The ace: which suit to ask for

What the ace does

In Romanian Macao an ace goes on any card, unless an attack or a skip is open, and names the suit. The next player has to follow that suit or play another ace, which names it again. When one of the cards you can play is an ace, your turn clock gives you 5 extra seconds to choose.

On the pileNames spadesThe next player follows

Name what you hold

Most of the time, name the suit you hold most of. It keeps your next turn open, and it saves the ace’s best use: getting rid of a hand that matches nothing.

Name what they lack

Watch who draws on which suit. When the player after you keeps drawing whenever hearts is on top, hearts is the suit to ask for: they draw again, and you’re a turn closer.

In Polish Makao

The ace still names the suit, but it no longer goes on anything: it has to match the top card by suit or rank, like any other card.