What is the game bezique?

Bezique is a trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle , derived from the 19th-century French game of binocle, which is itself from the card game sixty-six. Bezique is mostly played between two players using a 64-card deck consisting of two standard 52-card decks where the 2s through 6s have been removed; the cards rank in descending order A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Upon winning a trick, and before drawing a replacement card from stock, the winner can meld one of the combinations and mark the score. After the stock is exhausted, any cards remaining from melds are taken up into their owners’ hands. In the last eight tricks no melds are made, and the rules of play change. A game is usually played to 1,000 or 1,500 points.

How many players are needed to play bezique?

Bezique is primarily played by two players, using a 64-card deck that consists of two standard 52-card decks from which the 2s through 6s have been removed. More elaborate versions exist, like Rubicon, Chinese, and eight-deck bezique, that use multiple decks shuffled together.

How are points scored in bezique?

In bezique , points are scored through melds and captured cards. Brisques, captured aces, and 10s count 10 points each and are added to players’ scores at the end of the hand. A player holding a 7 of trumps can score 10 points immediately for playing it to a trick or exchange it for the card that established the trump suit. Melds, which are combinations of cards, also contribute to the score: * Marriage (king and queen of the same suit, except trump): 20 points * Royal marriage (king and queen of trump): 40 points * Bezique (queen of spades and jack of diamonds): 40 points * Sequence (ace through jack of trump): 250 points * Double bezique: 500 points * Any four aces: 100 points * Any four kings: 80 points * Any four queens: 60 points * Any four jacks: 40 points The winner of the eighth trick scores 10 points. A game is typically played until one player reaches 1,000 or 1,500 points.

What are the main rules for playing a hand in bezique?

In bezique , two players use a 64-card deck (two standard decks minus 2s through 6s), with cards ranking A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Eight cards are dealt to each player, and a card is turned up to establish the trump suit. The nondealer leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. The second player may play any card without following suit. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump wins the trick. Captured aces and 10s (brisques) count 10 points each at the hand's end. A player with the 7 of trumps can exchange it for the trump suit card or score 10 points for playing it to a trick. Upon winning a trick, a player may meld combinations such as marriages, sequences, or beziques, marking scores accordingly. Melded cards remain on the table but can be played to tricks. Restrictions apply to subsequent melds using the same cards. After melding, the trick winner draws a card from the stock, followed by the opponent. Once the stock is depleted, players take back melded cards into their hands. In the last eight tricks, no melds are made, and players must follow suit and win the trick if possible. The winner of the last trick scores 10 points. A game typically goes to 1,000 or 1,500 points.

Why was bezique a popular card game in the 19th century?

Bezique is a trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle, both of which derive from the 19th-century French game of binocle. It is mostly played by two players using a 64-card deck. The game's popularity in the 19th century led to more elaborate versions played with multiple decks. However, its popularity declined in the 20th century due to the rise of quicker and simpler rummy games.

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bezique

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Top Questions

What is the game bezique?
Bezique is a trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle, derived from the 19th-century French game of binocle, which is itself from the card game sixty-six.

Bezique is mostly played between two players using a 64-card deck consisting of two standard 52-card decks where the 2s through 6s have been removed; the cards rank in descending order A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7.

Upon winning a trick, and before drawing a replacement card from stock, the winner can meld one of the combinations and mark the score. After the stock is exhausted, any cards remaining from melds are taken up into their owners’ hands. In the last eight tricks no melds are made, and the rules of play change. A game is usually played to 1,000 or 1,500 points.
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How many players are needed to play bezique?
Bezique is primarily played by two players, using a 64-card deck that consists of two standard 52-card decks from which the 2s through 6s have been removed. More elaborate versions exist, like Rubicon, Chinese, and eight-deck bezique, that use multiple decks shuffled together.
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What kind of cards are used in bezique?
Bezique is mostly played by two players using a 64-card deck consisting of two standard 52-card decks in which the 2s through 6s have been removed. The cards rank in descending order A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Bezique is a trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle, both of which derive from the 19th-century French game of binocle.
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1. Definition of bezique
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How are points scored in bezique?
In bezique, points are scored through melds and captured cards. Brisques, captured aces, and 10s count 10 points each and are added to players’ scores at the end of the hand. A player holding a 7 of trumps can score 10 points immediately for playing it to a trick or exchange it for the card that established the trump suit.

