Belote with declarations: tierce, fifty, hundred, four of a kind — how many points and who scores them
Many tables play Belote “without declarations” and only know belote-rebelote. The others add sequences and fours of a kind, which can swing a deal. Here is what they are worth, the order in which they are ranked, and the two or three points on which tables disagree.
In short
In Belote with declarations, a tierce (three consecutive cards in one suit) is worth 20 points, a fifty (four cards) 50, a hundred (five or more) 100. Four jacks are worth 200, four nines 150, four aces, tens, kings or queens 100; four eights or four sevens are worth nothing. Only the team with the strongest declaration scores all of its own; belote-rebelote (20) is scored separately.
The declarations and their value
| Declaration | Definition | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Tierce | 3 consecutive cards in the same suit (order: 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A) | 20 |
| Fifty (cinquante) | 4 consecutive cards | 50 |
| Hundred (cent) | 5 or more consecutive cards | 100 |
| Four jacks (carré of jacks) | The 4 jacks | 200 |
| Four nines | The 4 nines | 150 |
| Four aces, tens, kings or queens | The 4 cards | 100 |
| Four eights or sevens | — | 0 |
| Belote-rebelote | King and queen of trumps, in the same hand | 20, separately |
Sequences are ranked by the natural order of the cards (7, 8, 9, 10, jack, queen, king, ace), not the trump order: in trumps too, a 9-10-jack tierce is called a tierce to the jack. The same card can serve in a sequence and in a four of a kind: with four queens and 10-jack-queen of hearts, you declare four queens and a tierce.
Who scores their declarations
This is the rule that surprises people: only the team holding the strongest declaration scores, and it then scores all of its declarations, those of both partners. The other team scores nothing, even with two tierces. You compare the category first (four jacks > four nines > four of a kind at 100 > hundred > fifty > tierce), then, between two sequences of the same length, the highest card; between two identical sequences, the one in trumps wins. If everything is equal (two tierces to the king, neither in trumps), most tables give nothing to anyone; others give priority to the player who spoke first. Decide it beforehand.
Belote-rebelote stays out of this contest: it is worth 20 for the team that has it, always, even if the opponents have a four of a kind.
When to declare, when to show
You declare as you play your first card (“tierce”, “cinquante”, “carré”), without saying which suit or how high. The opponents can then ask “to what?” to compare. On the second trick, the team with the best declaration shows its cards to the others, then takes them back. A declaration forgotten on the first trick is lost. Belote is declared as you play the king or queen of trumps (“belote” on the first, “rebelote” on the second).
How to count them on the sheet
Declarations are added to the card points of the deal (the mène). A deal is therefore worth 162 + the declarations (+ 20 for belote where applicable), and that total is what decides whether the taker has made it: at most tables, declarations count towards the contract, which lets you take with an average hand and a fifty in your pocket. If the taker is dedans (has failed), they lose their card points but keep their declarations and belote at some tables, and lose everything at others — that is one of the two conventions to settle.
Example: team A takes in hearts, makes 88 card points and declares a tierce; team B makes 74 with a fifty. B has the stronger declaration: A scores 88, B scores 74 + 50 = 124. A made more than half the card points (88 to 74): it is not dedans at tables that compare card points alone; it is at those that compare totals including declarations (88 to 124). Here again, say so before dealing.
The conventions to settle before playing
- Do declarations count towards making the contract?
- Does a taker who is dedans keep their declarations?
- Exact tie between two declarations: nobody scores, or the first to speak?
- Do you play four eights and four sevens for 0 (the common rule) or for 100 (a few tables)?
The site’s Belote counter has a “declarations” field per team and per deal, and lets you choose whether they count towards the contract. For the other Belote conventions, see Belote: 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 points?.
Frequently asked questions
How many points is a tierce worth in Belote?
20 points, for three consecutive cards in the same suit. Four cards make a fifty (50), five or more a hundred (100).
How much are four jacks worth?
200 points. Four nines are worth 150; four aces, tens, kings or queens 100; four eights and four sevens are worth nothing.
Can both teams score their declarations?
No: only the team with the strongest declaration scores, and it scores all of its own. Belote-rebelote is separate and is always scored.
Is a tierce in trumps worth more?
No, it is worth 20 like the others; it only serves to break a tie between two tierces of the same rank.
Published on 2 October 2026, updated on 13 October 2026.