Rules of the game of belote

Discover the rules of the game of classic belote and its many variants: coinche, belote contrée, two- and three-player belote. Value of the cards, point counting, tie... Belote will no longer be a mystery to you!

Welcome to our page dedicated to the rules of belote!

Belote is a very popular card game played all around the world. There are several variants and each player has his favourite one.

You will find below the detailed rules of classic belote and coinche. These are the most played variants by belote enthusiasts. Both are played by four players divided into two teams: the accepters and the defenders. The accepting side must fulfil a contract against the opposing side.

Whereas classic belote is perfect for beginners, experienced players will appreciate coinche and developing game tactics with teammates.

How to play Classic Belote?

Players from all over the globe agree that classic belote is easily accessible not only to those who regularly play card games but also to those who don’t.

Here you will find all the official rules for getting started: designating the dealer, teammate, distributing the cards, number of cards per hand, face-up card, bidding phase, card play phase, playing in the led suit…

We advise beginners to start by learning how to play classic belote and to make sure that they understand the subleties of this entertaining game.

How to play Coinche Belote?

More strategic than classic belote, coinche is also very appreciated by belote players. It is the same as classic belote but a few things have been added to it like bids during the accepting phase and announcements (combinations of cards to be announced at the beginning of the game). How the cards are distributed is a bit different too.

Develop game tactics and add spice to your belote games by learning how to play coinche! This variant is also popular due to the teamwork involved.

Rules of belote: discover new variants!

Find out more about the rules of several variants like belote contrée for instance! This version of belote is close to coinche but don’t be mistaken, coinche and contrée are really different!

Did you know that it is not necessary to have a four to play belote? Belote can be played by two or three players! All you need is a deck of 32 playing cards, from the 7 up to the Ace in each suit (Spades, Clubs, Hearts and Diamonds). Then read the rules below to start a two- or three-player game of belote depending on the number of players sitting at the table.

Learn the rules of
Belote contrée

If you want to change and move on to another type of belote, this article is made for you!

Here is a recap of the rules of belote contrée including the basics of the game. This is a game where good communication in the partnership is vital. Find out how and why now!

Learn the rules of
Two-Player Belote

In the end, it is just you two? Participants are missing? Don’t miss the opportunity to play belote! Two-player belote is exactly what you need. Let’s deal out the cards!

Learn the rules of
Three-Player Belote

Not always straightforward to gather four players to play a game of belote… Hopefully, three players are enough. Call your belote friends and discover together the rules of this particular type of belote where the accepter is playing alone against his opponents!

Rules of the game: read our special articles!

Here we have created pages listing the main principles you need to know in order to play belote: the order and value of the playing cards, what to do when both teams score the same number of points and how to count up the points at the end of the game.

You want to find out more? FunBelote, the official app for all online belote games, offers a large amount of content about the world of bridge on its blog and social networks.

Meet our FunBelote ambassadors too! Get their advice and learn more about their game tactics.

How do you deal with a tie
in belote?

You have to count the points for the tricks taken by each team. Each card is worth a certain number of points. You have to count the points of each team by adding up the values of their cards.

It happens that both teams score the exact same total number of points. In that case, the players must follow specific rules.

Here are the main points you need to know to deal with this kind of situation in a game of belote.

How do you count up the points
in belote?

Don’t miss this article about how to announce the final score of a game!

Trick, announcement, bid, capot, rebelote and other extra point bonuses… Who scores the points and wins the game? Here are the answers to all of your questions!

You will also find tips for easily and quickly totalling up the points at the end of the game.

The order and value of the cards
in belote

Trump suit, non-trump suit, No-Trumps, All-Trumps… It is easy to get lost among the possible scenarios according to the type of belote you are playing.

Here is a recap of all the useful information about the order and value of the cards to make sure the game progresses as expected when you will be playing with your friends. And don’t forget that you can keep a cheat sheet next to you!

Now that you know the rules of belote and its variants like the back of your hand, download FunBelote, the official app for games of classic belote, coinche and belote contrée!

Try out a new game experience!

Whatever your level, you will have access to the free and unlimited “practice” mode where you can play online belote against the AI, our skilled Jack of Clubs, Lancelot.

You will also be able to play multiplayer games for free and pit yourself against real players via our mobile app FunBelote.

Finally, challenge your friends or belote players from all over the world in the game modes “duplicate challenges” and “daily tournaments”. Many batches of FunBelote chips are to be won in belote contests!

Open your FunBelote player account now and join our large community of players! App available for smartphones and tablets (iOS and Android) on the Google Play and Apple stores.

It’s Free

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