Card games
Bulgarian Belot
Bid up to all trumps, contra to double, to 151
Belot is Bulgaria’s favourite card game: four players in two teams, 32 cards — five each, then three more after the bidding. Contracts climb from clubs to spades, then no trumps and all trumps; double the other team with contra and answer with recontra. Sequences and four of a kind score for the team with the best one, a belot adds 20, and the first team to 151 wins — but never on a valat.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 20–30 min per game
- Type
- Card games
Play Bulgarian Belot online with friends
At Masa, Bulgarian Belot is a game of its own right next to Belote: pick it in the games list, open a table and share its code or link with your friends, or sit at a house table. Bots fill the empty chairs, and voice chat keeps the table talking.
How to play
- 1
4 players in 2 teams, partners across; play goes to the right. 5 cards each, then 3 more after the bidding.
- 2
Contracts, low to high: clubs, diamonds, hearts, spades, no trumps, all trumps — each bid higher than the last. Contra (×2) on the other team’s contract, recontra (×4) on yours; a higher bid starts over. Three passes end the bidding; four passes deal again.
- 3
Follow suit. A trump suit: can’t follow and the opponents hold the trick? Trump, or over-trump theirs if you can; your partner’s trick: anything. No trumps: just follow suit. All trumps: follow and beat the highest card if you can.
- 4
Declarations (not in no trumps): tierce 20, quarte 50, quint 100; four jacks 200, nines 150, A / 10 / K / Q 100. The team with the best sequence scores its sequences, the team with the best carré its carrés. Belot — the trump king + queen (any suit in all trumps) — 20.
Frequently asked questions
Is Bulgarian Belot the same game as Belote?
No. Bulgarian Belot is played at the same kind of table as Belote, but with rules of its own — see “How to play” above. At Masa it is a game of its own, with its own tables, stats and achievements.
Can I play Bulgarian Belot online with friends?
Yes. Open a Bulgarian Belot table and share its code or link. Empty seats fill with other players or bots, so a game always starts.
Is Bulgarian Belot free to play?
Yes. You play with Chips, which have no cash value: nothing can be won or cashed out.
