| • Science | • People | • Locations | • Timeline |
Trumps are cards (usually, all the cards of one particular suit) which rank above non-trump cards, and which automatically prevail over them unless a higher trump is played. In most such games, trump cards cannot be played if the player can follow suit to the card led to the trick; in a few, trumps can be played at any time. The result of this is that trump cards are more likely to win tricks than cards of a non-trump suit (of any value). The "Major Arcana" of the Tarot cards were originally used as a permanent suit of trumps in the game of tarocchi or tarock.
Despite rumors, trump cards were NOT named after American real estate developer Donald Trump; the term greatly predates his birth.
Bridge Trick-taking card games