How to play Belote
Just want the rules? Read the complete Belote rulebook.
Belote is France's most played card game - a 32-card trick-taker where the jack and nine of trumps rule the table. You and Salka face Fannar and Örn. Everyone gets 5 cards and one is turned face up: in the first round you may take that suit as trump; if all four pass, round two lets you name any other suit. Taking is a commitment - your team must score at least half the points of the hand (there are 162, counting the 10-point last trick) or the defenders take everything.
- Trump order - Jack (20), Nine (14), Ace, Ten, King, Queen, 8, 7. Plain suits: Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7.
- Belote-rebelote - the king and queen of trumps together are 20 points, always.
- Declarations - a tierce (20), quarte (50), quinte (100) or four of a kind (up to 200 for jacks) held at the deal scores for the team with the best one.
- Click or drag - tap a highlighted card or drag it to the middle of the table.
Strategy tips that win more points
- Count to 82 before you take. The jack of trumps plus the nine is 34 points and usually two tricks; with an outside ace you're close to a safe contract. Taking on hope is how you go dedans.
- Lead trumps as the taker. Pull two rounds of trumps early so your aces and tens live; defenders should instead lead their short suits.
- Feed your partner fat cards. When your partner is winning a trick, throw your ten or ace on it ("smearing") - tens are 10 points each and must be cashed somewhere.
- Remember the nine. Once the jack of trumps has been played, the nine is the boss card. Whoever holds it controls the endgame.
- Use the belote as a tiebreaker. King-queen of trumps is 20 free points that count toward your contract - it turns a marginal take into a sound one.
Frequently asked questions
What are the rules of Belote?
Belote is a French trick-taking game for four players in two teams, played with 32 cards (7 up to ace). Each player gets 5 cards and one card is turned face up. In the first round of bidding each player may take that suit as trump or pass; in the second round they may name any other suit. The taker picks up the turned card, everyone is dealt up to 8 cards, and the taking team must score at least as many points as the defenders across the 8 tricks. The game is played to 1000 points.
What is the card order in Belote?
In the trump suit the order is Jack (20 points), Nine (14), Ace (11), Ten (10), King (4), Queen (3), Eight, Seven. In the other suits it is Ace (11), Ten (10), King (4), Queen (3), Jack (2), Nine, Eight, Seven. The whole deck is worth 152 points, and the team that wins the last trick gets 10 more - the "dix de der" - for a total of 162 per hand.
What does belote-rebelote mean?
A player who holds both the king and queen of trumps announces "belote" when playing the first of them and "rebelote" on the second, scoring 20 points for their team. Belote-rebelote always counts, even when the team loses the hand.
What are declarations (tierce, quarte, quinte) in Belote?
Declarations are combinations held at the start of play: a tierce (3-card same-suit run) is worth 20, a quarte (4 cards) 50, a quinte (5 cards) 100, and four of a kind scores 100-200 (jacks 200, nines 150, others 100). Only the team with the single best declaration scores its declarations. Runs use the natural order A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7, and one card can never be part of two declarations.
When do you have to play a trump in Belote?
You must always follow suit if you can, and on a trump lead you must beat the highest trump played so far if possible. If you cannot follow a plain suit, you must trump - overtrumping an opponent who already trumped, or undertrumping if that is all you have. The only exception: when your partner is currently winning the trick, you may discard anything.
What happens if the taking team fails in Belote?
Going "dedans" (inside) is expensive: the defenders score all 162 points of the hand plus every declaration that was scored, while the takers get nothing except a belote-rebelote if they held it. Winning every trick is a "capot", worth 252 points instead of 162.
More free card games
Belote's trump-and-melds cousins are worth a look: Pinochle plays the same "point cards in tricks plus melds" idea with a 48-card deck, and Skat is the German three-player answer. For a gentler trick-taking start, try Whist.