Belote

France’s favorite. Take the turn-up, chase the jack and nine of trump, and outscore the other pair. 4 players, in partnerships.

Also known as Belot.

Who To Play With

or
bots

How to play Belote

  1. 1Four players in two partnerships, using the 7s through aces (32 cards). Each player gets five cards and the next card is turned face up.
  2. 2Starting left of the dealer, each player may take the turn-up, making its suit trump, or pass. If all four pass, everyone gets a second chance to name any other suit as trump. If nobody does, the hand is thrown in and the next player deals.
  3. 3Whoever takes gets the turn-up and two more cards; everyone else gets three more, so all hold eight.
  4. 4Trumps rank J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Other suits rank A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7.
  5. 5The player left of the dealer leads. Follow suit if you can. If you can't, you must trump, unless your partner is already winning the trick. Whenever you play a trump, go higher than the best trump in the trick if you can.
  6. 6Cards are worth points: jack of trump 20, nine of trump 14, aces 11, tens 10, kings 4, queens 3, other jacks 2. The last trick is worth 10 more, so each hand holds 162.
  7. 7Holding the king and queen of trump is worth 20 extra, called out as you play them.
  8. 8The taker's team must score more than the other team. If they do, both teams keep their points. If not, they score nothing and the other team scores all 162. Taking every trick is worth 252.
  9. 9The first team to 501 points wins.

More trick-taking games

All 220 games, free, in your browser.