Barbu, also known as Tafferan, is a trick-taking, compendium card game similar to hearts, in which four players take turns leading seven different sub-games (known as contracts) over the course of 28 deals.

Barbu originated in France in the early 20th century where it was especially popular with university students, and became a prominent game among French bridge players in the 1960s.

[1] The French version of the game was originally played with a stripped deck of 32 cards ranked seven to ace in each suit.

[2] Barbu may be descended from earlier compendium games popular with students and originating in the Austro-Hungarian Empire such as Lorum or Quodlibet.

[1] Four players (no partnerships) use a deck of 52 French suited cards (♠ ♥ ♣ ♦) ranking A (high) K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 (low).

Ravage city is an eighth contract (resulting in a game of 32 deals) where the player who takes the most cards in any one suit scores −24.

Played with ravage city and all other deals, chipoker adds 52 positive points into the game.

This variant is strictly for fun – for example, players will gang up on the leader going into the salade, forgetting their own position.