Piquet

The French classic for two with 32 cards. Exchange from the talon, score your point, sequences and sets, then fight for the tricks over six deals. 2 players.

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How to play Piquet

  1. 1A classic French game for two with 32 cards: Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack and 10 down to 7 in each suit. Each player gets twelve cards and the other eight lie face down as the talon. The non-dealer is the elder hand and the dealer the younger. A hand dealt with no King, Queen or Jack is a blank hand and scores 10 at once.
  2. 2The exchange: the elder hand must throw away one to five cards face down and take the same number from the top of the talon. Then the younger hand may throw away and take up to as many cards as are left there, or keep their hand.
  3. 3Then both hands are compared in three ways, and only the better hand scores each. Point: your longest suit scores 1 per card (equal lengths go to the higher card total, counting Ace 11, picture cards 10 and the rest their number). Sequence: three or more cards in a row in one suit. The longest wins (the higher top card breaks a tie), and its holder scores every run they have: 3 for three, 4 for four, and 10 plus the length for five or more. Sets: three or four Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks or 10s. Four of a kind beats three, then higher ranks beat lower, and the winner scores 3 for each three of a kind and 14 for each four. When the best holdings are exactly equal, neither player scores.
  4. 4The elder hand leads to the first trick. Follow suit if you can, otherwise play any card. There are no trumps: the higher card of the suit led wins, and the winner leads next. You score 1 for each card you lead, 1 for winning a trick the other player led, and 1 more for the last trick. Taking seven or more tricks scores 10 for the cards, and taking all twelve scores 40 instead.
  5. 5Reach 30 from your combinations before the other player has scored anything in the deal and you add 60 (a repique). If the elder hand reaches 30 counting combinations and play before the younger hand has scored, they add 30 (a pique).
  6. 6The deal alternates, and after 6 deals the higher total wins. If the totals are level, play another deal.

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