Let’s Play Belote!

I’m excited to tell you about a fun card game called Belote. It’s a game that you can play with 2 to 4 players. Most people agree that 4 players is the best. When you play with 4 players, you’re in teams of 2. But if you have 2 or 3 players, there are no teams. Each person plays for themselves. In games with 4 players, the teams are always made up of players sitting opposite each other.

In Belote, you and your friends will bid on who gets to choose what suit is the most powerful. You’ll also make declarations about the cards you have. Then, you’ll play a series of tricks. The number of tricks you win and the type of tricks will determine how many points you score. It’s all about strategy and skill!

Getting Set Up

Before you start playing Belote, you’ll need a special deck of cards. You’ll take a regular deck of 52 cards and remove all the cards that are 6 and below. This means you’ll be left with Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s, 9s, 8s, and 7s. These cards will be your new deck!

Belote has a unique way of dealing the cards – no shuffling is involved! Instead, the player sitting to the left of the dealer will cut the deck and distribute the cards.

First, each player will be dealt three cards, followed by two cards in a counterclockwise direction. Once everyone receives their cards, the dealer will place the next card from the deck face up in the center of the play area. This marks the start of the bidding phase.

When we play this card game, the first person to decide what to do is the player sitting to the right of the dealer. They can choose to either take the card in the middle or pass on it. If they decide to take it, they are saying that their team will be the ones trying to win the round. The card in the middle will determine the trump suit, which is the most powerful suit in the game. To successfully complete their contract, they will need to score at least as many points as the other team.

If they pass on the card, the decision moves to the next player in a counterclockwise order. This continues until either someone takes the card or all four players pass on it.

If all players pass, there is another round of bidding. This time, if a player takes the card, their team becomes the taker. They still have to complete the contract from before, but now they get to choose the trump suit. If everyone passes again, the round starts over. All the cards are collected, the dealer passes to the player on their right, and the game continues.

When you decide to take the card, the bidding is finished. You add the card to your hand, and the dealer keeps dealing cards in the same order. Everyone else gets three cards, but you get two. That means all players should end up with a total of eight cards in hand.

The Ranks and Values of Cards

In Belote, the cards are ranked differently depending on suit, and some cards have point values for scoring.

In the trump suit, the ranking goes: Jack (highest), 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, and 7 (lowest). In terms of points, they are worth: 20, 14, 11, 10, 4, 3, and 0 for 8s and 7s, respectively.

In the other suits, the ranking is: Aces (highest), 10s, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 9s, 8s, and 7s (lowest). In terms of points, they are worth: 11, 10, 4, 3, 2, and 0 for 9s, 8s, and 7s, respectively.

Let’s talk about declarations and how they work. Declarations are an important part of playing card games. They help determine the value and ranking of the cards. So, when we have to organize our cards in a certain order, we follow the traditional ranking. This means that Ace is the highest card, followed by King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, and 7 as the lowest.

DECLARATIONS

Now, let’s dive into the different types of declarations. There are three main types: same ranking declarations, sequenced declarations, and Belote and Rebelote declarations. The first two types follow similar rules, while Belote and Rebelote declarations have their own set of guidelines.

Same Ranking Declarations

Squares, also known as ranking declarations, can be declared when you have four cards of the same rank in your hand. However, you can’t use 8s and 7s for this declaration. Each square has a different value. Jacks are worth 200 points, 9s are worth 150 points, and Aces, Kings, Queens, and 10s are worth 100 points.

Sequence Declarations

Sequences are a series of cards with the same suit and in ranking order. A sequence can consist of 3 to 5 cards. If you have a sequence longer than 5 cards, it can still be declared, and it will count as any of the 5-card sequences it includes for ranking purposes. Three-card sequences are worth 20 points, four-card sequences are worth 50 points, and five-card sequences are worth 100 points.

Belote and Rebelote Declarations

Have you ever heard of Belotes and Rebelote? It’s a special move in card games where a player holds both the trump king and queen. It’s pretty cool because it has its own set of rules and scoring system, unlike other declarations. This move is always worth 20 points, which can really make a difference in the game.

Here’s how declarations work:

When it comes to ranking declarations and sequence declarations, there are some guidelines to follow. It’s important to note that only one team can score their declarations, and they get to do so based on when they play their card during the first trick. If a square declaration is made, it outranks a sequence of 5 cards. The ranking for square declarations is also directly tied to the scoring system.

Let me give you an example. Imagine Player A goes first and plays a card while declaring four 10s. Then Player B plays their card and declares a sequence of three. Next, Player C plays their card and declares a sequence of 5. Finally, Player D plays their card and declares four Jacks. After the first round, players can talk and figure out who won the declarations. The losing team can even ask to see the declared cards for confirmation. In this case, Player D comes out on top, and their team gets to score their declarations at the end.

When it comes to playing Belotes and Rebelotes, there’s something unique about these declarations. Unlike other types of declarations, they don’t need to be announced or taken into account during ranking. No matter which team wins the scoring privileges, Belotes and Rebelotes are always counted. To declare a Belote, you simply call it out when the first card of the pair is played. And when the second card is played to complete the declaration, it’s called a Rebelote. These declarations add an extra layer of excitement to the game.

EXCITING GAMEPLAY

When we start the game, I sit to the right of the dealer, and then we take turns in a counterclockwise direction. I get to lead the first trick because I am sitting to the dealer’s right. But there are some rules I need to follow when playing my cards.

First, I should always try to play a card of the same suit that was led by the player before me. If I don’t have a card of that suit, then I can play a trump card if there are any. A trump card can beat any other card. But if my partner is currently winning the trick, I don’t have to play a trump card.

If I can’t follow suit and I don’t have any trump cards, then I can play any card to the trick.

The winner of each trick is decided based on the cards played. If any trump cards were played, the highest trump card wins. If there were no trump cards played, then the highest card of the suit led wins. The player who wins a trick gets to lead the next trick.

The last trick is special because the team that wins it gets an extra 10 points added to their score.

SCORING

When you’re playing tricks, each team gets points for the tricks they win. And guess what? The team that’s not taking the tricks can also score points for their declarations. Pretty cool, right? There’s also something called Belotes and Rebelotes that you can score points for.

Now, here’s the interesting part. If the team that’s taking the tricks scores equal to or more points than the other team, they’ve completed their contract. And that means both teams can score their points and add them to their total game scores. But if the team that’s taking the tricks doesn’t make enough points, well, the other team is going to score 162 points plus all the declarations from both teams. Ouch!

But wait, there’s more! If the team that’s taking the tricks wins all of them, they get an extra 100 points. That means they can score a total of 252 points plus their declarations. On the other hand, if a team loses all of the tricks, they have to give up all their declarations, except for Belotes and Rebelotes. And if the opposing team wins all the tricks, they score 252 points plus the declarations from both teams. Pretty intense, right?

Now, let’s talk about the end of the game. The game is won when a team reaches 1000 points. That’s the goal, my friend. But here’s the twist. If both teams reach 1000 points in the same round, well, it’s a draw. No winners, no losers. Just a tie.