Shedding · Reviewed 2026-10-18
Mustamaija card game: players, deck & rules
Attack and cover cards while avoiding the unbeatable queen of spades at the end.
Version used: Finnish Mustamaija, with a non-spade trump suit
- Players
- 2 to 6
- Deck
- 52 cards; no jokers
- Learning
- Moderate
Get rid of your cards; the last player holding cards loses.
Need a term explained? Suit, rank, trick, trump and meld.
Deal and establish trump
- Use A high down to 2, with the special Q♠ rule below. Deal five each. Left of dealer attacks the next player clockwise. Every attack consists of one or more cards in a single suit.
- Before the first refill, turn the stock’s top card for trump; bury any spade and try again. Leave the trump indicator under the stock to be drawn last.
Attack, defend and refill
- Attacker lays the attack, then immediately draws up to five. Defender may cover each card with a higher same-suit card, or a trump over a non-trump.
- Discard covered pairs; defender takes uncovered cards, then refills to five. If all were covered, defender attacks next. Taking any skips that player’s attack; their left neighbour attacks instead.
The queen and the empty stock
Q♠ cannot beat anything and cannot be beaten. When stock is empty, stop refilling and never attack with more cards than defender holds. Empty hands leave play. The final player with cards loses; there is no point score.
Worked example
Clubs are trump. You attack 6♥ and 10♥. Defender covers them with 8♥ and 3♣, discards both pairs, refills and becomes the next attacker. A queen of spades could not cover either attack card.
Finish the attack before drawing
Do not refill and then add newly drawn cards to the same attack. Keep covered pairs together until both players agree which cards remain uncovered. Near the end, count defender’s cards before laying an attack so you do not exceed the limit.
Rule sources and version notes
Rules checked on 2026-10-18. The named version above is the one taught here. Examples and learning suggestions are written for this guide.