How to Play Twenty-Eight
How to Play Twenty-Eight
Twenty-Eight is a lively Indian trick-taking game for four people in two teams. You need a normal deck of cards to begin, and you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common version; regional and family house rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Players | Teams | Cards used | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 2 partnerships | 32 | Win card points through tricks |
What you are trying to do
Your team tries to win tricks containing valuable cards. A trick is one round in which every player plays one card. Before the main play begins, players bid: a bid is a promise that their team can collect at least that many card points. The highest bidder chooses the trump suit, which is the suit that can beat cards from other suits once trumps are revealed.
There are 28 card points in the whole deck, which is why the game is called Twenty-Eight. The team that wins the bidding must reach its bid. If it does, it gains game points; if it misses, it loses game points.
What you need
Use four players, sitting in two partnerships with teammates opposite each other. Start with a standard 52-card deck and remove every 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. The remaining cards are 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace in each suit: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades.
Card strength is unusual. In every suit, cards rank from highest to lowest as Jack, 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, 7. The Jack is worth 3 card points, the 9 is worth 2, and each Ace and 10 is worth 1. Kings, Queens, 8s, and 7s are worth 0.
Set it up
- Choose a dealer. In this common version, dealing and play move counter-clockwise. The player to the dealer’s left cuts the shuffled deck.
- Deal four cards to each player, one at a time. Everyone looks only at their own cards.
- The player to the dealer’s right speaks first and must bid at least 14, unless that player has no point cards at all. With only Kings, Queens, 8s, and 7s, that player may ask for a redeal. If not, bidding starts at 14.
How to play
- Bid for the contract. Moving counter-clockwise, players either bid higher than the current number or pass. Keep bidding until three players pass in a row. A player who bids highest becomes the bidder and takes responsibility for the team’s target. In this version, if you want to bid over your partner after the opponent on your left has passed, your bid must be at least 20.
- Choose a hidden trump. The bidder chooses a suit and places one card of that suit face down as the trump indicator. Nobody else sees the suit yet. The dealer then deals four more cards to each player, giving everyone eight cards. After seeing all eight, the bidder or the bidder’s partner may raise the bid, but the new bid must be at least 24.
- Lead the first trick. The player to the dealer’s right plays the first card. The winner of each trick leads the next one. Players must follow suit, meaning they must play a card of the suit led if they have one.
- Play before trumps are shown. If you cannot follow suit, you may discard a card from another suit. For the bidder, this discard must be from a different non-trump suit: the bidder may not play a card from the concealed trump suit unless the bidder first reveals the trump. If the bidder has no other legal card, a concealed-trump-suit card may be led or played as required, but it has no special trump power until the trump is revealed. A discarded card cannot win the trick while the trump is still hidden. Any player who cannot follow suit may instead ask the bidder to reveal the face-down trump. If they do, they must play a trump card if they have one; otherwise, discard.
- Reveal carefully. Once the hidden card is turned face up, that suit becomes trump and the card joins the bidder’s hand. From then on, a trump beats every card in a non-trump suit. If several trumps are played, the highest trump wins. If no trump appears, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- Finish the eight tricks. After trumps are revealed, you still must follow suit when possible. If you cannot, you may play a trump or discard another suit. Remember that the order inside a suit is J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7.
- Count the captured cards. Each team gathers the tricks it won. Add 3 for every Jack, 2 for every 9, and 1 for every Ace or 10. Ignore the other cards when counting points.
How you win
Compare the bidding team’s card-point total with its final bid. If the team reaches or exceeds the bid, it succeeds. Record 1 game point for a successful bid of 19 or less, 2 game points for a bid from 20 through 24, and 3 game points for a bid of 25 or more.
If the bidding team falls short, it fails. Record a loss of 2 game points for a bid of 19 or less, 3 for a bid from 20 through 24, and 4 for a bid of 25 or more. Write both teams’ running totals on paper or in a notes app. Agree before starting how many game points will end your match; the team with the better total then wins.
Easy first-game tips
Do not bid only because you hold many cards. Look for Jacks, 9s, Aces, and 10s, especially in a suit that could become trump. A Jack and 9 together are powerful, but a high bid still requires careful teamwork.
Pay attention to which suits players can no longer follow. That information tells you when a teammate or opponent may be able to trump. Save strong trumps for important tricks, and remember that the hidden trump suit has no special power until it is revealed.
Talk about the scoring before the deal, but do not show your cards. For a first game, use the basic rules without optional extras such as special all-trick bonuses. The goal is to learn when to bid, when to reveal trumps, and how to help your partner win valuable cards.
Quick questions
Why are there only 32 cards?
The game removes the 2 through 6 from every suit, leaving eight cards in each suit and eight cards for each player.
Can I play a trump whenever I want?
No. Before trumps are revealed, you must follow the led suit if possible. If you cannot, you may ask to reveal the trump and then play one if you have it. The bidder must not play a concealed-trump-suit card when void in the led suit unless the trump is revealed first, except when there is no other legal card. After revelation, you may trump only when you cannot follow suit.