Melds, which are combinations of cards, also contribute to the score:
* Marriage (king and queen of the same suit, except trump): 20 points
* Royal marriage (king and queen of trump): 40 points
* Bezique (queen of spades and jack of diamonds): 40 points
* Sequence (ace through jack of trump): 250 points
* Double bezique: 500 points
* Any four aces: 100 points
* Any four kings: 80 points
* Any four queens: 60 points
* Any four jacks: 40 points

The winner of the eighth trick scores 10 points. A game is typically played until one player reaches 1,000 or 1,500 points.
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What are the main rules for playing a hand in bezique?
In bezique, two players use a 64-card deck (two standard decks minus 2s through 6s), with cards ranking A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Eight cards are dealt to each player, and a card is turned up to establish the trump suit. The nondealer leads to the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads to the next. The second player may play any card without following suit. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump wins the trick. Captured aces and 10s (brisques) count 10 points each at the hand's end. A player with the 7 of trumps can exchange it for the trump suit card or score 10 points for playing it to a trick.

Upon winning a trick, a player may meld combinations such as marriages, sequences, or beziques, marking scores accordingly. Melded cards remain on the table but can be played to tricks. Restrictions apply to subsequent melds using the same cards. After melding, the trick winner draws a card from the stock, followed by the opponent. Once the stock is depleted, players take back melded cards into their hands. In the last eight tricks, no melds are made, and players must follow suit and win the trick if possible. The winner of the last trick scores 10 points. A game typically goes to 1,000 or 1,500 points.
1 Britannica Source
1. bezique
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Why was bezique a popular card game in the 19th century?
Bezique is a trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle, both of which derive from the 19th-century French game of binocle. It is mostly played by two players using a 64-card deck. The game's popularity in the 19th century led to more elaborate versions played with multiple decks. However, its popularity declined in the 20th century due to the rise of quicker and simpler rummy games.
2 Britannica Sources
1. Definition of bezique
2. bezique
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

bezique, trick-and-meld card game related to pinochle, both of which derive from the 19th-century French game of binocle, itself a development of the card game sixty-six.

Bezique is now mostly played by two players using a 64-card deck consisting of two standard 52-card decks in which the 2s through 6s have been removed; the cards rank in descending order A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Eight cards are dealt to each player in batches of three, two, and three, and the next card is turned faceup to establish the trump suit (a 7 immediately scores 10 points for the dealer). The remaining cards are placed facedown to form the stock.

Nondealer leads to the first trick; thereafter, the winner of each trick leads to the next. The second player to a trick may play any desired card without obligation to follow suit. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump played wins the trick. Of identical cards, the first played beats the second.

Captured aces and 10s, called brisques, count 10 points each and are added to players’ scores at the end of the hand. A player holding a 7 of trumps may either score 10 points immediately for playing it to a trick (not for winning the trick) or exchange it for the card that was turned up to establish the trump suit.

Upon winning a trick, and before drawing a replacement card from stock, the winner may meld (declare) exactly one of the following combinations by taking the appropriate cards from in hand, laying them faceup on the table, and marking the appropriate score:

marriage (king and queen of same suit, except trump)	20
royal marriage (king and queen of trump)	40
sequence (ace through jack of trump)	250
bezique (queen of spades and jack of diamonds)	40
double bezique	500
any four aces	100
any four kings	80
any four queens	60
any four jacks	40

Melded cards are left on the table but continue to form part of their declarer’s hand, remaining individually playable to tricks at any time. They may also be used in subsequent melds with the following restrictions:

If a sequence is melded first, the royal marriage it contains cannot be melded separately; however, a royal marriage may be melded for 40 points first, and then, upon winning another trick, cards may be added to meld a sequence for 250 points, provided that the marriage is still on the table.
A king or queen that has been scored in a marriage may not be remarried to the other possible partner. It may, however, be scored as part of a quartet after capturing another trick. The same applies to either card of a bezique, which may be subsequently scored as part of a sequence.
One bezique may be melded for 40 points, and, upon winning another trick, the other bezique may be melded as a double bezique for 500 points (so long as the first remains on the table); but, once a double bezique has been scored for 500, the individual beziques cannot be scored.

Having scored for any melds, the trick winner draws the top card of the stock, waits for the opponent to draw the next, and then leads to the next trick. When only one card remains in the stock, the loser of the last trick will draw the turned-up card (usually an exchanged 7).

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After the stock is exhausted, any cards remaining from melds are taken up into their owners’ hands. In the last eight tricks, no melds are made, and the rules of play change. The second to a trick must follow suit and win the trick if possible. Thus, if unable to follow suit to a nontrump lead, a trump must be played if possible. Finally, the winner of the eighth trick scores 10 points. A game is usually played to 1,000 or 1,500 points.

The great popularity of bezique in the 19th century led to the creation of more-elaborate and higher-scoring versions played with more than two 32-card decks shuffled together, such as four (rubicon bezique), six (Chinese bezique), and even eight decks. Bezique all but died out in the 20th century under the pressure of rummy games, which are quicker and simpler.

David Parlett

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