A handful is a bonus for a player who holds many trumps. Before playing their first card, they may display a set of trumps to prove they meet a threshold. Announcing a handful is optional, and it reveals useful information to everyone at the table.
| Handful | 3 players | 4 players | 5 players | Bonus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single | 13 trumps | 10 trumps | 8 trumps | 20 points |
| Double | 15 | 13 | 10 | 30 points |
| Triple | 18 | 15 | 13 | 40 points |
Showing the handful
The displayed handful must contain exactly the required number of trumps. If you have more, keep the extra trumps hidden. The trumps are normally shown in order. The Excuse can stand in for one missing trump only when the player has no other trump in hand; if you have enough actual trumps, show those and keep the Excuse aside.
Who receives the bonus?
The bonus goes to the side that wins the hand, not necessarily the player who declared it. If the taker declares a handful but fails the contract, the defence receives the bonus. If a defender shows a handful and the taker succeeds, the taker receives it. The handful bonus is not multiplied by the contract.
Example
At four players, a taker wins Guard with a single handful and takes the Petit at the end. The handful adds 20 points. The Petit-at-the-End bonus is 10 × 2 = 20. These bonuses are added to the signed result before the unit score is distributed around the table.