Belote Rules: The Complete Guide

Game Overview

Belote is a popular card game primarily played in France, with roots tracing back to Jewish communities worldwide and the Dutch game Klaverjassen. It is a point-trick taking game that can be played by 2, 3, or 4 players, with the 4-player version being the most engaging. A 32-card deck (A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7) is required to play Belote.

Objective

The primary objective in Belote is to score points by winning tricks and holding specific card combinations called declarations. The team with the highest score at the end of the game wins.

Setup

1. Players form two teams of two partners, with partners sitting across from each other.
2. The direction of play is anti-clockwise.
3. The pack is never shuffled at Belote. The player before the dealer in rotation (left of the dealer) cuts the pack.
4. The dealer gives a set of three cards to each player, then another set of two cards, and turns the next card face up.
5. The player after the dealer in rotation (right of the dealer) can "take", or choose the turn-up card suit as a trump, or pass. If this player passes, the next player can take or pass, and so on around the table.
6. If all 4 players pass, each in turn has a second chance to take, choosing a trump suit other than that of the face-up card. If all players pass a second time, the cards are collected together, and the next player in rotation deals.
7. As soon as a player takes (in the first or second round of bidding), the bidding ends. The taker is given the turn-up card (whether it is a trump or not) and the deal resumes. Each player except the taker is dealt a further packet of three cards, and the taker is dealt only two cards.

How to Play

Declarations

Declarations are special card combinations that give players extra points. There are three types of declarations:

1. Four of a kind (Carré in French, or "square"): Four cards of the same rank.
2. Four Jacks (Jack à Belote): Worth 200 points.
3. Four Nines (Neuf à Belote): Worth 150 points.
4. Four Aces, Tens, Kings, Queens: Worth 100 points.
5. Four Eights and Four Sevens are not counted.
6. Sequences from 3 to 5 cards of the same suit: The ranking of cards for sequences is by descending order: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7.
7. Three cards: Worth 20 points.
8. Four cards: Worth 50 points.
9. Five cards: Worth 100 points.
10. Belote and Rebelote (King and Queen of trumps): Worth 20 points together.

The Play

1. The next player in rotation after the dealer (right of the dealer) leads a card.
2. Subsequent players must follow suit if they can.
3. If the card led is trump, subsequent players must not only follow suit but also play a trump card that beats all previous cards if they can, whoever holds the trick at this stage.
4. If a player is unable to follow to a non-trump suit, and an opponent is currently winning the trick, they must trump if they can, otherwise they may discard any card.
5. If a player's partner is currently winning the trick, they are free to either trump or discard any card.
6. If a player is the third or the fourth to play, and is unable to follow a non-trump suit, and the opponent just before them has trumped, they must overtrump if they can.
7. If a player has trumps but is unable to overtrump, they must still play a trump, although they do not benefit from doing so. This is termed "undertrumping", or "pisser" in French Belote jargon.
8. If the fourth player is unable to follow suit to a plain suit lead, and their partner is winning the trick (because the third player either discarded or undertrumped), the fourth player may either discard (even if they hold trump) or overtrump.
9. To summarize, you must always follow suit, if unable to follow you must trump unless your partner is winning the trick (in French: le partenaire est maître), and whenever playing a trump you must beat the highest trump in the trick if possible.
10. The player who won the trick has the lead to the next one.
11. The last trick counts 10 points for the team who wins it. This is called "Dix de Der" in French. The point total including these 10 is 162 points.

Scoring and End of Game

1. The tricks taken by each team are added to the team's scoring declarations.
2. If the team who "took" wins at least as many points as the other team, the taking team has made its contract, and both teams add their scores into their column.
3. If the taker's team's points are less than those of the opponents, the takers are "dedans" (inside), and the opponents score 162 points plus the losing team's declarations, if any, plus their own declarations.
4. If the team who took wins all the tricks, that team scores 100 points instead of the Dix de Der, giving a total of 252 points plus declarations. This situation is called "Capot" in French ( "être capot" for the victims, "mettre capot" for the winners). The team which took no tricks forfeits their own declarations other than Belote-Rebelote, if any.
5. In some exceptional cases, it turns out that the team who took wins no tricks at all. Despite the likely derision in this case, the other team wins only the regular 252 points, plus all the declarations of both teams.
6. The winning team is the first to reach a total of 1000 points. If both sides reach 1000 points on the same hand, the game is drawn.

Common Variants

1. People often play the whole game clockwise, rather than anti-clockwise.
2. Some play that the dealer is free to either follow the dealing scheme described above or deal the sets of 2 cards first.
3. Declarations can be made and shown as soon as they are made, rather than following the etiquette.

Where to Get the Game

Start your Belote journey with a jeu de belote coinchée on Amazon.

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Failing to follow suit when able to do so.
2. Not attempting to trump when needed to win the trick.
3. Forgetting to count the Dix de Der (last trick) points.
4. Not being mindful of the declarations of both teams, especially Belote-Rebelote.

FAQ

1. Q: Can I play Belote with fewer than 4 players? A: Yes, you can play Belote with 2 or 3 players, but the game dynamics and strategies might differ.

2. Q: What happens if all players pass in the bidding phase? A: If all players pass in the bidding phase, the cards are collected, and the next player in rotation deals the new hand.

3. Q: Can I play Belote with a deck of 52 cards? A: No, Belote requires a 32-card deck.

4. Q: How do I determine the trump suit if I'm the one dealing? A: If you're the dealer, you can choose the trump suit by "taking" during the bidding phase or by dealing the sets of 2 cards first, if allowed by the variant you're playing.

5. Q: Can I make a declaration during the game? A: Declarations can be made and shown as soon as they are made, but it's considered more polite to wait until the end of the game to reveal them.