Belote: 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000 points? Scoring variants from one table to the next
There is no single Belote — France’s favourite trick-taking game — but dozens of them, and most end-of-game arguments come not from an arithmetic error but from a convention nobody had announced. This guide lists the ones we meet most often, from Marseille to the north of France, so that you can choose yours before the first deal.
In short
A deal (mène) of Belote is always worth 162 points, but almost everything else varies from table to table: games to 501, 1,000 or 2,000; scores rounded to the nearest ten or not; an 81–81 tie held in reserve or lost; capot at 250 or 252; belote kept or not when the taker fails. Five questions before the first deal are enough to avoid an argument on the last one.
What (almost) never changes
Whatever the table, a mène (a deal) is worth 162 points: 152 points of cards and 10 points for the last trick, the dix de der. Card values are the same everywhere: in trumps, jack 20, nine 14, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3; outside trumps, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine 0. The belote-rebelote declaration (king and queen of trumps) is worth 20 points. The preneur (the taker) must score strictly more than the defence, so at least 82.
Everything else is up for discussion. And “everything else” is a lot.
The end of the game: 501, 1,000, 2,000 or 3,000
The most widespread rule in France is the game to 1,000 points, which takes six to eight deals. It is the one we use by default in the counter. But you regularly come across:
- 501 points: the “short” game, common in bars and in tournaments where you move from table to table. Three or four deals are enough, and a single capot (all the tricks) can decide the game on its own.
- 2,000 points: the Sunday family game, where you want to leave room for comebacks. Count on a dozen deals.
- 3,000 points and beyond: more for long-running games, where the sheet is picked up again from one week to the next.
Two details change with the target. First the stopping rule: most tables finish the deal in progress and compare totals; others stop as soon as a team crosses the line, which favours the team that counts first. Then the possibility of winning “on the trick”: in some regions, the team that reaches the target during a deal may announce it and stop play on the spot — it is rare, but say so before you start.
Rounding to the nearest ten and the fate of the 5s
Many tables record scores rounded to the nearest ten: 162 becomes 160, 87 becomes 90, 74 becomes 70. It is easier to read on a sheet and quicker to add up in your head. The contentious point is the 5: does 85 become 80 or 90? We have met three conventions, all defended with the same energy:
- the 5 rounds up for everyone (85 → 90);
- the 5 rounds in favour of the team that scored the most points in the deal, and down for the other;
- no rounding at all, and 85 is written down as it is.
The counter always records the exact points and shows the rounded figure as an option: that way, the two teams’ scores always add up to 162 (or 182 with a belote, 252 on a capot) and an entry mistake shows up straight away.
“Dedans” (failing) and the 81–81 tie
When the taker does not score more than the defence, they are dedans (they have failed the contract): the defence scores the 162 points, and the taker 0. Here again, two subtleties vary.
The belote of a taker who is dedans. For the great majority of players, a declared belote-rebelote belongs to the team that declared it, even if it fails: the taker scores 20, the defence 162. A few tables, especially in the north of France and in Belgium, pass the belote along with the rest: 182 for the defence. The counter applies the first rule by default.
The 81–81 tie. If each side scores exactly 81, the defence scores its 81 and the taker’s 81 are held in reserve: they go to the team that wins the next deal. That is the “official” rule and the most widespread. You also find the version where the taker loses everything (the defence scores 162), and the one where each side keeps its 81. If you play with rounding, the tie does not exist: 81 becomes 80 on both sides and the taker is dedans, which comes down to the second version.
Capot: 250 or 252
Taking every trick is worth 250 points in the rules of the French Belote Federation, and 252 (162 + 90) in many homes. The difference only matters if you are not counting in tens. Some tables also add a premium for a capot announced before play, usually 500, but that is a Coinche convention more than classic Belote. Our counter offers 252 by default and leaves the field editable.
No-trumps and all-trumps, imported from Coinche
These two contracts come from Contrée and Coinche, but more and more classic Belote tables allow them when nobody takes the turned-up card. They change the card values and the total of the deal:
| Contract | Card values | Total for the deal |
|---|---|---|
| Suit (classic) | Trumps: J 20, 9 14, A 11, 10 10, K 4, Q 3 | 162 |
| No-trumps | In all four suits: A 11, 10 10, K 4, Q 3, J 2, 9 0 (130 points, usually doubled) | 260 |
| All-trumps | Every suit counts as trumps: J 20, 9 14, A 11, 10 10, K 4, Q 3 (248 + 10 for the last trick) | 258 |
Some tables make the ace worth 19 at no-trumps so as to land back on 162 without doubling; others double nothing. That is precisely the kind of detail to settle before playing. If you play these contracts, you might as well switch straight to the Contrée counter, which includes them along with the bidding, the double and the redouble.
Belote with 2 and 3 players: what changes on the sheet
With 3 players, you remove one 7 (or play with a “dummy”) and everyone plays for themselves: the sheet has three columns, and the taker must beat the other two combined, that is, still score at least 82. With 2, each player is dealt 9 cards and 14 stay in the stock: the deal is no longer worth 162 but depends on the cards played, which makes counting trickier — you simply write down the points taken, without looking for a fixed total. The site’s Belote counter is built for 4 players in two teams; for the 2- and 3-player variants, the score sheet remains the simplest option.
Agreeing in thirty seconds
Before the first deal, five questions are enough, and the counter asks them in this order when a game starts:
- How many points is the game played to? (1,000 by default)
- Do we round to the nearest ten? And does the 5 go up or down?
- Tie at 81: reserve, loss or split?
- Does a taker who is dedans keep their belote?
- Capot: 250 or 252?
Once answered, scores are entered as two figures per deal and the counter checks that they do add up to 162, 182 or 252. The rest is the game.
Frequently asked questions
How many points do you need to win a game of Belote?
Most often 1,000 points, but 501, 2,000 and 3,000 are common. Settle it before you start; the counter lets you set the target freely.
Does belote-rebelote count if the team is dedans?
At the great majority of tables, yes: the 20 points stay with the team that declared it, even if it fails. A few regions pass the belote to the defence.
Why do some sheets write 16 instead of 162?
That is counting in tens: each score is rounded to the nearest ten, then the zero is dropped. 162 becomes 16, 87 becomes 9. The game is then played to 100 (for 1,000) or 50 (for 501).
Is the dix de der worth 10 everywhere?
Yes, the last trick is worth 10 points at every table we know. On a capot, it is included in the 250 or 252.
Published on 29 September 2026, updated on 13 October 2026.