You | 9999 0 |
Terry | 9999 0 |
Jen | 9999 0 |
Sue | 9999 0 |
Tara | 9999 0 |
You | 9999 0 |
Terry | 9999 0 |
Jen | 9999 0 |
Sue | 9999 0 |
Tara | 9999 0 |
Jen
Terry
Sue
Tara
You
Veto rules
About the game
Veto is a trick-taking card game, with a unique twist on the partner mechanics. Unlike most card games, teams aren't fixed from the start - they form dynamically as the game progresses. The game requires at least five players and typically supports up to seven. However, to keep strategy more important than luck, it's best played with five or six players.
The deck size depends on the number of players:
- 50 cards for five players.
- 48 cards for six players.
Regardless of the deck size, the "Red Joker", known as the "Veto", is always included.
The goal is simple: be the first player to reach 500 points to win!
Playing the game
The game is played in multiple rounds, each consisting of four stages:
- Bidding
- Setting the trump suit
- Choosing a partner
- Playing the cards and winning tricks
At the start of each round, the dealer shuffles the deck and distributes the cards evenly:
- 10 cards per player in a 5-player game
- 8 cards per player in a 6-player game
The player sitting to the dealer's left starts the round, and turns continue clockwise.
Deck information
Each deck has 120 points in total:
- 5 points for each 5-ranked card.
- 10 points for each 10-ranked card. Note that this excludes the face cards.
- 10 points for each Ace.
- 20 points for the Veto (Red Joker).
In a 5-player game, three cards are removed from a standard 52-card deck:
In a 6-player game, five cards are removed from a standard 52-card deck:
Phases of the game
Each round has 4 separate phases.
Bidding phase
The round begins with the player to the dealer's left, who must choose to either "Bid" or "Pass". The minimum bid is 65, and the maximum bid is 120. Each new bid must be at least "5" points higher than the previous one.
Bidding continues clockwise, with each player either:
- Passing, which means they are out of the bidding round.
- Placing a higher bid, as long as they haven't passed.
This continues until only one player remains. If the turn reaches the dealer and no one has placed a bid, the dealer must bid - passing is not an option.
The last remaining player becomes the "Bidder". Their team is called the "Makers". The other players form the "Defenders". In the next phase, the Bidder will choose a partner, adding one more player to the "Makers".
After the bidding phase, the game moves to the Trump Selection phase.
To keep track, a B token is placed next to the Bidder's name.
Trump selection phase
The Bidder selects the trump suit for the round. They have five options:
- Any of the four suits (Clubs ♣, Diamonds ♦, Hearts ♥, or Spades ♠).
- No trump suit 𝛷, i.e. playing without a trump.
Once the Bidder makes their choice, the game moves to the Partner Selection phase.
Partner selection phase
The Bidder chooses their partner, but instead of picking a player directly, they select a card that they do not have in their hand.
- The player holding the chosen card becomes the Partner and joins the Makers team.
- The Partner's identity remains hidden until the chosen card is played during the Trick-taking phase.
- In rare cases, if the card is never played, the Partner is revealed at the time of scoring.
To keep track, a P token is placed next to the Partner's name once they are revealed. If you are chosen as the Partner, the token will be placed next to your name immediately. The immediate placement of the token is only for your benefit, i.e. the other players will only see it once you play the chosen card.
Trick-taking phase
This phase follows standard trick-taking rules, with a few special mechanics for the Veto card.
- The Bidder starts the trick by playing any card except the Veto.
- The suit of the first card becomes the leading suit for that trick.
- Players take turns clockwise, each playing one card:
- If they have a card of the leading suit, they must play it.
- If they don't have a matching suit, they can play any card.
There are special rules for Veto:
- The Veto is always the strongest card, but it has no suit (not even the trump suit).
- It can be played anytime, even if the player has a card matching the leading suit.
- However, it cannot be used to start a trick or be played in the last trick of the round.
- Breaking these rules results in an automatic loss for the Veto's owner and their team.
- If the Veto's owner must lead the second-to-last trick, they automatically lose, since they cannot play it in that or the final trick.
Rules for scoring points:
- Winning a trick itself is not worth points - only the point values of the cards in the trick matter.
- For example, if a trick contains a 5♥ (5 points) and an A♥ (10 points), the winner earns 15 points.
- The Makers must win enough tricks to collect at least as many points as their bid.
- The Defenders aim to stop them by winning more points.
The phase continues until one of three things happens:
- The Makers reach their bid (Makers win).
- The Defenders earn enough points to make it impossible for the Makers to reach their bid (Defenders win).
- A Veto rule is broken, causing an instant loss for the Veto's team.
Once this phase is over, the game moves on to scoring the round.
Card order
The game uses a standard 52-card deck plus the Red Joker (Veto). Some cards are removed depending on the number of players. Within each suit, cards are ranked from lowest to highest: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A.
Trump Suit Rules:
- The chosen trump-suit follows the same ranking.
- Any trump suit card is stronger than any card from another suit.
The Veto (Red Joker):
- Has no suit and is always the strongest card in the game.
- Can be played at any time, except when leading a trick.
As you can see, the "Veto" is named quite aptly!
Winning a round and scoring points
At the end of the Trick-Taking Phase, scores are calculated based on:
- Which team had the Bidder (Makers).
- The value of the Bid.
- How many points each team won.
- Whether the Veto was played according to the rules.
| Outcome | Makers | Defenders |
|---|---|---|
| Veto rules broken (Makers owned Veto) | -Bid | 0 |
| Veto rules broken (Defenders owned Veto) | +Bid | 0 |
| Makers won enough points to match the bid | +Bid | 0 |
| Makers failed to meet the bid | -Bid | 0 |
- The Defenders' score never changes.
