The origins of six-bid solo lie with an old south German game called German Tarok (Deutschtarok)[1] which arose in the desire to play the tarot card game of Grosstarock with German-suited, non-tarot cards.

[2] One offshoot was the game of Tapp, played in Württemberg and Swabia, which was essentially German Tarok with French-suited cards.

[5] This mirrored a practice in German Tarok where the Frage contract was left out in many places, something that was "regrettable" because there was much skill involved in playing it.

The rules for six-bid solo first appeared in the 1924 edition of Hoyles Standard Games (HSG) and have hardly changed since.

The cards rank and score, as in most ace–ten games, as follows:[7] Deal and play are clockwise.

Players may not change their announced bid unless overcalled in which case they must immediately raise or pass.

[13] In a Spread Misère, the bidder's hand is laid down, face up, after the other two players have played their first card.

[14] The 1940 Official Rules subtitle progressive solo as the "Denver Athletic Club variation" without substantiating the statement.

Once all bar one have passed,[c] the player left in becomes the 'bidder' and must play the highest contract announced.

In a Frog, the bidder picks up and exchanges with the widow before laying away the three discards, face down, to one side.

[d] The tariffs, which are multiplied by any doubling or redoubling, are shown in the summary table below:[14] In addition, there may be two pots – one for Frog and one for the Solos – to which players ante an agreed amount each deal.