Belote
How to play Belote
Belote is a trick-taking card game for four players in two partnerships, played with 32 cards, in which the bidding decides the trumps and which side has to make the contract.
Belote with a computer partner against two computer players, under Bulgarian rules to 151 points.
About Belote
The Bulgarian game deals five cards to each player, three and then two, before the bidding and three more after it, divides every total by ten and is played to 151 points.
The bidding starts with the player to the dealer's right. From lowest to highest the bids are clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, No trumps and All trumps, and each bid must be higher than the one before. It ends when three players pass in a row after a bid. If all four pass without a bid, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
A player may double a bid made by the other side, and the bidders may then redouble. A higher bid after a double replaces it, and the double no longer counts.
In All trumps every suit ranks and scores as a trump suit, and you must play a higher card of the suit led whenever you can. In No trumps every suit ranks and scores as a plain suit, you only have to follow suit, and there are no declarations.
In a suit contract, if you cannot follow suit and an opponent is winning the trick, you must play a trump if you have one. If an opponent has already trumped, you must play a higher trump if you can, and otherwise you may play any card. If your partner is winning the trick, you may play any card.
A card counts in only one declaration. A run of six or seven cards is one quint, and a run of all eight is a quint and a tierce.
Declarations are shown after the first trick. Sequences and fours of a kind are compared separately. Only the side with the best sequence scores its sequences, and if the best on each side are equal, no sequence scores. Only the side with the best four of a kind scores its fours of a kind.
The king and queen of trumps in one hand are a belot, worth 20 points whatever the other declarations. It is announced as you play the first of the two, when that card leads the trick, follows the suit led or trumps it. In All trumps a king and queen of any suit can be a belot, and one of them thrown on a trick of another suit loses it. There are no belots in No trumps.
The goal of Belote
Belote is a trick-taking game for four players in two partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. You play with a computer partner against two computer players. Each hand the bidding decides the trumps and which side has to make the contract, and the first side to reach the target score wins.
How to set up Belote
Belote is played with 32 cards, the seven to the ace of each suit, and every player ends up with eight. In the Bulgarian game, French Belote and Bela some are dealt before trumps are chosen and the rest after, while Coinche deals all eight first. The deal and the play go counter-clockwise, and the deal passes to the next player after every hand.
Belote rules
The player to the dealer's right bids first and leads the first trick, and whoever wins a trick leads the next.
In the trump suit the cards rank jack, nine, ace, ten, king, queen, eight, seven, and are worth 20, 14, 11, 10, 4 and 3, with nothing for the eight and seven. In the other suits they rank ace, ten, king, queen, jack, nine, eight, seven, and are worth 11, 10, 4, 3 and 2, with nothing for the rest. In a suit contract that makes 152 points in the cards, and the last trick adds 10 for 162.
You must follow the suit led if you can. When trumps are led, you must play a higher trump than any in the trick if you have one, even when your partner is winning. When you cannot follow suit, the rules you play decide when you must trump.
A sequence of three cards in one suit, in the order seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king, ace, is a tierce worth 20, four is a quarte worth 50, and five is a quint worth 100. In a suit contract four jacks are worth 200, four nines 150, and four aces, tens, kings or queens 100.
You announce your declarations as you play your first card, and a declaration you do not announce does not score. They are shown after the first trick and compared, and the side with the weaker declarations does not score them.
The king and queen of trumps in one hand are worth 20 points, whichever side has the better declarations. The pair is called belot in the Bulgarian game, belote in French Belote and Coinche, and bela in Bela.
Belote scoring
This is how the Bulgarian game is scored. French Belote and Bela keep every point rather than dividing by ten, and Coinche rounds each side's points to the nearest ten.
A hand in a suit contract is worth 162 points: 152 in the cards and 10 for the last trick. All trumps is worth 258, and in No trumps the card points and the last trick count double, for 260. A side that takes all eight tricks makes a valat and scores 90 more.
Each side adds its card points, its declarations and its belots. If the bidders have more than their opponents, each side scores its own points. If they have fewer, they are inside: the opponents score every point of the hand, the bidders' declarations included, and the bidders score nothing.
If the two sides are equal, the opponents score their own points and the bidders' points are left hanging. They go to whichever side wins the next hand.