- The Makers' score either increases or decreases by the value of the bid.
The game proceeds to the next round, the dealer rotates clockwise, and the whole process repeats.
Winning the game
The game continues round by round until at least one player reaches a score of 500 or more.
- Any player who reaches 500+ points is declared a winner.
- If multiple players reach 500+ points in the same round, they all win.
How to play
Bidding phase
- Left-click on the bid amount you want to make.
- If you don't want to bid, left-click "Pass" from the available options.
If you are the dealer and and no one else has bid, the "Pass" option will be disabled, meaning you must place a bid.
See the two examples below:
- First is where the current bid is 70.
- Second is where you are the dealer and no else bid.
Trump selection phase
If you placed the winning bid, you must choose a trump suit or play with "No Trump":
- Left-click a suit to select it as the trump.
- Left-click "𝛷" to play without a trump suit.
- Left-click "Accept" or "No-Trump" to confirm your choice.
See the two examples below:
- First is when "Clubs" is being chosen as the trump.
- Second is when no suit is being set as the trump.
Partner selection phase
As the Bidder, you must pick a card to determine your Partner.
- Select a suit by left-clicking it.
- Or left-click to pick the Veto as your partner. This will only be available if you don't have the Veto in your hand.
- If you selected a suit, valid ranks from that suit will become enabled.
- A rank is valid if you do not have that card in your hand.
- The confirmation button will display your chosen card.
- Left-click it to finalize your selection.
See the two examples below:
- First is when you are choosing the "Ace of Hearts" as your partner, when you have the 8♥, Q♥, and K♥ in your hand.
- Second is when you are choosing the Veto as your partner.
Trick-taking phase
- If you are leading the trick:
- You can play any card except the Veto.
- You may play a trump card if you wish.
- If you are following:
- If you have the Veto, you can always choose to play it, regardless of whether you have a matching card.
- Otherwise, if you have a card matching the leading suit, you must play it.
- If you don't have a matching card, you can play any card.
To play a card:
- Left-click a card to select it.
- Left-click it again to unselect it.
- Left-click "Play Card" to confirm your choice.
Scoreboard
- The bottom-left scoreboard shows the total scores of all players across all rounds.
- The bottom-right scoreboard tracks points earned this round.
- The title displays the bid for the round.
- Makers are highlighted in a different color for easy tracking.
For example, consider the sample scoreboard below:
- Your total score is 150, working towards the goal of 500.
- In the current round, you and Sue are the Makers.
- Your team has 60 points.
- Your opponents have 25 points.
- The round's bid is 80.
You | 9999 40 |
Terry | 9999 5 |
Jen | 9999 5 |
Sue | 9999 20 |
Tara | 9999 15 |
You | 9999 150 |
Terry | 9999 10 |
Jen | 9999 -65 |
Sue | 9999 0 |
Tara | 9999 75 |
Next to your name, there is the
- See which points have already been awarded.
- See which point cards are still to be played.
For example, the sample below shows that all the Aces and the Veto have already been played, and all the remaining points are yet to be played.
Tips and tricks
- Understanding the "Veto" Card
- The Makers usually pick the Veto as their partner, guaranteeing 20 points toward their bid.
- You must play the Veto before the last trick and cannot use it to start a trick.
- If you have the Veto, make sure you also have a card to lose a trick, or you might get stuck with it.
- The Veto can be played even if you have a matching suit.
- As a Maker, use this to give points to your partner.
- As a Defender, avoid stacking too many points in one trick if the Veto is still in play.
- Choosing the Right Trump Suit
- Not all suits are equal when selecting a trump suit:
- In 5-player games, Clubs have an extra card in play (2♣).
- In 6-player games, Spades have one fewer card (3♠).
- "No Trump" is a solid option if you have multiple Aces, ensuring those points go to you.
- Not all suits are equal when selecting a trump suit:
- Revealing Yourself as the Partner
- Staying hidden can help you sneak extra points from Defenders.
- Being revealed helps your partner strategize better, but also gives away information to opponents.
- A general rule: stealing 10 points is a good reason to reveal yourself. For just 5 points, it depends on the situation, for example, how many points are left in play.
- Smart Bidding Tactics
- Don't just pick the smallest bid to make things easier.
- A low bid can be outbid, so go for a bid you're confident in, even if it's a bit higher.
- In the 6-player version, luck plays a bigger role due to smaller hands and fewer Makers.
- Be more cautious with your bids here.
- If you have the Veto, avoid getting into a bidding war.
- You'll likely end up as the partner anyway.
- Unless you're very confident, it's often better to let a lower bid go through. It's better to win 65 points than to lose 75!
- Don't just pick the smallest bid to make things easier.
These tips are based on my experience, but there's no single best way to play. Try different strategies and see what works best for you!
A bit about the game
Veto is a game that's fairly popular in India. Its higher minimum-player requirement does make it tough to get together a full game sometimes, but it's totally worth it when you do. What I love most about Veto is the secrecy surrounding the partner - it adds a level of strategy and surprise that keeps every game exciting. I've played countless rounds with friends and family, and each time feels like a fresh challenge.
Writing the AI for Veto was a blast too - figuring out the strategy and making sure the AI didn't just feel mechanical, but played similar to a human, was as much fun as playing the game itself. I truly hope you have a great time playing against it and beating it!
I'm not sure about Veto's origins, or whether it goes by a different name in other places. If you've come across it before, I'd love to hear your story. Maybe it's called something else where you play!
