Belote

How to play Belote

Belote is the card game of France — the one played in every café, kitchen and campsite, and across Belgium and francophone Africa too. It's a partnership trick-taking game with a clever twist: the cards are worth different points depending on whether their suit is trump, and one player's team "takes" the hand by choosing trump and then has to make good on it. Here you partner a bot against two others — or play online with friends: press Play online to be matched, or share a private link to play together.

Play Belote online with friends

Prefer real opponents to the bots? Choose Play online to be matched with other players, or share a private invite link and seat up to four players at the same table — right in your browser, with no account and no app. The server deals every hand and enforces the rules, keeping everyone in sync.

The cards

A 32-card deck (7 up to Ace). Each trick's value depends on trump. In the trump suit the order and points run Jack 20, Nine 14, Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, then 8 and 7 worth nothing. In every plain suit it's Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2, then 9, 8, 7 worth nothing. That's 152 points in the cards, plus 10 for winning the last trick — the dix de der — making 162 to fight over.

Bidding

Everyone gets five cards and one more is turned face-up. Going round, each player may take that up-card's suit as trump, or pass. If all four pass, a second round lets each player name a different suit instead. Whoever takes becomes the taker: their team has chosen trump and must now win more than half the points.

Playing a trick

• You must follow the led suit if you can.
• If you can't follow, you must play a trump (and beat any trump already played, if you're able) — unless your partner is already winning the trick, in which case you may throw any card.
• The highest trump wins; with no trump in the trick, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner leads the next.

Scoring

Add up the points in the tricks each side took. The taker's team must reach at least 82 of the 162 — fall short and they go dedans (down), handing all 162 to the defenders. Holding the King and Queen of trump is belote-rebelote, worth 20 extra. Sweeping all eight tricks is a capot, worth 252. The first team to 1000 points wins.

Strategy

Only take when your trumps are strong — the Jack and Nine of trump are monsters (20 and 14 points), and a hand with both plus an outside Ace is usually worth taking. Lead your plain Aces early to cash them before they get trumped, and save high trumps to capture the fat Tens and Aces your opponents throw. Watch your partner: if they're winning a trick, feed them your points instead of wasting a trump. Tap a card to play it; legal cards are highlighted. N starts a new game.