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How is the fool used in tarot games?

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euchre — playing cards Euchre hand with the five highest cards if spades are trump.

In tarot games, the role of the fool (also known as the excuse) varies depending on the regional version of the game being played:

As an Excuse: In French, Italian, Danish, and some Swiss games, the fool is an unnumbered card that can be played at any time in place of following suit. Its primary function in these games is to prevent the loss of a high-scoring card that a player might otherwise be forced to play.1
As a Trump: In German, Austrian, and other central European games, the fool functions as the highest trump card. In this context, it effectively acts as trump number XXII, despite remaining unnumbered.1

Regardless of its specific function, the fool is typically considered one of the most valuable cards in the deck, often carrying a point value of five in the game's scoring system.1