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BEZIQUE

Bezique

The two-player card game of marriages, beziques and brisques. First to 1000 points wins.

How to play

Bezique is played with two packs of 32 cards (7 up to ace, 64 cards in all). Each player gets 8 cards, the next card turned up sets the trump suit, and the rest form the talon.

Tricks

The leader plays any card, then the other player plays any card. The higher card of the suit led wins, or a trump if one is played. If both cards are the same, the one played first wins. Card order, low to high: 7, 8, 9, J, Q, K, 10, A.

Melds

The winner of a trick may declare one meld, laying the cards face up in front of them. They can still play those cards to later tricks. Then both players draw from the talon, winner first.

MeldCardsPoints
Seven of trumpsSwap it for the turned-up trump card, or play it10
Common marriageKing and queen of the same suit20
Royal marriageKing and queen of trumps40
BeziqueQueen of spades and jack of diamonds (queen of clubs and jack of hearts when spades or diamonds are trumps)40
Four jacksAny suits40
Four queensAny suits60
Four kingsAny suits80
Four acesAny suits100
SequenceA, 10, K, Q, J of trumps250
Double beziqueBoth bezique queens and both jacks500

The last eight tricks

When the talon runs out, the last card drawn is the turned-up trump. For the last 8 tricks you must follow suit, and win the trick if you can. The last trick scores 10.

Scoring

At the end of each hand, every ace and ten you won in tricks (the brisques) scores 10. Hands carry on until someone reaches 1000.