Belote is the French trick-taking game for four players in two teams, played with 32 cards, and Wikipedia calls it the national card game of France, where it appeared around 1900. A hand starts with a single card turned face up: take its suit as trump or pass, and if all four pass, a second round lets anyone name another suit. In trumps the jack and the nine leapfrog the ace to the top, a lesson every newcomer learns the hard way exactly once. The team that took then needs at least as many points as the other team, and the first team to 1000 wins. Press Play now above and you sit down with a bot partner against two bot opponents, no account needed; a free account opens online tables, where bots fill any empty seat. This site also plays Bulgarian Belot, a cousin with an auction, No Trump and All Trump. The full rules guide covers every rule and how the two games differ.
Mobile gameplay: French Belote
See the game board, controls and moves on a mobile screen.
How to play
- Four players in two teams, partners sitting opposite, with 32 cards: 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king and ace in each suit.
- Everyone gets 5 cards, dealt 3 and then 2, and the next card is turned face up.
- Starting beside the dealer, each player takes the turned-up suit as trump or passes. If all four pass, a second round lets each player name another suit; if everyone passes again, the hand is thrown in.
- The taker picks up the turned-up card and 2 more; everyone else gets 3, so all four hold 8.
- Follow suit if you can. If you cannot, you must trump, higher than any trump already played if you can, unless your partner is winning the trick. When trumps are led, play a higher trump if you have one.
- In trumps the order is jack (20 points), nine (14), ace, 10, king, queen, 8, 7. In the other suits it is ace, 10, king, queen, jack, 9, 8, 7.
- A hand holds 162 points with the 10 for the last trick. The takers need at least as many as the other team, declarations and Belote-Rebelote included, or the other team scores the 162 and the declarations. The first team to 1000 wins.
Example
The 7♥ is turned up and you hold J♥, 9♥, A♣, K♣ and 10♠. You take: hearts are trump, and you pick up the 7♥ and 2 more cards. With the jack and the nine, the two best trumps, you can lead trumps and pull the opponents’ trumps out of their hands, then cash the A♣. If your team ends with 92 card points and the opponents with 70, you made it, and each team writes down what it took.
Playing tip
Take when the suit would give you the jack or the nine and at least 3 trumps, counting the turned-up card: the bots here never take with less. On defence, remember that a tie goes to the takers, so every ace and 10 you drop on a trick your partner is winning moves those points to your side of the count.
Guides and tools
Frequently asked questions
Is Belote free to play here?
Yes, and you can try it without an account: press Play now at the top of this page and you sit down with a bot partner against two bot opponents. A free account adds online tables, where bots take any empty seat, and keeps your finished games in your history, which guest games do not.
How is Belote different from Bulgarian Belot?
They share the 32 cards, the card values and the declarations. In Belote the trump comes from a turned-up card that you take or pass; Bulgarian Belot has an auction with No Trump, All Trump and doubling. Belote also keeps every point and plays to 1000, while the Bulgarian game on this site records scores in tens and plays to 151. Both can be played here.
Do I have to announce declarations myself?
No. The table finds every player’s sequences and fours of a kind, and once the first trick is in it shows the declarations that score. Belote and Rebelote are called for you too, as the king and queen of trumps are played.
How many players does Belote need?
Four, in two teams of two, with partners sitting opposite. Against bots, three bots take the other seats; at an online table, bots fill any seat no person takes.