Belote
Popular French trick-taking card game for 4 players (2 partnerships). Standardized 1920s France. Uses 32-card deck (7-A × 4 suits). BIDDING selects trump suit. Considered NATIONAL CARD GAME of FRANCE — 60% of French adults play. Also popular Balkans, Greece, Belgium, Cyprus. Contract Belote (higher-stakes bidding variant) considered pinnacle.
What is Belote?
Belote is TRICK-TAKING CARD GAME for 4 PLAYERS (2 partnerships), standardized 1920s FRANCE from earlier BELOTTE (Netherlands 1900s) + KLABERJASS (German-Jewish game). Considered NATIONAL CARD GAME OF FRANCE — SURVEYS suggest 60% of French adults play. Uses 32-CARD DECK (7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A × 4 suits). Card rank UNUSUAL: for TRUMP suit: J (Jack = highest, 20 pts) → 9 (14 pts) → A (11 pts) → 10 (10 pts) → K (4 pts) → Q (3 pts) → 8 (0 pts) → 7 (0 pts). NON-TRUMP suits: A → 10 → K → Q → J → 9 → 8 → 7 (traditional). GAMEPLAY: Deal 5+3 cards each; TOP CARD OF DECK exposed for trump; players BID pass or 'take'. Winner of bid becomes DECLARER + partner defends the contract. TRICK-TAKING follows suit + trump ruling. WIN needs 82+ pts of 162 (with bonuses). BELOTE-REBELOTE (K+Q of trump in same hand) = 20 bonus. TIERCE (3-card run same suit) = 20; QUARTE (4-card) = 50; QUINTE (5-card) = 100. VARIANTS: COINCHE / CONTRÉE (bidding with contract multipliers — most competitive), CLASSIQUE (basic), TAROT-BELOTE. Also popular BULGARIA, GREECE (with BELOT), CYPRUS, MACEDONIA, ARMENIA. Competitive scene: FÉDÉRATION FRANÇAISE DE BELOTE tournaments; online at Board Game Arena.
Quick facts
Category
Card Games
Type
Team sport
Players
4–4
Duration
~90 min
Where played
indoor
Field / court
card table
Country of origin
🇫🇷 France
Estimated origin
Standardized 1920s France; from Belotte (Netherlands ~1900s) + Klaberjass (German-Jewish); COINCHE variant developed 1970s
Olympic
No
Popularity
regional
How it works
Objective
Partnership wins 82+ points to fulfill contract; game to 1000 or 2000 pts.
Rules
Basic rules
Deal 5 + 3 cards each (32 cards, 4 players)
Top card of deck exposed for potential trump.
BIDDING: pass or 'take' the exposed trump
Winner + partner = declarers; other partnership defends.
TRUMP RANK: J → 9 → A → 10 → K → Q → 8 → 7
Jack (Bower) is HIGHEST trump; 9 is second; unusual rank.
Non-trump rank: A → 10 → K → Q → J → 9 → 8 → 7
Standard for non-trump suits.
Must follow suit; must trump if void + opponent winning trick
Overtake if partner not winning + you can.
82+ pts of 162 needed for declarer partnership
Contract failed = defenders get all points; ANNONCES (bonuses) score regardless.
Scoring
Trick points + trump bonuses + annonces (declared combinations) + Belote-Rebelote bonus.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Trump Jack (Bower) | 20 |
| Trump 9 | 14 |
| Ace (any) | 11 |
| 10 (any) | 10 |
| King (any) | 4 |
| Queen (any) | 3 |
| Belote-Rebelote (K+Q trump) | 20 |
| Tierce/Quarte/Quinte (3/4/5 card run) | 20/50/100 |
| Last trick | 10 bonus |
Win condition · First partnership to 1000 or 2000 pts.
Playing area
Called
card table
Dimensions
standard 4-seat table
Partners across from each other.
Equipment
32-card belote deck (standard 52-card minus 2-6)
€5-10 or use standard deck
Score sheet + pencil
Track partnership scores + bonuses
Strategies
Bid only with strong trump hand + honor cards
82 pts needed — need strong trumps + aces.
Signal partner with discard suits
First discard usually indicates weak suit or bonus.
Save Belote-Rebelote (K+Q trump) for maximum bonus
20 free points if held together.
Terminology
- Trump
- Suit selected for hand; beats other suits.
- Bower / Jack of trump
- Highest trump card (20 pts).
- Belote
- Holding King + Queen of trump; declare for bonus.
- Rebelote
- Second announcement of Belote combination.
- Tierce / Quarte / Quinte
- 3/4/5-card sequential same-suit run; bonus.
- Annonce
- Declared bonus combination.
- Contree
- Doubling of stakes in Coinche variant.
- Preneur / Declarer
- Player who took the bid.
Major competitions
French National Belote Championship
annual · France · since 1979
European Belote Championship
biennial · Europe · since 2000
Coinche Championship (highest-stakes variant)
annual · France · since 2000
Various Balkan + Cyprus tournaments
annual · Balkans · since 1990
Where it is played
Governing bodies
Fédération Française de Belote (FFB)
Founded 1979 · France
Official site ↗Various national federations (Bulgaria, Greece)
Founded 1990 · regional
Famous names & records
Famous athletes
- Various French Belote champions (regional)
- Estimated 60% of French adults play informally
Learn this sport
beginner
- 1
Play online (Board Game Arena, Belote.com)
Learn against AI + humans.
- 2
Belote is French national game — learn from French friends/family
Best cultural learning.
intermediate
- 1
Master trump rank + bidding judgment
Unusual J-9-A-10-K-Q trump rank takes practice.
- 2
Try COINCHE (contested bidding) variant
More strategic depth.
advanced
- 1
French national Belote tournaments (FFB)
Serious competitive scene.
Frequently asked
What is Belote?+
TRICK-TAKING CARD GAME for 4 PLAYERS (2 partnerships), standardized 1920s FRANCE. National card game of France — surveys suggest 60% of French adults play. Uses 32-card deck. Unusual TRUMP RANK: J → 9 → A → 10 → K → Q → 8 → 7 (Jack highest in trump). Partnership must win 82+ pts to fulfill contract. BELOTE-REBELOTE (K+Q trump) = 20 pt bonus. Also popular Balkans, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria. Considered comparable in depth to BRIDGE.
How is Belote different from Bridge?+
BOTH are TRICK-TAKING PARTNERSHIP games (4 players). BELOTE = 32 cards, SIMPLER bidding (pass/take), UNUSUAL TRUMP RANK (J high), 82 pts of 162 needed. BRIDGE = 52 cards, COMPLEX bidding (1-7 in 4 suits + notrump + doubling), STANDARD RANK, CONTRACT DETERMINED THEN PLAY. Belote FASTER + more casual; Bridge DEEPER + more competitive globally. BELOTE = French national game; BRIDGE = international competition circuit.
What is Coinche?+
MOST COMPETITIVE BELOTE VARIANT. Also called CONTRÉE. Uses full bidding with points target announced (80, 90, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, 160, 170, CAPOT). Opponents can COINCHE (double stakes) or SURCOINCHE (redouble). Contract multiplier applies to base score. Considered PINNACLE of Belote strategy — combines Bridge-like bidding with Belote's fast play. Very popular in France, especially competitive tournaments. Fédération Française de Belote (FFB) organizes national Coinche championships.
Sources & provenance
- Wikipedia — Belote— Wikipedia
- Fédération Française de Belote— FFB