How to Play Barbu
How to Play Barbu
Barbu is a four-player card game made from several different challenges called contracts. You need a normal deck of cards, and you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. Each person tries to choose wisely, avoid penalty cards, and collect points when the contract rewards winning. This guide uses one common version of Barbu; house rules and regional versions can vary.
Quick facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Players | Exactly 4 |
| Cards | 52-card deck, no jokers; 13 cards each |
| Full game | 28 deals: each player is declarer for 7 deals |
| Main idea | Play each of 7 contracts once during your turn as declarer |
| Winner | The player with the highest total score |
What you are trying to do
Barbu is a contract game, which means the dealer announces a special target before the cards are played. In five contracts, you want to avoid certain tricks or cards because they lose points. In the two positive contracts, you can gain points by taking tricks or by getting rid of your cards quickly. A trick is one card played by each player, and the person who wins it takes the four cards and leads the next trick.
The dealer is also called the declarer. During that player's seven deals, they must use each of the seven contracts exactly once. When everyone has completed a set of seven, the whole match has lasted 28 deals. Keep a running score on paper or in a notes app.
What you need
Use one standard 52-card deck with the jokers removed. The cards rank from high to low as ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. You also need a score sheet and a way to mark which contracts each declarer has already used. Everyone plays for themselves; there are no permanent teams.
Set it up
Choose the first declarer at random. The player to that person's right deals the cards, one at a time, until everyone has 13. The declarer looks at their hand and chooses one unused contract. Announce it clearly. For Trumps, also name the trump suit. For Dominoes, announce the starting rank, such as “Dominoes from the five.”
In the full version, players may also use doubling. After the contract is announced, players have a chance to mark another player's score for a double, which makes the eventual difference between those two scores count twice. A redouble makes it count twice again. Doubling is an advanced part of Barbu, so for a first game you can leave it out and simply use the printed contract scores. Rotate the declarer role after each set of seven deals.
How to play
- Start the deal. The declarer leads the first trick in the five negative contracts and in Trumps. The winner of each trick leads the next one. In most contracts, a player must follow suit, meaning they must play a card from the suit led, if they have one.
- Play No Tricks. There are no trumps. The highest card in the suit led wins the trick. Every trick you take costs 2 points, so try to make another player win each one.
- Play No Queens. Again, there are no trumps and players follow suit. Each queen captured in a trick costs 6 points. Put captured queens face up so everyone can see where they went. You may stop after the fourth queen has been captured.
- Play No Last Two. The normal trick rules apply, but the winner of the second-to-last trick loses 10 points and the winner of the final trick loses 20 points. Plan carefully as the hand gets close to its end.
- Play No Hearts. Each heart you capture costs 2 points, except the ace of hearts, which costs 6. There are no trumps. A player may not lead a heart unless hearts are the only suit in that player's hand. Keep captured hearts visible. Play ends after all 13 tricks.
- Play No King of Hearts, also called Barbu. Follow suit and avoid taking the king of hearts, worth minus 20 points. A player may not lead a heart unless hearts are the only suit in that player's hand. Once the king is captured, the hand can end because its only penalty has been awarded.
- Play Trumps. The declarer names one suit as trump. A trump beats every card in another suit, and the highest trump wins a trick. Follow suit if possible. If you cannot follow the suit led, you must play a trump when you can; if you cannot play a trump either, discard any card. Whenever a trump is in the trick, you must play a higher trump than the highest one already played if you have one. Each trick you win is worth 5 points.
- Play Dominoes, also called Fan Tan. The declarer names a starting rank. Players take turns laying cards face up. Any card of the starting rank may begin a suit row. After that, a card is playable when it is next higher or next lower in its own suit beside a card already placed. For example, after the 5 of clubs is down, the 4 or 6 of clubs may be added. If you have no playable card, pass. The first player to use every card scores 45 points, the second scores 20, the third scores 5, and the last loses 5 points.
How you win
At the end of each deal, write down each player's raw contract score. No Tricks totals minus 26 points, No Queens minus 24, No Last Two minus 30, No Hearts minus 30, and Barbu minus 20. Trumps distributes 65 positive points, while Dominoes distributes 65 points through its finishing order. Add every deal to each player's running total. After all 28 deals, the highest total wins. If you use doubles, calculate the pair-by-pair adjustments after the raw scores are recorded.
Easy first-game tips
Look at your hand before choosing a contract. Many low cards can help in No Tricks, while being short in hearts can help in No Hearts or Barbu. In No Queens, notice whether you can safely lose your queens to someone else's trick. Save Trumps for a hand with several strong cards and a useful number of cards in the suit you want to name. In Dominoes, remember that a starting rank opens every suit, so holding cards close to that rank can give you quick plays. Most importantly, watch which suits other players run out of; that clue tells you where they may be able to discard dangerous cards.
Quick questions
Can I play Barbu with fewer than four people?
The standard version is designed for four players and deals 13 cards to each. For three players, use a published variant or agree on a house rule before starting.
Do I have to use doubling?
No. Doubling is a traditional advanced option. Beginners can omit it and compare the ordinary contract scores, making the first game easier to learn.