Bezique Game Rules

(Above is the set up for a game of Bezique)

Card Game Rules

Bezique is a melding and trick taking game for two players. Bezique requires two standard playing card decks with only Aces (high) through 7s (low). This game is suitable for ages 10 and up. The objective of Bezique is to win the most points through melding and wining Aces and 10s.

For more trick taking games, check out our guides for California Jack and Sixty Six.

If you are looking for cards to play Idiot with, check out a standard deck here or one of our newest arrivals here.

Set Up

To set up a game of Bezique, players sit around a stable gameplay area. Before gameplay can begin, each player draws a card from a shuffled deck. The player with the highest card becomes the first dealer. Ties are broken by a redraw. The dealer then shuffles the decks and passes out to each player 8 cards in two sets of three and one set of two. The remaining cards form the stock. The top card of the stock is flipped over and placed underneath the stock, sticking out so that everyone can see the suit of the card. The suit of the card is the trump suit for the round.

Card Rankings

In Bezique, cards are ranked from high to low, Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, and 7.

How to Play

The non-dealer leads the first trick. The highest card in the lead suit wins the trick. The winner of the trick then has the opportunity to make a meld with their cards.

Melds are worth the following points:

Once a meld is made, its points are recorded. Melded cards can be played in tricks as if it is in their hand. After the winner of the trick decides whether or not to meld, they take the top card from the stock. The loser of the trick then takes the next card. The winner of the trick then leads the next trick and gameplay continues.

Once the stock is exhausted, no more melds can be made. The game turns into a simple trick taking game where players must follow the lead or trump suit if possible.

After the stock runs out, the dealer position rotates, cards are shuffled, and another round starts.

Miscellaneous Rules

If a player has a 7 of the trump suit, they can swap it with the flipped up trump card in the stock after winning a trick. Doing this is worth 10 points. 

If the same card is played in a trick, the lead card wins.

Laying down a sequence does not give points for the King and Queen meld. Players can however lay down the King and Queen meld first and then, on another turn, finish the sequence to get points for both melds.

A player can get a Bezique by laying down a King and Queen meld and then laying down a four of Jacks. The Bezique must be declared on the player’s next turn after laying both melds.

A player wins 10 points by winning the last trick.

The dealer wins 10 points if the trump suit card they flip up in the beginning is a 7.

Scoring

Points for melds are continually recorded throughout the game.

Each Ace and 10 won in a trick are worth 10 points.

Gameplay continues until a player reaches an agreed upon number of points.

For more information, check out pagat's article here.

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About the author: John Taylor is a content writer and freelancer through the company Upwork.com. You may view his freelancing profile here. He has a B. A. in English, with a specialty in technical writing, from Texas A&M University and a M. A. in English from the University of Glasgow. You may view his previous articles about card games here and his LinkedIn profile here.