Shelem
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| Shelem (card game) | |
|---|---|
| The game of Shelem | |
| Type | trick-taking |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Age range | 14+ |
| Deck | 52-card |
| Cards | Anglo-American |
| Play | Counter-clockwise |
| Card rank (highest to lowest) |
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Origin | Persia |
| Related games | Hokm, Spade, Rook |
| Random chance | Low - high depending on variant played |
| Skills required | Memory, Tactics, Communication |
Shelem(Persian: شلم Shělěm) is a trick-taking card game, created in south of Iran, with four players in groups of two, bidding and competing against each other. It is similar to Spades and Hokm but there is a bidding and trump is declared every hand by the bidding winner. Both the name and the point structure of this game are similar to the American game Rook that there must be a connection between the two games. It is not clear as how this came about or which game is derived from the other.[1]
Contents |
[edit] Gameplay and Mechanics
The basic deck consists of 52 cards in four suits is used. The rules to Shelem is a matter of dispute but the following rules are widely used. [2] The disputes have been mentioned as occurred. Dealing and play proceed counter-clockwise. The final object of the game is to be the first team to reach pre-agreed winning points by capturing cards with a point value in tricks. If both teams have over wining points at the end of a round, the team with the higher point in total wins.
Only certain cards have a point value. These are known as Châgh cards. Each 5 is worth 5 points, each 10 and ace is worth 10 points.
[edit] Arrangement
The players are organized into two teams of two players each, sitting opposite each other. Players must keep their hands secret from all other players, including their team-mates. Partners can be decided voluntarily or by dealing the cards until two aces set the partners.
[edit] Dealing
Each player picks one card from the deck and the player with the highest value card becomes the dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck, but the shuffling shouldn't be as a riffle shuffling. Then the dealer deals all of the cards, 12 cards to each player. After every player but the dealer has received his or her 12 cards, the dealer shall set aside 4 cards called as Zamin then the rest 12 cards are for the dealer.
[edit] Bidding
When the dealing is finished, the players start bidding according to their estimation of their hand's value. Bidding starts from the player next to the dealer to the right. It continues counter-clockwise. The minimum bid is 100 points and the increments of bidding to is 5 points. First player shall bid at least 100 points. If the player believes that his/her hand is not worth bidding more than the last bid, the player shall pass to the next player. A player that has passed may not make another bid for the round. The high bidder becomes Hâkem, trump-picker. Hâkem adds the four cards of the Zamin to his or her hand, then lays any four cards out of his/her 16 cards to his side.
[edit] Playing
The bid winner plays the trump at the first trick as an announcement for the trump. Trump leads any card of any suit. Your play must follow suit if able, and any card is legal if you can't follow suit. Highest card of suit led or highest trump takes trick, and trick-taker leads next hand.
The claiming team's goal is to at least get the points declared as their bid. Of course the opponent team's goal is not to let the claiming team achieve their goal.
[edit] Scoring
Aces are worth 10 points and tens are worth 10 points, fives are worth 5 and each trick is worth 5. It adds up to 165 points in total. The result of each hand is recorded and is added up as the team score. The winning score shall be decided in the beginning based on all players agreement. Usually it is set to 1200 points but 330 and 660 are also acceptable.
Some believe that Aces worth 15 points. That will add up all the points to 185. Finally when all cards were played, the total scores of each team is calculated according to the scoring section instruction.
If the bid winner achieved equal or greater than what they bid, their scores is considered and is recorded accordingly. Otherwise the bid amount is deducted from their total score. [means -(bid-amount)]. Some players believe that if the bid-winner team succeeded to get more than they already bid, the scores shall not be considered more than the bid. So only the bid score applies however they achieved higher points.
The non-claiming team simply adds up the scores according to scoring section instruction.
[edit] Yâsâ
If the claiming team could not even achieve more than half points of the total game points, the result is called Yâsâ and the score of the claiming team would be -165. The score of non-claiming team would be the score that they achieved.
In case of Yâsâ, some people believe that the score of claiming team would be equal to: − 2 * bid In one case(in hotel DAGHOOGHI) a slelem player named kamyar shahdi who was claimer(حاکم),only achieved 25 points and opponents achieved 140 points.
[edit] Shelem
If the claiming team win all cards, it is called "Shelem". The claiming team score will be equal to:2*bid
[edit] Non-Universal Rules - Variations to Rules
N.B. Following rules are not universally adhered to and are used by some players
[edit] Three Passes Rule
If the first, second and the third player pass at the start of the hand, then the hand will be cancelled and the dealer changes, according to the rotation.Of course this is not official and standard in professional players in south of Iran who are the founders of Shelem game.
[edit] Shelem Double
A player can bid Shelem Double which automatically makes the bidder Hâkem. The bidding team must win all hands and will score 700 points in doing so. However, if they fail to win all hands, they will score -700.
[edit] Strategy
Playing strategies of any individual varies with the player's taste. So far the following strategies are recognized:
[edit] Conservative
At the bidding stage, conservative players do not count on the 4 cards initially set aside as well as their team-mate hand.
During the playing, conservative players avoid playing aces of non-trump suite even at their first appearance.
They don't have enough self confidence even holding a Mollali Koor or Hole-Free hand.
They don't Châghz easily.
[edit] Aggressive
Aggressive players sometimes count on the GOD or some spiritual help and they play as 5-year dorm player. They mostly believe that their team-mate or the 4 cards from Zamin will help them miraculously.
[edit] Cheating
Any cheating caught from each team results to deduct the bid from the cheating team total score. Some cheating examples are:
1.Calling a specific card
[edit] Mistake
Depending on the type of mistake, the different treatment is applied:
[edit] Glossary
Khâli kardan
The term is given to the situation were the claiming team doesn't succeed to get their bid value.
Hole
It is a suit or sometimes suits which are the bid winner-player weak points.
Hole-Free
When the bid winner-player has no weakness in its hand. His hand is called Hole-Free hand.
Châgh
It refers to the time when a player play a scored-card (Ace, Ten, Five) on a wining hand of player's team-mate.
Châghz
Means to do Châgh. It is believed that it has been first used by a Metallurgical Engineer in Iran around 2003.
Molali Koor
Literally means: Blind Clergy Ali's Hand It is a hand that Shelems no matter what your team-mate has. This hand is hole-free and usually happens couple of times in a 1200-point tournament.
Jozve Khaan
Literally means: Booklet reader Also known as, refers to players who have read the booklet of Shelem.
Poisson distribution of hands
Refers to the equally distributed hands by means of their power.
5-year dorm player
Refers to players who either dream about having 5-year experiences in playing Shelem or actually played Shelem with kids under 6 for five years.
Head-Shelem
Made up by 5-year dorm players to fool kids. This term is absolutely obsolete in professional Shelem tournaments.
Kodaaaaa
No body knows what this word means. This term is solely used by anonymous player, currently living in Chicago, who does something that nobody expects. Usually it is followed by a special gesture of looking in a certain direction.
Zamin
Literally means: Ground The initially four cards which is being set aside by the dealer.
[edit] See also
[edit] Comments
Regarding: Châghz
It means to do Châgh. It is believed that it has been first used by a Metallurgical Engineer in Iran around 2003. I believe that not to be true. I'm playing shelem for about 10 years and long before 2003 we used Châghidan or Châgh kardan in our playing, meaning to do Châgh. This game is one of the popular card games in Iran, specially among students.
