How to Play Bezique
How to Play Bezique
Bezique is a classic two-player card game that mixes trick-taking with clever scoring combinations called melds. You need a normal deck of cards, plus a second normal deck, and you will remove the low cards before you begin. If you need one, you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common two-player version; family and regional house rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Fact | Details |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 |
| Cards | 64 cards: two copies each of 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace in every suit |
| Hand size | 8 cards per player |
| Card order | Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7 |
| Classic target | Usually 1,000 points; agree on 500 for a shorter first game |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is to collect more points than your opponent. You score by winning tricks that contain Aces and 10s, declaring melds after you win tricks, and taking the final trick. A trick is one card played by each player. A meld is a scoring group of cards shown together, such as a King and Queen of the same suit. Winning a trick is important because it gives you the chance to declare a meld, even when the trick itself contains no valuable card.
What you need
Use two ordinary 52-card decks. From both decks, remove every 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Shuffle the remaining cards together. You now have 64 cards: two copies of each card from 7 through Ace in each suit. Keep paper and a pencil, or use a notes app, to record points. The suits are hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.
Set it up
Choose a dealer by any fair method, such as each player drawing a card and letting the higher card deal. Deal eight cards to each player. The rest form the stock, which is the face-down draw pile. Turn the top stock card face up and slide it partly under the pile so its suit can be seen. That suit is trump, meaning a card of that suit can beat a card from another suit.
The non-dealer leads the first trick. During the opening stock phase, players do not have to follow suit. The player who wins the first trick leads the next one.
How to play
- Lead a card. The leader plays any card from their hand. The other player then plays any card; they do not need to match the suit or beat the card while cards remain in the stock.
- Decide who wins. If neither player plays trump, the higher card in the suit led wins. If a trump is played, the highest trump wins. Remember that the order is Ace high, then 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7. If identical cards are played, the card played first wins.
- Score a valuable capture. The winner keeps the two played cards in their trick pile. Every Ace or 10 in that pile is worth 10 points. You can record these points as you go or count them at the end of the deal.
- Declare one meld. Immediately after winning, the winner may place one legal meld face up and record its value. Melded cards remain available to play in later tricks, so showing them does not remove them from your hand. Melded cards stay in your hand, but reuse has limits: a King or Queen scored in a marriage cannot be married again to its other possible partner; a sequence cannot be scored after its royal marriage, although a royal marriage may be scored first and the sequence later; and a bezique cannot be scored again as a double bezique unless the second bezique is still available to declare.
- Draw new cards. The trick winner draws the top card of the stock first, then the other player draws the next card. Each player should return to eight cards. The winner leads the next trick.
- Use the trump seven. If you hold the 7 of trump and have won a trick, you may exchange it for the face-up trump card before drawing. Record 10 points. The exchanged card becomes part of your hand, and the 7 goes face up with the trump marker.
- Continue the stock phase. Repeat the sequence of playing, winning, declaring, and drawing until the stock is empty. Helpful meld values are: a same-suit King and Queen, called a marriage, scores 20 points, or 40 if it is in trump; the Queen of Spades with the Jack of Diamonds, called a Bezique, scores 40; four Aces score 100; four Kings score 80; four Queens score 60; and four Jacks score 40.
- Remember the big sequence. The five-card sequence Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack in one suit scores 250 points when it is in trump and 150 in another suit. Declare it after winning a trick. If you want to score the King-and-Queen marriage as well, declare that marriage separately on another trick, before declaring the sequence.
- Switch to the end phase. When the final stock cards have been drawn, pick up your face-up meld cards. No more melds may be declared. Now the second player must follow the suit led if possible. If they cannot, they must play trump if possible; otherwise they may play any card. The higher card of the led suit wins unless trump is played.
How you win
Play deals and keep a running total. The traditional match target is 1,000 points, while 500 points makes a friendlier short game. At the end of the deal, add points for captured Aces and 10s, declared melds, trump-seven exchanges, and the player who wins the last trick, worth 10 points in this common version. The player who reaches the agreed target first wins. If you prefer, finish the current deal and let the higher total win; agree on that timing before starting.
Easy first-game tips
Think of every trick as a chance to earn a meld, not just as a battle over the card in front of you. Save cards that fit together, especially Kings and Queens, and watch which Aces and 10s have already appeared. During the stock phase, you can play a low card to chase a useful trick without wasting a strong card. Keep some trump cards for the final, stricter phase, when following suit matters. Finally, say your meld aloud and write down its points immediately. Clear scorekeeping prevents arguments and helps you learn which combinations are worth pursuing.
Quick questions
Do I have to follow suit from the beginning?
No. While cards remain in the stock, you may play any card. You must follow suit, and trump when necessary, only after the stock is exhausted.
Can a melded card be played later?
Yes. A card shown in a meld is still part of your hand and may be played in a later trick. It may also help form a different legal meld, subject to the reuse limits described above.