Announcements (declarations) are one of the most interesting parts of Belot. They bring extra points to a team and often decide the outcome of the whole deal. In this article we look at every type of announcement in Bulgarian Belot – how many points each is worth, when it is declared and which announcement “beats” which.
Types of announcements and their points
In Bulgarian Belot there are three groups of announcements: sequences of cards, carrés (four of a kind) and belot.
Sequences (tierce, quarte, quint)
A sequence is at least three consecutive cards of the same suit. For sequences, the cards are ranked in their natural order: 7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace.
- Tierce – 3 consecutive cards, for example 7-8-9 of hearts – 20 points;
- Quarte – 4 consecutive cards, for example 10-jack-queen-king of diamonds – 50 points;
- Quint – 5 or more consecutive cards – 100 points.
Carré
A carré is four cards of the same rank. Different carrés are worth different points:
- four jacks – 200 points;
- four nines – 150 points;
- four aces, tens, kings or queens – 100 points;
- four sevens or four eights are not a carré and score no points.
Belot
Belot is the combination of the king and queen of the trump suit. It is worth 20 points. Unlike the other announcements, belot is not declared at the start, but when you play the first of the two cards – the king or the queen.
When announcements are declared
Sequences and carrés are declared at the start of play – together with the first card each player plays. Belot is declared later, at the moment you play the king or queen of trumps.
Which announcement wins
The two teams' sequences are compared and only one team scores for them – the one with the better sequence:
- a longer sequence always beats a shorter one – a quarte beats a tierce, and a quint beats a quarte;
- if the length is the same, the sequence with the higher top card wins;
- if the sequences are completely equal – the same length and the same top card – neither team scores for sequences.
Carrés and belot are not compared with the opponents' announcements – they always score for the team that holds them.
Announcements in “No Trumps” and “All Trumps”
- No Trumps – no announcements are made at all: no sequences, no carrés and no belot;
- All Trumps – sequences and carrés count, and belot can be declared in any suit, because every suit is trumps.
Examples
Example 1. Spades are trumps. You hold 8-9-10 of hearts and the king and queen of spades. You declare a tierce (20 points) with your first card, and when you play the king or queen of spades – belot (another 20 points).
Example 2. You have a tierce up to the ace, and your opponent has a quarte up to the 10. A quarte is the longer sequence, so your opponent takes the sequence points, even though your tierce has higher cards.
Example 3. The game is “All Trumps” and you hold four jacks. A carré of jacks is worth 200 points – one of the most valuable combinations in the game.
Tips
- When bidding, think about your announcements too – a carré or a quint can turn an average hand into a winning one.
- Keep track of what your opponents declare – announcements reveal some of their cards and help you plan your play.
- Remember that there are no announcements in “No Trumps” – the strength of a hand there depends on the cards alone.
Want to put what you've learned into practice? Log in to Play Belot and play a quick game – announcements are scored automatically according to the rules of Bulgarian Belot.