The radelc: a circle that changes everything

What is a radelc?

A radelc (also radlc, or radl) is a small circle drawn on the score sheet for every player whenever something big happens: after each klop and after the big games: berač, solo brez, colour valat, valat. The circle is no ornament: while you carry one, the value of your next declared game is doubled. Win double, lose double.

When you play your game under a radelc, the circle is crossed out. Win, and you cross it out grinning. Lose, and you cross it out too, only more quietly.

Why it is genius

The radelc is a small mechanism with a big effect: it forces you to play. Whoever would rather hide behind "pass" all evening will sooner or later have to declare a game with that circle overhead, or watch someone else's game cross it out for them, at double loss. That is why the table comes alive after every klop: four circles mean four players with itchy fingers.

That is the whole wisdom of the old rules: a reward for courage, a fine for hiding, and a guarantee that no session ever falls asleep.

The radelc in Tarok 124

In Tarok 124 the radelc keeps itself: the circle appears by your name, the doubling is scored automatically, and it is crossed out at the right game. The paper is gone; the ritual stays. The bots get their circles too, and believe us: Miha with a radelc bids differently from Miha without one.

A trifle? Perhaps. But tarok is woven from exactly such trifles: from little circles, a kontra at the right moment, and a pagat waiting for the last trick.