How to Play Belote
Description
The national card game of France, played in partnerships with a bidding phase, a strict obligation to follow suit — and to beat the highest card on the table if you can.
Also known as: Belot
Objective
Team up with the player across from you and be first to reach the match target, mainly through card values won in tricks.
Setup
Four players in fixed partnerships, using a 32-card deck — just 7 through Ace in each suit.
Deal five cards each. The remaining cards form the kitty — turn the top kitty card face up as a proposed trump suit.
Rules
Players in turn either accept that suit as trump or pass; if everyone passes, a second round lets anyone name a different suit.
Whoever accepts trump gets two more cards; everyone else gets three, bringing every hand to eight.
Trump cards rank unusually: Jack highest, then 9, then Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, 7. Other suits rank normally: Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7.
Follow suit if you can. If you can't, you must play trump — and overtrump if possible — unless your partner is already winning the trick.
Holding the King and Queen of trump in the same hand is a Belote, worth a bonus when declared as you play either of them.
Winning
Card and meld points are tallied after all eight tricks — the side that took trump must outscore their opponents, or they score nothing and the other side takes everything.
Winning every trick in a hand (a capot) earns a large bonus.
First side to the agreed match target (often 501 or 1000 points) wins.