How to Play Mendikot
Take three of the four 10s — all four is a Mendikot.
Also known as Mindicot · Dehla Pakad (Delhi variant)
Learn Mendikot for 4 players: partners, following suit, the trump set by the first player who cannot follow, and why three of the four 10s win. Follow one trick, then play in your browser.
Cutting in the trump
No trump has been set yet. Your left-hand opponent leads the A♠, your partner plays the 3♠ and your right-hand opponent has to follow with the 10♠. You have no spades, so you play the 5♥: hearts become trump for the rest of the hand, your 5♥ already counts as a trump, and it beats the Ace. Your side takes the trick and its 10.
| Tens and tricks | Result |
|---|---|
| 3 tens, any number of tricks | Hand won: 1 point |
| 2 tens each, 7 tricks or more | Hand won on tricks: 1 point |
| All 4 tens | Mendikot: 2 points |
| All 13 tricks | Whitewash: 3 points |
Partners' tricks count together. The first side to reach the target, 5 points by default, wins the match.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Win hands by taking three or four of the 10s in your side's tricks. The first side to reach the target wins the match: 5 points unless you change it at setup (1 to 15).
🃏 Mendikot Setup & Rules
- Exactly 4 players, partners sitting opposite. A standard 52-card deck, Ace high, 2 low.
- All 52 cards are dealt, 13 to each player, from the dealer's left. The deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
- There is no trump when the hand begins: it is set during play.
▶ How to Play Mendikot
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick; the winner of each trick leads the next.
- Follow the suit led if you can; otherwise play any card.
- The first player who cannot follow suit cuts: the suit of the card they play becomes trump for the rest of the hand, and that card already counts as a trump in the trick.
- The highest trump wins the trick, or else the highest card of the suit led.
- All 13 tricks are played out, then each side counts the 10s in its tricks.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Mendikot
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Mendikot, then fill the four seats: you and three AI players at Easy, Medium or Hard, or friends. Partners sit opposite.
- Set the points to win: 5 by default, from 1 to 15. A hand is worth 1 point, 2 for a Mendikot and 3 for a whitewash.
- One standard 52-card deck, Ace high and 2 low. All 52 cards are dealt, 13 to each player, from the dealer's left.
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick, and the deal moves one seat to the left each hand.
Following suit and the cut
- Follow the suit led if you can; only when you hold none of it may you play any card.
- There is no trump at the start. The first player who cannot follow suit cuts, and the suit of the card they play becomes trump for the rest of the hand.
- That card already counts as a trump, so it beats every card of the suit led in that trick.
- The table shows No trump yet until the cut, then the trump suit, the 10s each side has taken and the tricks.
Tricks and 10s
- The highest trump wins the trick, or else the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads the next trick.
- Each 10 goes to the side that wins the trick it falls in; partners' tricks count together.
- Three 10s win the hand and all four is a Mendikot. If the 10s split two and two, 7 or more tricks win it.
- Taking all 13 tricks is a whitewash, the biggest result in the game.
Scoring the match
- A hand won on three 10s or on tricks scores 1 point; a Mendikot scores 2 and a whitewash 3.
- The first side to reach the target wins the match: 5 points by default.
- Throwing a 10 onto a trick your partner has already won is the safest way to bank it.
- Watch the cut: cutting with a short suit leaves you few trumps to protect your 10s later.
📊 Mendikot Scoring
Three 10s win the hand for 1 point. All four 10s is a Mendikot, worth 2; all 13 tricks is a whitewash, worth 3. If the 10s split two and two, the side with 7 or more tricks wins the hand for 1. The first side to reach the target, 5 points by default, wins the match. The app always cuts in the trump, never turns one up or hides one, and the deal simply moves left each hand instead of following the losing side.
❓ Mendikot — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Mendikot?
Mendikot is played with 4 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
How is trump chosen in Mendikot?
By cutting in. No trump is set when the hand begins; the first player who cannot follow suit sets it with the card they play, and that card already counts as a trump in the trick. The suit stays trump for the rest of the hand.
What is a Mendikot?
Taking all 4 tens in a hand. It scores 2 points instead of 1. Taking all 13 tricks is a whitewash and scores 3.
Who wins a hand when the tens split?
With 2 tens each, the side that took 7 or more of the 13 tricks wins the hand and scores 1 point.
How many points win a Mendikot match?
5 by default; you can set 1 to 15 at setup. A hand scores 1 point, a Mendikot 2 and a whitewash 3.
