How to Play 29
Bid up to 28 — then take that many points with a hidden trump.
Also known as 29 · Twenty-Nine · Atu-Katta (Kerala)
Learn the 29 card game for 4 players: the J-9-A-10 order, 28 points plus the last trick, bidding from 16 to 28 on four cards, the hidden trump and how a bid is scored. Work through four bids, then play in your browser.
Four bids, made and set
You are dealt J♠ 9♠ A♥ 10♦: the two highest spades and 7 of the deck's 28 points. A bid of 18 with spades as your hidden trump is sound. If your side then takes 19 points over the eight tricks, the bid is made and you score 1 game point; take 17 and you lose 1.
| Situation | Result |
|---|---|
| Bid 18, took 19 points | Made: +1 game point |
| Bid 20, took 22 points | Made: +2 — a bid of 20 or more counts double |
| Bid 24, took 21 points | Set: −2 |
| Bid 16, took 15 points and the last trick | Made: the last trick adds 1, for 16 |
Jacks are worth 3, nines 2, aces and tens 1. The first side to reach the target, 6 game points by default, wins the match; a side that falls to the negative of the target loses it.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Two sides of two. The side that wins the bidding names a hidden trump and must take at least the card points it bid over eight tricks. Game points go to the first side to reach the target: 6 unless you change it at setup (2 to 12).
🃏 29 Game Setup & Rules
- Exactly 4 players, partners sitting opposite. A 32-card deck: 7 to Ace in each suit. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
- In every suit, high to low: J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Jacks are worth 3, nines 2, aces and tens 1 — 28 points in the deck, plus 1 for the last trick.
- Four cards each, then the bidding. Once the trump is chosen, the other four cards are dealt.
▶ How to Play 29 Game
- BIDDING: the player left of the dealer must open with a bid of 16 or more. Going round, each player bids higher or passes; a pass is final, and the bidding ends once three players have passed. Bids run from 16 to 28.
- HIDDEN TRUMP: the bidder chooses a trump suit in secret. Until it is revealed the trump has no power: the highest card of the led suit wins the trick.
- REVEAL: a player who cannot follow suit may ask for the trump to be revealed — the leader of a trick may not. From that trick on, the highest trump wins. The player who asked must play a trump that trick if they hold one.
- PLAY: the player left of the dealer leads. Follow the led suit if you can; otherwise play any card. The trick winner leads the next.
- After eight tricks the bidding side counts the card points in its tricks, plus 1 if it took the last trick.
🎬 Watch: How to Play 29 Game
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose 29, then fill the four seats: you and three AI players, or friends. Partners sit opposite.
- Set the target: 6 game points by default, from 2 to 12. A side wins the match at the target and loses it at the negative of the target.
- The 32-card deck is a standard pack without its 2s to 6s. Four cards go to each seat, from the dealer's left, before the bidding.
- The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
Card order and points
- In every suit, high to low: J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. The Jack and the nine outrank the Ace and ten — the single most important thing to learn.
- Jacks are worth 3, nines 2, aces and tens 1 each. Everything else is worth nothing.
- That is 28 points across the deck, plus 1 for the side that takes the last trick: 29 in all, and the name of the game.
- A bid is measured against those points, not against tricks.
The bidding
- With four cards each, the player left of the dealer must open with a bid of 16 or more. Going round, each player bids higher or passes.
- A pass is final for the hand, and the bidding ends once three players have passed, in a row or not; the last bidder wins it. Bids run from 16 to 28.
- The bidder chooses a trump suit in secret; then the other four cards are dealt to everyone, so you bid on half a hand and play with a full one.
- A bid of 20 or more is worth 2 game points instead of 1, made or not.
Playing the tricks
- The player left of the dealer leads. Follow the led suit if you can; otherwise play any card. The trick winner leads the next.
- Until the trump is revealed it has no power: the highest card of the led suit wins every trick.
- A player who cannot follow suit may ask for the trump to be revealed — the leader of a trick may not. From that trick on, the highest trump wins.
- The player who asked must play a trump in that trick if they hold one.
Scoring the hand
- After eight tricks the bidding side counts the card points in its tricks, plus 1 if it took the last trick.
- At least its bid: it scores 1 game point. Short of it: it loses 1. A bid of 20 or more counts double either way.
- The first side to reach the target wins the match, 6 game points by default. A side that falls to the negative of the target loses it.
- As a defender, force out the bidding side's trumps early to strip the protection from its Jacks and nines.
📊 29 Game Scoring
If the bidding side takes at least its bid in card points it scores 1 game point; otherwise it loses 1. A bid of 20 or more counts double either way. The first side to reach the target wins the match — 6 unless you change it at setup — and a side that falls to the negative of the target loses it. No pair (king and queen of trumps) bonus and no doubling in the app.
❓ 29 Game — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for 29 Game?
29 Game is played with 4 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
Why is the game called 29?
The 32-card deck holds 28 card points — Jacks 3, nines 2, aces and tens 1 — and the side that takes the last trick gets 1 more: 29 in all.
How does the hidden trump work in 29?
The bidder chooses a trump suit in secret after seeing only four cards. Until it is revealed the trump has no power and the highest card of the led suit wins. A player who cannot follow suit may ask for the reveal, and must then play a trump that trick if they hold one.
What is the lowest bid in 29?
16, and the player left of the dealer must open with it or higher. Bids rise to 28 at most, and a bid of 20 or more is worth 2 game points instead of 1, made or not.
How do you win a match of 29?
Be the first side to reach the target in game points — 6 by default, from 2 to 12 at setup. A side that falls to the negative of the target loses the match.
