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Play 29 Card Game Free

How to play 29

29 is a four-player partnership game loved in Kerala, Bengal, Assam and across North India. You sit opposite your partner Meera and play against Aarav and Kabir. It uses only 32 cards: J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8 and 7 of each suit.

  1. Card order and points. In every suit the order is J (high), 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Jacks are worth 3 points, nines 2, aces 1 and tens 1. That makes 28 points in the deck.
  2. Bidding. Everyone gets four cards. Players bid how many points their team will take, from 16 up to 28. You can raise or pass; once you pass you are out of the auction. If everyone passes, the dealer must play at 16.
  3. Hidden trump. The highest bidder secretly picks a trump suit from their four cards. Four more cards are dealt, so everyone holds eight.
  4. Play. The player after the dealer leads. You must follow suit if you can. The first time someone cannot follow suit, the trump is revealed, and from then on trumps beat every other suit. The highest trump, or else the highest card of the suit led, wins the trick.
  5. Scoring. After eight tricks, count the points each team took. If the bidding team reached its bid, it wins the hand; if not, the other team wins it. The first team to win 5 hands wins the game.

Our version. To keep the game quick we reveal the trump automatically the first time a player cannot follow suit, and we leave out the optional "pair" (king and queen of trumps) and doubling rules. Families play many variations, so treat these as house rules.

Tips

  • Count jacks and nines before you bid. Two jacks in your four cards is a good start for a bid of 17 or 18.
  • Feed points to your partner when they are sure to win a trick: drop your tens and aces on their jack.
  • When you do not know the trump yet, keep your jacks until the suit you hold is led.

More free games: all card games · 13-card rummy · Callbreak.

FAQ

How many cards are used in 29?

32 cards: J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8 and 7 in each of the four suits. Each player gets eight cards.

Why is the game called 29?

The four jacks, nines, aces and tens add up to 28 points. Many groups add one point for the last trick, which makes 29.

What is the highest card in 29?

The jack is the highest card in each suit, followed by the nine, ace and ten.

Is this 29 game free?

Yes. It is completely free, runs in your browser, needs no download or sign-up, and has no money, bets or prizes.