0.  The total points in the pack are 120.
  The black queens score 2 points if they gather 61 points or more in tricks won in play.  If they gather 91 points or more, they score 4; and if they take all the tricks, they score 6.  On the other hand, if the non-black queens gather 60 points, they score 2.  If they gather 61 points or more, they score 4; and if they gather 91 points or more, they score 6.
  If both black queens are held by one player who does not elect to call for a partner the score is as follows:  The single player scores 6 if his points total 61 or more.  If he gathers 91 points or more, he scores 12; and if he takes all the tricks, he scores 18.  On the other hand, if the 3 opposing players gather 60 points they score 4.  If they gather 61 points or more they score 6; and if they gather 91 points or more, they score 12.
• Knocking - The black queen can knock, hitting the table to announce they will gather all the tricks, any time before the second round of play starts.  If they are successful they score 12.
  The non-black queens have the right to knockoff, hitting the table to announce they will gather at least one trick.  If they are successful in gathering one trick, they score 24.  If they don't succeed in gathering a trick, the black queens score 24.
  A player holding both black queens who does not elect to call for a partner, can also knock.  If he gathers all the tricks he scores 30; if his opponents take one trick, they score 30.
• Strategy - A player holding a black queen will usually lead a trump card and vice versa.

(Rules used at the Columbia Strassenfest World Kloepper Championship)