Klammern vs Belote — Differences & Similarities

Origins & Popularity

Klammern is primarily played in Northern Germany (especially Schleswig-Holstein and Hamburg) and is traditionally a pub and club game. It has a vibrant tournament scene.

Belote is the national card game of France and the most-played card game in the country. Over 20 million French people play Belote regularly. Both games likely descend from the same ancestor — the Jass game from the Netherlands.

Comparison Table

Yellow highlighted cells indicate the most important differences.

Dealing & Card Count

In Klammern, each player first receives 3, then 2 cards (5 total). After the bidding phase, the remaining cards are dealt so that each player holds 8 cards. In Belote, the distribution is similar (3+2), but after bidding the taker receives 2 and all other players receive 3 more cards. The result is identical — 8 cards per player — but the dealing method differs slightly.

Bidding: The Biggest Difference

The most important rule difference lies in the second bidding round. If nobody takes the upcard in the first round:

• Klammern: Each player may choose any suit as trump — including the suit of the upcard.
• Belote: Each player may choose any suit, except the suit of the upcard. That suit was already rejected by everyone.

Declarations: Different Names, Same Idea

Both games reward sequences of consecutive cards in the same suit with bonus points. The scoring is identical — only the names differ. A Terz (Klammern) is called a Tierce (Belote), a Quart is called Cinquante, and a Quint is called Cent. Four of a kind (Carre) exists in both games with the same point values. The Belle (King + Queen of trump) is called "Belote-Rebelote" in Belote — but awards the same 20 points.

Scoring & Game Objective

This is where the games differ significantly:

• Klammern uses a Liga system with "eyes" (Augen). Each won round earns eyes, and the first team to reach 6 eyes wins.
• Belote accumulates points across multiple rounds. The game ends when a team reaches 501 or 1001 points (depending on the agreed-upon target).

Special Rules: Durchmarsch vs Capot

When a team wins all 8 tricks, it is called Durchmarsch in Klammern and Capot in Belote. In Belote, a Capot awards exactly 250 points (162 regular + 88 bonus). In Klammern, there is also a bonus for the Durchmarsch, but the calculation works through the eye system.

Trump Rules: The Pisser Rule

Belote has stricter rules when it comes to trumping. When a player cannot follow the led suit and must trump, the overtrump obligation applies: you must play a higher trump than the one already played, if possible. The so-called Pisser rule allows you to play a lower trump when your partner is already winning the trick. In Klammern, the trump rules are somewhat simpler.

Kontra & Doubling

The Kontra/Re system is a characteristic feature of Klammern. The opposing team can declare "Kontra" (doubles the game value), to which the taker can respond with "Re" (quadruples it). In standard Belote, this system does not exist — it is reserved for the tournament variant Coinchee, where "Coinche" and "Surcoinche" serve the same function.