Belote

01Discover the game

The Belote opposes two teams of two people. A fold is a turn where each one plays a card; the winner picks up the four cards. Some cards are worth a lot of points, and a sign chosen as an asset can beat the others. We play without any suites or squares ads, except belot-rebelote. Contract agreements are specified below, because the family tables differ.

02Equipment

Use 32 cards: 7, 8, 9, 10, Valet, Lady, King and Ace in the four signs. It takes four people, a score sheet and a pencil. Remove the 2 to 6 and the jokers from a 52 game.

03The goal

The team that chooses the asset must win at least 81 of the 162 card points of the deal. Partners add up their folds. In our agreement without other announcements, this contract is judged on the cards and the last fold, before adding the belot. The first team that reaches 1,000 points cumulative wins, after the full count of the deal.

04Distribute and choose the asset

Sit with the partners face-to-face. Play and distribute in the opposite direction of the hands of a watch. After the cut, the donor distributes three cards and then two to each, starting on his right. He then returns a card of the remaining package in the middle.

From the right-hand neighbour of the donor, everyone can take or pass. Take choose the sign of the card returned as an asset. If all pass, a second round allows you to choose one of the other three signs. If all pass again, gather the cards and pass the deal to the next.

The taker receives the returned card and two other cards; the others receive three cards. Each one now has eight cards. The taker's team is the attack, the other the defense. The right-hand neighbour of the giver opens the first fold; the winner of one fold opens the next.

05Play the eight folds

Order and value of cards

The order of force is Valet, 9, As, 10, King, Lady, 8, 7. Their points are 20, 14, 11, 10, 4, 3, 0, 0 respectively. In the other three signs, the order is As, 10, King, Lady, Valet, 9, 8, 7; their points are 11, 10, 4, 3, 2, 0, 0, 0. Strength and value are therefore not always the usual order of numbers.

Gambling obligations

Everyone plays a visible card, in turn. You have to provide the required sign if you have one. If the asset is requested, you also have to mount: play an asset stronger than the best already laid, if you can. This obligation applies even if your partner temporarily wins the fold. If you can't climb, play another asset.

If another sign is requested and you don't have one, look who wins the fold temporarily. If it is your partner, you can undo any card or cut. If it is an opponent, you have to cut with an asset if you have one. When the fold already contains an asset, you have to overcut with a stronger asset if you can; otherwise, you play a weaker asset if you have one. Without an asset, defeat any card.

In the convention of this chapter, if you choose to cut while your partner is master, you also have to overcut if you can. In an ordinary sign requested, you do not have to play harder: provide enough.

Without an asset, the strongest card of the requested brand wins. Put the folds of each team together, without mixing the cards in hand.

Bean and Rebel

If you own the King and the Dame d'Aout, announce "belote" by playing the first of these two cards, then "rebelte" by playing the second. The team gets 20 extra points. You must have both in hand: a Lady at your partner's house is not enough. This announcement does not allow to breach the cut obligations.

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06An example to understand

The asset is heart. Alice opens with a prick's Ace. Bob has no prick; Alice is his opponent, he must cut and play the 7 of heart. Chloe, Alice's partner, also has no prick; she has the 9 of heart and must overcut Bob. David still has a prick: he must provide spades, even if he has the Valet of heart. Chloe wins the fold with his 9 of asset.

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The fold contains Ace of spades, 7 of hearts, 9 of hearts and 8 of spades: 11 + 0 + 14 + 0 = 25 points. The 9 is worth 14 because it is an asset.

07Counting the data and the part

Add the values of the cards won. The team in the last fold receives 10 more points, called "ten de der". The total is 162. If a team wins the eight folds, it is hooded: it scores 252 points of cards, the 100 points of hood replacing the 10 of the last fold.

In our convention, if the attack gets at least 81 card points, each team marks its card points. If the attack is under 81, it falls: the defense marks 162, or 252 if it has made a hood, and the attack zero. Then add the 20 belots to the team that announced it, even in case of a fall. No round to ten is used here. This choice therefore admits a contract to 81-81; other tables carry it, variant not used.

Example: the attack won 92 points and announced belot. It entered 112; the defense entered 70. If the attack had only 74 points, it would only enter its belot, that is 20, and the defense 162. At 1,000 points, compare the totals after the deal; if both exceed the threshold, the highest win. In case of exact equality, play an extra deal.

08Frequent errors

Do not rank the 9 of asset as a small 9: it beats the As. Don't forget to mount when the asset is requested, even on your partner. Do not cut when you can provide. Do not count the belot to reach the 81 of the contract in the agreed agreement. Finally, do not mix this rule without ads with a table that counts third parties and squares.

09Start well

Memorizes the assets already played, especially the Valet and the 9. Before taking it, consider your assets and your Aces, then think about the possible help of your partner. If your partner will already win a fold, you can deposit a rich card to protect, while respecting the obligations of the game.