Hard Standard
29 Game
Bid up to 29 — win the most points to fulfill your contract.
The 29 Game is a celebrated trick-taking game from Kerala, South India, played widely across Bangladesh and Nepal. The name refers to the maximum 28 card points in the 32-card deck (plus 1 for last trick). Players bid to win that many points using only 8 cards each and a hidden trump.
🎯 Objective
The bidding team must score at least as many card points as their bid; otherwise the defending team wins.
🃏 Setup
- Uses a 32-card deck: 7–Ace in each suit (remove 2s–6s). Deal 4 cards to each player, then 4 more.
- Card point values: J=3, 9=2, A=1, 10=1 (total = 28; last trick = 1 extra = 29 possible).
- Card rank for trick winning (high→low): J 9 A 10 K Q 8 7.
▶ How to Play
- BIDDING: Starting from the player left of dealer, each player bids a number (min 15, max 28) or passes. The highest bidder wins the contract.
- The winner privately shows one card from their hand to their partner only — this card's suit is the TRUMP. It is revealed to all only when first played.
- The player left of the dealer leads the first trick.
- Players must follow suit if possible; if void, they may play any card.
- Jacks and 9s are the two highest cards in every suit (including trump), followed by A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7.
- When trump is played for the first time, the trump card (held by the bidder) must be revealed.
📊 Scoring
Bidding team achieves bid: they score the round. Bidding team fails: defending team scores. Optional progressive scoring: failure = bid × penalty. Match played to an agreed number of rounds.