Belote
Belote, rebelote (king and queen of trumps, announced), and dix de der (the bonus for the last trick).
Deal after deal, up to 1000. Going down is worked out for you.
Score a gameWho took, and how many.
Tap the team that took, enter its points out of 162. The other team scores the rest. Try it!
- Games to 1000 points
- 162 points per deal
- Under 82, you go down
- Pick belote, and name the two teams.
- After each deal, tap the team that took and enter its points; add belote or capot (every trick won).
- Under 82, it goes down: the other team scores 162. At 1000, the game ends.
The rules, in short.
Belote has no federation whose rules are authoritative. Here are the booklet from the publisher Cartamundi, and the Gironde tournament rules.
- 162
The points in a deal
The cards are worth 152 points, and the last trick earns 10 more: the “dix de der.” So a deal is worth 162 points.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “Les variantes avec les points” (Point-based variants) - 152
What the cards are worth
In trumps: jack 20, nine 14, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, eight and seven 0. In other suits: ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine, eight and seven 0. That makes 152 points in all.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “Mémo” (Reminder card) - 82
Making it or going down
The team that took must make at least 82 points. If not, it scores 0 and the other team scores 162.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote) - 20
Belote and rebelote
The king and queen of trumps in the same hand earn 20 points, no matter what. You have to announce “belote” then “rebelote,” starting with the king.
Générations Mouvement, Gironde federation, belote tournament rules (2023, in French), art. 5 - 252
Capot
Winning every trick is a capot. In the Gironde tournament, it’s worth 252 points; the Cartamundi booklet counts 250.
Générations Mouvement, Gironde federation, belote tournament rules (2023, in French), art. 4 - 1000
To win
You pick the target before the game: 500, 1000 or 1500 points. If both teams pass it on the same deal, the team that took wins.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote) - 12
In tournaments
In the Gironde tournament, a game is 12 deals played, counterclockwise. If nobody takes, the next player deals.
Générations Mouvement, Gironde federation, belote tournament rules (2023, in French), art. 2, 3 and 8
Who took, in one press.
On your watch or the three buttons on your earbuds: ⏮ for one team, ⏭ for the other. One press says who took, and the deal opens on the phone for its points; ⏯ undoes the last deal.
The questions people ask.
How do you keep score in belote?
Add up the cards in your tricks, plus 10 for the last one: the deal is worth 162. If the team that took has 82 or more, each team scores its points; if not, the other team takes everything.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote)What happens at 81 all?
The team that took doesn’t have its 82 points: it goes down, and the other team scores 162.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote)And at 81 all in a tournament?
The Gironde tournament rules cover it for the twelfth deal: there is no dispute, each team scores 81.
Générations Mouvement, Gironde federation, belote tournament rules (2023, in French), art. 6How do you deal in belote?
Five cards each, then the top card is turned up. Whoever takes it gets 2 more cards, the others 3. If nobody takes it, a second round lets players name a suit; if not, the deck is cut again and redealt.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote)How much is belote worth?
20 points, for the team with the king and queen of trumps in the same hand. It keeps those points, even when it goes down.
Générations Mouvement, Gironde federation, belote tournament rules (2023, in French), art. 5How many points is a game of belote played to?
Your choice, before you start: 500, 1000 or 1500 points, or more. Matchito plays to 1000.
Cartamundi, the publisher’s booklet for belote and coinche (2018, in French), “La belote classique” (Classic belote)