Bezique

OBJECTIVE OF BEZIQUE: Score 1000+ points by melding cards and winning valule tricks.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 players

NUMBER OF CARDS:  2 standard 52-card without 6s-2s (64 cards total)

RANK OF CARDS:  A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking

AUDIENCE: Teens, Adults

INTRODUCTION TO BEZIQUE

Bezique or Bésigue is a Swedish trick-taking game that recevied notarity in France, especially 19th Century Paris. However, it is also believed that the game developed in France from Piquet, while the name was adapted from an Italian card name Bazzica. The game moved to the United Kingdom around the 1860s but never gained much popularity in the anglo nations. For example, in the United States, its variant Pinochle is more commonly played.

THE DEAL

The players cut to determine the first dealer. After, each player receives 8 card each, dealt in groups of 2 (or 3). THe cards that remain from a stockpile. The top card of the stock is flipped over, the suit of this card is the trump suit.

THE PLAY

The game is divided into two parts of play: the Preliminary and the Play off.

The Preliminary

The goal of this portion of play is to score points by making particular card combinations.The non-dealer leads in the first trick. From thereafter, the winner of the previous trick leads in the next. After each trick, both players draw from the stockpile, the winner draws first.

Players can lead with any card and their opponent is under no obligation to follow suit. The trick is won, or taken, by the highest trump card or (if none are played) the highest ranking card of the leading suit. If the cards are of equal rank, the player who lead that trick takes it.

After winning a trick, and before drawing, players can meld their cards (if they fulfill the conditions). These melds score points for players. Place the cards face-down on the table and declare them and their point value. Players can only produce 1 meld per turn. Below is the melding combination chart:

Meld Combo                                                           Points

Bezique (Q of Spades & J of Diamonds)                40 points

Double Bezique                                                     500 points

Royal Marriage (Q & K of trumps)                           40 points

Common Marriage (K & Q plain suit)                      20 points

Four Aces                                                              100 points

Four Kings                                                               80 points

Four Queens                                                            60 points

Four Jacks                                                               40 points

Sequence                                                                250 points

(A, 10, K, Q, J of trumps)

You can also score 10 points for:

  • Playing OR showing the lowest trump (7 of trump suit)
  • Exchanging the lowest trump for face-up trump. After winning a trick, players can exchange the lowest trump for the upturned trump card from the stockpile.

There is little incentive to win tricks in this stage. If the stockpile is exhausted to the last two cards, the winner of that trick takes the last face-down card and reveals it to their opponent. That player leads in the next trick and the other player draws the face-up trump card that remains.

Play-off

Once the stockpile is completely exhausted, melding has ceased and trick-taking begins. Play eight tricks according to the following rules, try and win tricks with valuable cards AND win the very last trick.

  • Follow suit if possible
  • Try and win tricks by playing high cards
  • If you are unable to follow suit, play a trump if you have one in hand. If not, play any card.
  • The player who wins the last trick scores an extra 10 points.
  • Tricks are won by the highest trump card. However, if no trump card is played, the highest value card that follows suit takes the trick. If the cards are equal, the trick is taken by the player who lead it.

SCORING

Once play has finished, and melding and trick-taking closes, players score their tricks. Players earn 10 points per Ace and 10. There is a total of 160 points there alone.

Points from the melds should have already been configured, total the scores to determine the winner of that round. The game continues until someone reaches 1000 or more points.

 

REFERENCES:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bezique

http://whiteknucklecards.com/games/bezique.html

 

 

Nakoa Davis
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