Toepen

Keep your cards close, raise the stakes, and win the fourth trick. Last player below fifteen penalty points wins.

1. Four cards each. Follow the led suit if you can. No trump: strongest to weakest is 10, 9, 8, 7, A, K, Q, J.
2. Only the fourth trick wins the deal. Other active players take the current stake in penalty points.
3. Any active player may knock to raise the stake by one. Everyone else stays or folds clockwise; folding costs the old stake once.
4. You cannot raise your own last knock or raise above your remaining allowance to 15. You may still stay above that allowance.
5. A folded card stays on the table. If it wins the fourth trick with multiple players still active, all active players pay. A sole active player wins immediately.
6. At 15 or more penalties you are out. Last survivor wins; if everyone is eliminated together, the game is a draw. All optional rules are off.