In card and board gaming, “the talon” refers to a reserved set of cards that players have not yet seen or used. The talon typically serves a specific purpose within the game’s mechanics.

1. Card Games:
   • Tarot: In Tarot card games, the talon refers to the stack of undealt cards placed face-down on the table after each player has received their initial cards.
   • Bridge: In the card game Bridge, the talon refers to the remainder of the deck after the bidding phase. The declarer (the player who won the bidding) can choose to use the cards from the talon to improve their hand.
   • Piquet: In Piquet, an older card game, the talon refers to the six cards that are not dealt to either player and are placed face-down on the table.
2. Board Games:
   • Shogi: In Japanese chess, known as Shogi, the term “talon” is used to refer to the player’s reserve pieces that have been captured from the opponent and can be reintroduced into play.
   • Mahjong: In Mahjong, a traditional Chinese game, the talon refers to the stack of tiles that remain after all players have drawn their starting tiles. Players take turns drawing tiles from the talon during the game.
   • Rummy: In some variations of Rummy, the talon is the stockpile of face-down cards from which players can draw during their turn.

The purpose of the talon can vary widely depending on the specific game. It may serve as a source of additional resources, a way to introduce uncertainty, or a method of redistributing cards or pieces in the course of play. The specific rules governing the use of the talon will be defined by the rules of each individual game.