A card game believed to have originated in Spain, and brought to England in 1861. The rules were drawn up by the Portland Club in 1887. Played with at least two players, each has a pack of cards but with the twos, threes, fours, fives, and sixes taken out. The object is to win tricks, and score points on the basis of the cards won. A variation is rubicon bézique.
Bezique is a trick-taking card game for two players.
Overview
The players cut for deal, the highest card having the preference. Eight cards are dealt (by three, two, and three) to each player, the 17th card being turned up by way of trump, and placed between the two players.
The non-dealer leads and the dealer plays to such lead any card he pleases. If he plays a higher card (according to the scale above given) of the same suit, or a trump, he wins the trick;
The winner of one trick leads to the next, but before doing so he marks any points to which his hand may entitle him, leaving the cards so marked on the table, and draws one card from the top of the stock.
The holder of the seven of trumps is entitled to exchange it for the turn-up card, at the same time scoring ten for it.
At the earlier stage of the game, the player scores for the cards he holds in his hand; certain cards or combinations of cards, duly "declared," entitling him to score many points.
Points for Melds and Brisques
| For the seven at trumps, turned up by the dealer, or declared by either player | 10 |
| For the second seven of trumps | 10 |
| For the last (i.e. king and queen of the trump suit, declared together | 40 |
| For Single Bezique (queen of spades and knave of diamonds) | 40 |
| For Double Bezique (both queens of spades and both knaves of diamonds) | 500 |
| For Four Knaves (there must be one of each suit, eg one Knave of Spades, one Knave of Clubs, one Knave of Hearts and one Knave of Diamonds), duly declared | 40 |
| For Four Queens (one of each suit), duly declared | 60 |
| For Four Kings (one of each suit), duly declared | 80 |
| For Four Aces (one of each suit), duly declared | 100 |
| For Sequence of five best cards of the trump suit--ace, ten, king, queen, knave | 250 |
| Brisques--aces or tens in the tricks won by either player, each | 10 |
Further Notes on Scoring
In order to score, the cards composing the given combination must be all at the same time in the hand of the player. However, four kings of different suits can be laid down to declare one meld and a queen added later to provide a "marriage" for one of them.)
A card played to a trick is no longer available for game play. Having won a trick, he is at liberty to score any combination he may hold, laying the cards forming it face upwards on the table. If the cards exposed show two combinations he may declare both, but must elect which of them he will score, reserving the other till he again wins a trick. When he has again won a trick, having meanwhile retained the needful cards unplayed, he can then score the second meld (Marriage).
A card which has once scored cannot be again used to form part of a combination of the same kind, e.g.
The declared cards, though left face upwards on the table, still form part of the hand, and are played to subsequent tricks at the pleasure of the holder.
When no more cards are left in the stock, the method of play alters. Each player must now attempt to:
a.) Win the trick by playing a higher valued card of the same suit;
If he cannot meet any of these conditions in that order he is free to play any other card he does have. There are also a number of small rules, such as the high ranking of cards with a face value of ten, the ability to swap sevens with the trump card and so on, that the beginning should keep in mind.
Once the general pattern of playing a trick, declaring a meld (if any) and then drawing a new card from the talon is established in the mind, the player should then focus on tactics.
Preparing to Play
Required are two packs of cards and a sheet of paper and pen to collate scores. (As an aside, special Bezique counting boards were made at the height of the game's popularity but mostly these are rare now, though some can be found in antique markets.)
Take the packs of cards and remove all cards with a value below seven, along with the jokers or wildcards. Remaining should be the cards with the numerical values of seven through to ten, the face cards and the aces.
In both the cut and the game player, the value of the cards from highest to lowest is as follows:
Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7
The Deal
The dealing sequence is as follows:
Deal three cards to the opponent, three cards to the self, two cards to the opponent, two cards to the self, three cards to the opponent once more and finally, three more cards to the self. (In other words, it is in a pattern of 3, 2, 3.)
The remaining cards are placed in a stack or talon in the middle of the table.
In a variation of the game, if a player finds he has no face card in his hand (A, 10, K, Q or J), he or she can declare "carte blanche" and receive 50 points from the opponent.
The Play (Phase One)
The non-dealer may lead any card. This card is placed face upwards on the table The dealer must respond by playing a card. If it is a card of the same suit but has a higher value or any card of the trump suit, it wins the trick. If it is a lower or equal card of the same suit or a card of any other suit bar the trump suit, it loses.
Whoever wins the trick takes the cards and places them in a separate pile.
The only time a player would have a strong motivation to win the trick is when there are aces or tens being played or the player has a meld they wish to declare.
The winner of the trick has an opportunity to present a meld by declaring his combination and placing them face upwards on the table.
Note that a card used in one meld cannot be played in the same meld later on. The loser then also draws a card from the talon, thus maintaining eight cards in their hand at all times at this stage of the game. If no melds are can be declared by the winner of the trick, the cards are drawn immediately.
Whoever wins the trick then leads first in playing the next trick.
The winner of the final trick draws the last card from the talon, whilst the loser takes the upturned trump card. The final eight tricks are played in this way:
a.) From now on, the player must follow suit and play a higher card then the leader if they can.
Counting the Brisques
After the last trick is played, each player gather the cards they have won and counts the number of aces and tens.
Penalties
If a player is found to be holding more than eight cards at a time, his or her opponent is awarded 100 points.
Failing to draw a card after a trick in "phase one" of the game incurs a penalty of 10 points to the opponent.
If a player "reneges" by failing to take a trick or follow suit where possible in "phase two" of the game results in the player losing all remain tricks, forfeiting these cards to the opponent.
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