Belote is a free online version of the French national card game, played four-handed in partnerships with you and North against West and East. A 32-card deck, sevens through aces, and two rank orders running at once: in trumps the jack is the highest card and worth 20, the nine is second and worth 14; in every other suit the ace leads and the jack is worth two. A hand starts with five cards each and one turned face up. In the first round of bidding anyone may take that card and make its suit trumps; if everybody passes, a second round lets you name any other suit instead. The taker keeps the turned card, everyone is dealt back up to eight, and whoever holds the best sequence or four of a kind declares it for their side — a tierce is 20, a quarte 50, a quinte 100, four jacks 200. The king and queen of trumps in one hand is a belote, worth 20 more when both are played. Then eight tricks under the obligation rules: follow suit, trump if you cannot and an opponent is winning, and overtrump where you can. The side that took the bid must make 82 of the 162 on the table, or it goes down and the defenders take everything. First side to 501 wins.
How to play Belote
- Press Play. Everyone gets five cards and one more is turned face up in the middle. You partner North; West and East are the other side.
- In the first round, you may take the turned card and make its suit trumps. Taking means your side has to score 82 of the 162 on the table.
- If all four pass, a second round lets you name any suit except the turned one. The dealer must take in that round rather than let the deal die.
- Once someone takes, the taker keeps the turned card and everyone is dealt back up to eight.
- Learn the two rank orders. In trumps: jack (20), nine (14), ace (11), ten (10), king (4), queen (3), eight, seven. In every other suit: ace (11), ten (10), king (4), queen (3), jack (2), nine, eight, seven.
- The best sequence or four of a kind in the whole deal scores for its side: tierce 20, quarte 50, quinte 100, four jacks 200, four nines 150, other fours 100. Sequences use the ordinary order, so the jack is not high for a run.
- Holding the king and queen of trumps is a belote. It is worth 20, and it only scores if you play both of them.
- Playing a trick: follow the led suit if you can. If the suit led is trumps you must also play a higher trump than the one winning when you hold one.
- If you cannot follow, you must trump — unless your partner is already winning the trick, in which case you may throw anything. If you have to trump and can overtrump, you must.
- Only the legal cards in your hand light up, so the obligation rules never need memorising while you play.
- The last trick is worth 10 extra. If the taking side ends short of 82 it goes down, and every point on the table goes to the other side. First to 501 wins the game.
Tips
- Bid on trumps, not on points. Five trumps headed by the jack and nine is a take; three aces in plain suits and no trumps is not.
- The jack and nine of trumps are 34 points between them. Losing either to an opponent's trump is usually the hand.
- Lead a plain ace early. It almost always takes the trick, and it stops the card being trumped later when the other side is void.
- Count trumps as they fall. There are only eight, and once they are gone your plain aces and tens are safe to cash.
- When your partner is winning a trick, throw your ten or ace onto it. Those ten and eleven points are only safe when your own side takes them.
- Do not take the bid to stop the opponents. Going down hands them 162 plus their declarations, which is far worse than letting them make 85.
- A belote is 20 points you cannot lose — but you must play both cards, so do not keep the queen of trumps back so long that the hand ends with it in your hand.
- The last trick is worth 10, which is more than most tricks. Keep one certain winner back for it if you can afford to.
FAQ
Is Belote free to play?
Yes. It runs free in your browser with no download, no install and no account. Nothing is wagered and nothing pays out.
What order do the cards rank in?
Two orders at once. In trumps: jack, nine, ace, ten, king, queen, eight, seven. In every other suit: ace, ten, king, queen, jack, nine, eight, seven. The trump jack and nine being top is what makes Belote feel different from other trick games.
What are the cards worth?
Trump jack 20, trump nine 14, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, plain jack 2, nines eights and sevens nothing. That is 152, plus 10 for the last trick — 162 on the table every hand.
What happens if the taking side falls short?
It goes down — *dedans* — and every point on the table goes to the defenders along with their own declarations. That is why taking a weak hand to block the other side is usually a mistake.
How do declarations work?
Only the best one in the whole deal scores, and it scores for that player's side. Sequences use the ordinary rank order rather than the trump one, and four sevens or eights are worth nothing.
What is belote-rebelote?
Holding the king and queen of trumps in one hand. It is worth 20, announced as you play the first of them and again on the second — and it only counts if you actually play both.
Do I have to trump if I cannot follow suit?
Yes, unless your partner is already winning the trick. And if you must trump and can play a higher trump than the one winning, you must. The game only lights up the legal cards, so you cannot break the rule by accident.
How long is a game?
Hands are dealt until one side passes 501, which usually takes three or four. Each hand is eight tricks and takes a couple of minutes.