In a doubled hand, the side with more points scores the whole hand, declarations and valat included, times two, or times four after a redouble. If a doubled hand is tied, all of its points are left hanging.
Points are divided by ten and rounded to game points. In a suit contract a last digit of 6 or more rounds up, and in All trumps and No trumps 5 or more. When both sides end on 6 in a suit contract, or on 4 in All trumps, the lower total rounds up and the higher down, so 56 and 106 score 6 and 10.
How to win at Belote
The game ends after a hand in which a side reaches 151 points, and if both sides do, the higher score wins. If the scores are equal, play goes on. A hand won by a valat, or one that leaves points hanging, cannot end the game, so another hand is played.
French Belote is played to 501 points, Coinche to 1000 and Bela to 1001.
Belote strategy tips
Bid a suit when you hold its jack and nine, or several of its cards with aces on the side. The jack and nine of trumps are worth 34 points between them and win most tricks.
No trumps suits a hand of aces and tens, since every card point counts double. All trumps suits a hand with jacks and nines in several suits.
Double only when you expect your side to take more points than the bidders, since a doubled hand gives the whole score to one side.
When your partner is winning a trick and you may choose your card, give them a ten or an ace to add its points to your side.
Belote questions and answers
How many points is a game of Belote?
The Bulgarian game goes to 151 game points, French Belote to 501, Coinche to 1000 and Bela to 1001. The Bulgarian game divides each hand's points by ten, so a suit contract is worth 16 game points before declarations, belots, the valat bonus and doubles. The other three keep every point, so a hand is worth 162 or more, rounded to 160 in Coinche.
What is belot in Belote?
A belot is the king and queen of trumps held by one player. It is worth 20 points, is announced when the first of the two is played, and is not compared with the other declarations, so it counts whichever side has the better ones. In All trumps the king and queen of any suit can make a belot, and in No trumps there are none. In Bela a side that takes no trick loses its belas to the other side.
What beats what in Belote declarations?
In the Bulgarian game sequences and fours of a kind are compared separately: a quint beats a quarte and a quarte beats a tierce, a higher top card breaks a tie, and among fours of a kind jacks beat nines, then aces, tens, kings and queens. In French Belote and Coinche the single best declaration at the table decides, and a four of a kind beats a sequence worth the same. In Bela each side's best declaration is compared, and a tie goes to the side whose player comes first from the dealer's right.
What is a valat in Belote?
A valat is taking all eight tricks of a hand. In the Bulgarian game it adds 90 points to that side, not doubled in No trumps, and a hand won by a valat cannot end the game, so at least one more hand is played. French Belote, where it is called a capot, and Bela add 90 for it too, while in Coinche the side counts 250 for its cards instead of 162.
What does inside mean in Belote?
The bidders are inside when they end a hand with fewer points than their opponents, counting declarations and belots. The opponents then score every point of the hand and the bidders score nothing. If the two sides are exactly equal, the bidders' points are left hanging instead.
Can you double in Belote?
In the Bulgarian game and in Coinche, yes. A player may double a bid made by the other side, which Coinche calls a coinche, and the bidders may then redouble. A doubled hand is scored as one total, twice as much or four times after a redouble, for the side that won it. French Belote and Bela have no doubling.
How is Coinche scored?
The bidders make their contract when they take at least 82 card points and their card points, declarations and belote reach the bid, or every trick on a capot bid. They then score their points plus the bid, and the defenders score theirs, each rounded to the nearest ten. If the bidders fail, the defenders score 160, the bid and every counted declaration, and the bidders keep only their belote. A side that takes every trick counts 250 for its cards, so a capot bid is worth 500 made or lost. After a coinche the winning side's score is doubled, or multiplied by four after a surcoinche.
How do you bid in French Belote?
After five cards each, one card is turned face up. In the first round each player may take its suit as trumps or pass, and if all four pass, a second round lets them name any other suit. The first player to take gets the turned card and two more, the others get three, and if everyone passes twice the next player deals again.
How are trumps chosen in Bela?
Each player holds six cards and two hidden ones. Starting to the dealer's right, each player may name a suit or pass, once, and the dealer must name one if the other three pass. Everyone then picks up their two hidden cards.
What cards are used in Belote?
Belote uses 32 cards: the seven, eight, nine, ten, jack, queen, king and ace of each suit. The twos to sixes are left out, and each player holds eight cards once the deal is complete.