Important: This variant is not accessible between 1:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. You can always access the Classic Belote and Coinche variants at any time.
 

1.  Setup

Number of players: 4
Number of cards: 32 (8 per player)
Direction of play: Clockwise
Team game: Players form 2 teams ("North-South" and "East-West")

Value and order of the cards:

Cards Value at Belote with Melds

2.   Deal

In the first round, the dealer is selected at random. The player to their left deals the next round and so forth. The cards are dealt clockwise, starting with the player to the left of the dealer. Should all players pass at the start of a round, the player to the left of the dealer is next to deal and the player to their left is first to take or pass. 5 cards are dealt to each player, and a final card is placed face-up in the middle of the table. This is called "la retourne".

If the retourne is taken, its suit decides the trump suit for the duration of the round. When a player decides to take the retourne, they receive two additional cards on top of the retourne card. The other three players each receive 3 cards.

Note:  If no one takes the retourne in the first bidding round, a new round begins and each player has the chance to elect a trump suit. If all players pass in the second round of bidding, the round is over and the cards are dealt again.

3. Melds

A meld is a set or sequence of cards. Melds are formed from the dealt cards and are worth bonus points.

Melds must be revealed so that they can be counted. This means the other players in the game will see part of your hand.

There are two types of melds: Four-of-a-kind (same value, also known as a square) and Straights(same suit). These are the different meld types and their bonus point values:

Value of Melds at Belote with melds

The team with the highest scoring melds can add those points to their score.

Note:

  • A meld at trump is always superior to other melds.
  • A square (four of a kind) of 7 or 8 has no value and cannot be declared.

4. Playing Belote with melds

Before the start of each round and after the trump suit has been established (similar to Belote Classique), a player must decide whether or not they will show their meld.

Melds must be announced before a player plays their first card. Each player may only meld once. At the start of the first round, the revealed melds are compared. The team with the highest meld score is awarded those points and these are added to their final round score.

Note: If a player receives both the King and Queen in the trump suit, they will receive 20 points, regardless of the order they choose to play their cards. This is called Belote-rebelote.

5. Scoring

Belote with Melds is played similarly to classic Belote with the exception of scoring. Belote is and will remain a contract game, the teams must achieve a minimum of 82 points, excluding melds. This means points earned through melds are not considered in the contract.

If the betting team reaches 82 points, each team scores the points they have achieved including the meld points and the Belote points (if applicable).

If the betting team does not complete their contract, they will either not receive any points, or will only receive the Belote-rebelote points. The defending team receives 162 points, the Meld points, and Belote (if applicable).

Note:

  • If the team that took has failed to complete their contract, the points scored from their melds are added to the defending team's score.
  • If a team performs a "capot", they receive the meld points even if the melds belonged to the opposing team.
  • If the two teams are tied (the total score of the game is identical), the team which wins the last round is then designated as the winner of the game.

Try it for yourself 😀  and have fun on Belote.com!