Complete Rules of Beljot
Beljot (also known as Belote) is a classic trick-taking card game originating from France. Master the rules below and become a champion.
Overview
Beljot is a trick-taking card game played primarily in France and Mediterranean countries. It is commonly played with four players in two partnerships, though variants exist for 2, 3, or 5 players.
4
Players (2 teams)
32
Cards in deck
151
Points to win
Setup
Beljot uses a 32-card deck (French-style), which includes:
Cards in each suit (A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7):
Remove all cards 6 and below from a standard 52-card deck.
Players sit across from their partners. The player to the dealer's right cuts the deck before dealing.
Dealing
Dealing proceeds counterclockwise in two phases:
- 1
Initial Deal
Each player receives 3 cards, then 2 more cards (5 total)
- 2
Trump Card Revealed
The top card of the remaining deck is turned face up for bidding
- 3
Second Deal
After trump is chosen, 3 more cards are dealt (2 for the taker), giving everyone 8 cards
Bidding Phase
After the initial deal, the face-up card determines the potential trump suit. Players bid counterclockwise starting from the dealer's left:
Players can "take" (accept the face-up card's suit as trump) or pass.
If all pass, players can choose any other suit as trump, or pass again.
If everyone passes both rounds, cards are redealt.
The player who "takes" receives the face-up trump card and commits their team to scoring more points than the opponents.
Card Rankings & Point Values
Cards have different rankings and point values depending on whether they are in the trump suit. The total points available in a round is 162 points (152 from cards + 10 for last trick).
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Jack (J) | 20 |
| Nine (9) | 14 |
| Ace (A) | 11 |
| Ten (10) | 10 |
| King (K) | 4 |
| Queen (Q) | 3 |
| Eight (8) | 0 |
| Seven (7) | 0 |
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace (A) | 11 |
| Ten (10) | 10 |
| King (K) | 4 |
| Queen (Q) | 3 |
| Jack (J) | 2 |
| Nine (9) | 0 |
| Eight (8) | 0 |
| Seven (7) | 0 |
Key Insight: In trump suit, the Jack (20 pts) and Nine (14 pts) are the most powerful cards, making them highly valuable during gameplay.
Declarations (Bonus Points)
Players can earn extra points for specific card combinations declared during the first trick. Only the team with the highest-ranking declaration scores their bonus points.
| Declaration | Points |
|---|---|
| Four Jacks | 200 |
| Four Nines | 150 |
| Four A/K/Q/10 | 100 |
| Sequence of 5 | 100 |
| Sequence of 4 | 50 |
| Sequence of 3 | 20 |
| Belote & Rebelote | 20 |
Declaration Priority (highest to lowest):
- A Carré (four of a kind) beats any sequence
- For sequences of equal length, higher ranked cards win
- If ranks are equal, trump sequence wins
- Belote & Rebelote always scores (not affected by other declarations)
Gameplay
There are 8 tricks per round. The player to the dealer's right leads the first trick.
Playing Rules
Follow Suit
You must play a card of the led suit if you have one.
Must Trump
If you cannot follow suit, you must play a trump card if you have one.
Overtrump Rule
A trump played must beat any previously played trump, unless your partner is winning the trick.
Any Card
If you cannot follow suit and have no trump, you may play any card.
Winning a Trick
The highest trump card wins, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. The winner of each trick leads the next trick.
Scoring & Winning
At the end of each round, teams count their points from tricks won plus any declarations.
The team that chose trump ("taking team") must score more than the opponents.
If they fail: They score 0 points, and opponents score all points from that round.
Winning the Game
The first team to reach 151 match points wins the game. A special "valat" round (taking all 8 tricks) must be completed before ending.
Ready to Play?
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