Anyone who has ever sat at a game table with experienced players will quickly understand what Preference is. This game is considered one of the most intellectually challenging. Its essence lies in precise calculations, so the ability to think strategically, plan far ahead, and have a good memory is essential. When Preference first appeared, it was the era of lavish balls and aristocratic grandeur. The game originated in France around the early 19th century and later spread to Russia and Eastern Europe. It was a pastime that reflected both status and intellect, often associated with the upper class. Luxurious balls and social evenings frequently included Preference as entertainment for the nobility.
There are various names and versions of the game. The most famous ones are Sochi, Leningrad, and Rostov. The classic version of Preference involves three players, although there are also variations for two or four. Among avid players, “Pref” is simply short for “Preference.” The game also includes plenty of interesting slang. At first, it may seem impossible to learn all the rules, terms, and scoring systems - but these skills come naturally with practice and persistence.
How to Learn to Play Preference?
To master the game, you need to go step by step - from learning the rules to developing strategic thinking. The first thing to understand is how many cards are used and which suit ranks highest in Preference. A standard deck consists of 32 cards, with the seven being the lowest and the ace the highest. Suits also have a hierarchy: spades first, then clubs, diamonds, and hearts as the highest. Any suit can be declared as trump during bidding, allowing you to take tricks from non-trump suits. Card rank and suit hierarchy determine point values - lower cards score fewer, higher cards score more. Many wonder which card belongs to no suit - that’s the joker, but it plays no role in Preference.
Let’s look at what happens during a game of Preference - this will help you understand its essence. Each player receives 10 cards, and two cards are set aside as the “talon” - the term used for the leftover cards. Then comes the most important phase - the “bidding.” Each player must estimate how many tricks they can take with their hand and propose a contract. Bidding often starts with the simplest contract - 6 spades - meaning the player promises to take six tricks with spades as trump. The next player must either raise the bid or pass. If they pass, they’re out of the bidding round. A player may also declare “misère” - a contract to take no tricks at all, but it can only be declared at the start. Once a bid is made, misère is no longer available. The player who wins the bidding takes the talon, swaps it for any two cards in hand, and must fulfill the contract’s conditions. The other two players then decide whether to “whist” (oppose) or pass. A “whist” obligates the player to take a certain number of tricks to prevent the declarer from succeeding. If only one player whists, all hands are revealed, and the whister plays for both defenders. If both whist, the entire game proceeds with closed cards.
After bidding comes trick-taking. Each player plays one card in turn, following the suit of the first card played. The highest card of the suit wins the trick. The overall goal is to score more points than the opponents by fulfilling contracts and winning tricks. This requires strategic thinking to estimate your chances and predict the flow of play as early as the bidding stage. The more you practice, the better you’ll become at anticipating opponents’ actions, crafting your own strategies, and achieving victory.
How to Play Preference for Two Players?
What if you want to play Preference online but have only one partner? The answer is simple - play “Hussar Preference” (Gusarik). Legend has it that in old times, hussars often couldn’t find enough partners and developed this two-player variation.
Hussar Preference has its own features. It’s always played blind (all cards face down), using 24 cards (from nine to ace). Each player gets 10 cards, and two cards go to the talon. A player may use only the talon on their right.
The bidding follows the same order as in the classic game: first for spades, then clubs, then diamonds, and finally hearts. Then comes no-trump bidding - from 7 spades up to 10 no-trump. The bidder first discards two cards, then announces the game. The rule is that you can’t bid lower than your previous bid.
The second player decides whether to pass or whist. If they whist, they may take the talon - though it’s optional. The whister takes 2 tricks if without talon, and 4 if with it. The declarer must take 6 tricks for a basic game, 7 for a seven-game, and so on.
Other distinctive rules: no “raspasovka” (pass rounds) or “kurits” (side rounds); there’s no “remis” penalty above the line. If both players pass, the cards are redealt. Penalties for renounces (rule violations) are high. The score table is kept the same as in the classic game.
Compared to the three-player version, Hussar Preference is much faster, so scoring (“the bullet”) starts at 400 or 500. Usually, the Sochi or Leningrad versions are used - both can be played online on our site - but other variants exist. A big advantage of this format is that collusion against a third player is impossible. Preference holds a special place among card games and remains popular among card enthusiasts.
How to Calculate the Score Sheet (“Bullet”) in Preference?
One of the first slang terms new players learn is “bullet” - the complete game record. A full session with all contracts is called a “pulka” or “bullet.” To invite someone to play, you might say “Let’s play a bullet” or “Let’s write a bullet.”
The bullet is a table used to record the results of all rounds - it’s essential for scoring. To keep it properly, you first need to draw it. Let’s look at how to create a bullet in Preference. Each player’s section of the table includes three parts:
- Hill (Гора) - top section. This records penalty points for “remis” (failing to fulfill a contract) and tricks taken during pass rounds.
- Bullet (Пуля) - middle section. This shows points for completed contracts and bonuses for taking no tricks during pass rounds.
- Whists (Висты) - bottom section. Here, points for tricks taken while whisting are recorded.
All entries in the bullet are written from the left margin, and each new entry reflects the current total. A period or comma is added after each value to avoid confusion. Cross-outs are not allowed - if an error occurs, the correct number is added after a period.
When recording whist points, it matters whether players agreed to “greedy whist” or “gentleman’s whist.” In the first case, if only one player whisted, they record all their earned points. If penalized for remis, the passive player also receives the penalty. When both whist, each records their own results. In the gentleman’s version, with one whister, remis penalties are split equally. When both whist, both players record their own points and penalties.
After completing all rounds, the final score is calculated based on the bullet entries. Once all points are counted and all games accounted for, the total result determines the winner.
Conclusion
Preference is a game where it’s not enough to follow the rules - you must constantly refine your analytical skills. Anyone can learn it with enough time and effort. The best way to improve quickly is to play with experienced players who can explain the nuances, help you understand complex situations, and share effective strategies. Over time, you’ll make faster decisions, evaluate your cards and contracts more accurately, and feel more confident at the table. Let every game be a lesson and every win a motivation to keep progressing.
