Process for the production of paper, board and cardboard by draining a paper stock with sheet formation in the presence of a retention aid system comprising (i) at least one polymer comprising vinylamine units, in the form of the free bases, of the salts and/or in quaternized form, as the sole cationic polymer, (ii) at least one linear, anionic polymer having a molar mass Mw of at least 1 million and/or at least one branched, anionic, water-soluble polymer and/or bentonite and/or silica gel and (iii) at least one particulate, anionic, crosslinked, organic polymer having a mean particle diameter of at least 1 μm and an intrinsic viscosity of less than 3 dl/g, and use of the retention aid system comprising the components (i), (ii) and (iii) as an additive in the production of paper, board and cardboard.