31 Fireworks

The Emperor wants the most entertaining fireworks festival to celebrate the end of the summer and his 31th birthday. He has made it known that there will be a competition for teams to show off their best firework routines to be included in the grand celebration. There are four major types of fireworks in use, and the debate over which type of firework is superior can be fierce. Are the heart shape fireworks the best? Or maybe it is the trefoils? Of course, balance is also important, and showing mastery of that aspect is to be rewarded as well. Each week, the teams submit bids (well, bribes) to the Chancellor for the opportunity to show off their firework routine. The team who makes the highest bid has the best chance to impress the Chancellor as they get to choose the dominant firework shape for the trial, but the penalty for failure is high. If you fail too many times, you won’t be able to participate in the festival at all! 31 Fireworks is a trick taking game that rewards aggressive bidding as well as clever card play. Winning the bid allows you to determine trump, and just under half of the points available each hand are from the trump suit. The dealer has a small advantage in that they get the final bid and they can also force a second round of bidding - but this is not without risk - they could get stuck making a bid higher than they would like! Teams that win the bid more often should have a better chance to score points, but if you are overly aggressive, there is a steep penalty for missing your bid three times. Unlike most trick taking games, trump can be played at any time. This definitely changes how you will approach the course of the tricks. Four of the five suits are shorter than usual (only 10 cards), so players will be void sooner than you think. The best partnerships will be able to provide useful cards to each other when one of them wins a trick.