Belote Rules — Complete Guide

1. What is Belote?

Belote is France's most popular card game and is widely considered the national card game of France. It is played by 4 players in 2 teams (players sitting across from each other) with a standard deck of 32 cards (7 through Ace in each suit). Belote is a trick-taking game with trumps that demands tactical thinking, team communication, and card memory. It is closely related to the German game Klammern and the Dutch game Klaverjassen.

2. The Deck

Belote uses a 32-card deck with the four suits: Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds. Each suit contains 8 cards: 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. The French deck is traditionally used, but any standard international deck (without Jokers, 2–6 removed) works perfectly.

3. Card Values & Rankings

Card rankings and point values differ between trump and non-trump suits. The total point value of all cards in the deck is 162 points.

Trump Suit Rankings (strongest first)

Non-Trump Rankings (strongest first)

4. Dealing

The dealer is determined randomly and rotates clockwise. First, each player receives 3 cards, then 2 more cards are dealt to each player. One card is placed face-up on the table — the turned card. This card determines the proposed trump suit for the first round of bidding. The remaining cards form the stock (talon).

5. Bidding

Bidding in Belote takes place over up to two rounds:

• Round 1: Each player (starting to the left of the dealer) may “take” or “pass” on the turned card. If a player takes, the suit of the turned card becomes trump and that player (or rather, their team) becomes the “taker.” The taker receives the turned card into their hand.
• Round 2: If all players pass in Round 1, a second round begins. Now each player may declare any suit except the suit of the turned card as trump, or pass again. If everyone passes a second time, the cards are collected and re-dealt.

After bidding, all players receive their remaining cards (3 cards each; the taker receives 2 plus the turned card). Each player now holds 8 cards.

6. Declarations (Annonces)

At the start of play (when playing the first card), players may announce declarations. There are two types: sequences (consecutive cards of the same suit) and carré (four of a kind).

Sequences

Carré (Four of a Kind)

When declarations compete, the higher one wins. Only the team with the best declaration gets to score all their declarations — the other team scores nothing from theirs.

7. Belote-Rebelote

If a player holds the King and Queen of the trump suit, it is worth 20 bonus points. This must be announced when playing each card: “Belote” when playing the first one, and “Rebelote” when playing the second. Belote-Rebelote cannot be taken away — these 20 points always count, regardless of whether the team wins or loses the round.

8. Gameplay

The game is played over 8 tricks (each player plays one card per trick). The player to the left of the dealer leads the first trick. The following obligations apply:

• Follow suit: You must play a card of the led suit if you have one.
• Overtrump: If trump is led, you must play a higher trump card if possible.
• Trump when unable to follow: If a non-trump suit is led and you cannot follow suit while an opponent is winning the trick, you must trump if possible. You must also overtrump any trump card already played, if you can.
• Pisser rule (partner is winning): If your partner is winning the trick and you cannot follow suit, you may play any card (including undertrumping or discarding). You are not required to trump.

The highest trump, or (if no trump was played) the highest card of the led suit, wins the trick. The trick winner leads the next trick. The last trick is worth an extra 10 bonus points (“dix de der”).

9. Scoring

After 8 tricks, points are tallied (card values + declarations + Belote-Rebelote + last trick bonus). The total card point value is 162 (152 from card values + 10 for the last trick).

• Taker wins: The taking team must score more than half the card points, i.e., at least 82 points (excluding declarations). If they succeed, each team keeps their earned points.
• Taker loses: If the taking team fails to reach 82 points, they are “inside” — the opposing team receives all 162 points plus their own declarations. The taking team's declarations are forfeited (except Belote-Rebelote, which always counts).
• Capot: If one team wins all 8 tricks, they score a total of 250 points (162 card points + 88 bonus). A capot is a remarkable achievement.

10. Target Score

Points are accumulated over multiple rounds. The game ends when a team reaches the agreed target score. Common targets are 501 points or 1001 points. If both teams reach the target in the same round, the team with the higher total wins.

11. Beginner Tips

• Only take with a strong hand: You need the trump Jack (20 points!) or the trump 9 (14 points) plus additional trump cards to take safely.
• Count the trumps: There are 8 trump cards. Knowing how many have been played helps you make better decisions.
• Feed your partner: When your partner is winning a trick, play high-value cards (Ace, 10) to maximize your team's points.
• Watch for declarations: Announcements can make the difference between winning and losing — always check your hand for sequences!
• Never forget Belote-Rebelote: Those 20 bonus points are untouchable and can save a close round.
• Discard wisely: When you cannot follow suit and your partner is winning, throw away points. When an opponent is winning, trump if possible.