French Belote

Take, pass, double

In brief

In Avec atout, each player says "Take" or "Pass" on the turned-up card and then, if nobody has taken, on another suit. In Coinche, you bid a numbered contract, from 80 to 160, or Capot, or Générale; the defenders can double.

Avec atout: two rounds of bidding

The player to the dealer's left speaks first, then each player in turn. In the first round, taking means accepting the suit of the turned-up card as trump. If all four players pass, a second round begins: you can now take in a different suit. If everyone passes again, the cards are redealt.

Taking in the first round

Avec atout; dealer East, turned-up card is a heart.

  1. South Passes
  2. West Passes
  3. North Takes

The turned-up card is a heart. South and West pass, North takes: hearts become trump and North receives the turned-up card.

Nobody takes in the first round

Avec atout; dealer East, turned-up card is a heart.

  1. South Passes
  2. West Passes
  3. North Passes
  4. East Passes
  5. Second roundSouth Passes
  6. West Takes in spades

All four players pass on the heart. In the second round, South passes again and West takes in spades, a different suit.

No trump: a single round

In No trump, there is no suit to choose. Each player says "Take" or "Pass" once; after four passes, the cards are redealt.

No trump: everyone passes

No trump; dealer South.

  1. West Passes
  2. North Passes
  3. East Passes
  4. South Passes

In No trump, there is only one round. Four passes: the cards are redealt.

Coinche: the contracts

In Coinche, taking means announcing a contract and a trump suit. Contracts range from 80 to 160 points, in steps of 10, then Capot (250) and Générale (500). Each bid must be higher than the previous one. After a contract, 3 passes in a row close the bidding.

  • Double: a defender bets that the contract will fail. The score is multiplied by 2 and no one can bid higher.
  • Redouble: the taker's team answers that they will succeed. The score is multiplied by 4 and the bidding is closed.
  • Capot: the taker's team commits to winning every trick. Générale: the taker commits to winning them all alone.
Coinche: three passes close the bidding

Coinche; dealer South.

  1. West Passes
  2. North 80 in hearts
  3. East 90 in spades
  4. South Passes
  5. West Passes
  6. North Passes

North bids a contract in hearts, East bids higher in spades. The next three players pass: East plays their contract.

Double then redouble

Coinche; dealer East.

  1. South Passes
  2. West 80 in hearts
  3. North 90 in spades
  4. East 100 in hearts
  5. South Doubles
  6. West Redoubles

East bids the highest contract. South, on defense, doubles; West, the taker's partner, redoubles: the bidding is closed.

A bid must be higher

Coinche; dealer South.

  1. West 100 in hearts
  2. North 90 in spades (refused)

After a contract in hearts, North cannot bid a lower contract in spades: the app refuses the bid.

Coinche variant on a phone: South's team contract in spades, shown with its value; diamonds led, only the king of diamonds is playable in South's hand.
Coinche variant

With House rules, a defender can double out of turn, as soon as a contract is announced. With Official rules, they must wait for their turn to speak.