Traditional card games
Piquet
- players
- 2
- minutes
- 45
- years
- 8+
In the box
1 32-card deck
Box details
- Origin
- Traditional game, with no specific designer or publisher
- Mechanics
- Set CollectionTrick-taking
Where to buy it
Near you
In a shop
Within 50 km.
The basics
Two players, with 32 cards: twelve each, the other eight forming the stock. Each player discards and draws from the stock, then you declare point, sequences and sets, only the better hand in each category scoring, and the twelve tricks are played without trumps, following the suit led. After six deals, the higher total wins.
The rules, step by step
Setup
2 players, 32 cards, 12 each, 8 cards in the stock
- Two players, a 32-card deck, ace down to 7.
- Twelve cards each, dealt in twos or threes. The remaining eight form the talon, placed face down.
- The ranking is the natural one: ace, king, queen, jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.
How to play
Discard 1 to 5 cards, Point, sequences, sets, 12 tricks, no trumps
- The exchange first. The non-dealer (elder hand) discards one to five cards and draws as many from the top of the talon.
- The dealer then discards what they like from among the cards left, and takes the rest of the talon.
- Then the declarations, in order: point, sequences, sets. In each category, only the better hand scores — but it then scores all its combinations of that type.
- Finally, the twelve tricks are played, and you must follow the suit led. There are no trumps.
Scoring
Over 6 tricks: 10, Pique 30, repique 60, Sequence of 5: 15
- Point: the suit in which you hold the most cards; in a tie, the one with the highest total, ace 11, court cards 10, the others face value. It scores its number of cards.
- Sequences: three consecutive cards in a suit are worth 3, four are worth 4, five 15, six 16, seven 17, eight 18.
- Sets: three cards of the same rank, from 10 to ace, are worth 3; four are worth 14.
- In the play: 1 point for each trick led, 1 more for each trick won on the opponent's lead, and 1 for the last trick.
- Winning more than six tricks is worth 10 points for the cards; winning them all (capot) is worth 40.
- Pique: reaching 30 points before the opponent has scored anything adds 30. Repique: getting there on declarations alone adds 60.
End of the game
6 deals, Higher total
- A game (partie) consists of six deals.
- The highest total wins, and the gap between the two totals measures the size of the victory.
House rules and pitfalls
"Only the better hand scores" is what makes the declarations tense…
- "Only the better hand scores" is what makes the declarations tense: showing a fine sequence that still loses scores nothing and informs your opponent.
- You do not have to declare everything you hold. Keeping quiet about a losing combination is refusing to give information away.
Going further
Frequently asked questions · In the same family
Frequently asked questions
How many players?
Two, with 32 cards. One of the oldest card games in Europe, combining melds and tricks.
How do you score before the tricks are played?
Through the declarations: the "point" (longest suit), the "sequences" (runs) and the "quatorzes/trios" (cards of the same rank). The best of each are compared and the matching points are scored.
What are "repique" and "pique"?
Spectacular bonuses: reaching 30 points on declarations alone before play (repique), or 30 points before the opponent scores (pique), earns a huge bonus.
How are the tricks played?
After the declarations, the twelve tricks are played: follow suit, the highest card wins. Each trick won and the majority of the tricks score points.
How does the game end?
Over a "partie" of six deals, or at 100 points depending on the tradition. The highest total wins.