29 Card Games Rules: Your Guide on How to Play

Twenty-Nine is a popular card game that involves tricks and is counted as one of the best indulgences to churn your brain. The game originated in south Asia, however, descended from the Jass games of Europe.

This is a four-player game and is generally played in partnerships of two. It is played with 32 cards and comprises 8 cards of each suit. The ranks of these cards proceed in the following chronology – J (highest), 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7 (lowest).

The main aim of the Twenty-Nine game is to win tricks that possess valuable cards. If you are wondering how to play 29 card game then continue reading to know all about it!

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The 29 card game rules are essentially a set of rules and guidelines that need to be followed to ace this game. It is also called Twenty-Nine or 29 card rules and the originated in South Asia. It is played in partnerships of two with four players. The game employs 32 cards with each suit having 8 cards. The ranking of the cards is as follows – J (highest), 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7 (lowest).

The player who wins the bid becomes the ‘declarer’ and chooses the trump suit, aiming to win as many tricks as possible with high-value cards.

The main objective of the 29 card game is to win valuable cards by winning tricks.

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Cards Values are As Follows:

Before moving ahead, it is important to understand the values of the cards used while playing 29 card games online:

• Jacks: 3 points
• Nines: 2 points
• Aces: 1 point
• Tens: 1 point
• K, Q, 8, 7: 0 points

This makes the total of 28 points, and an additional point is for the last trick. The game was originally played with 2s, 3s, 4s, and 5s as trump indicators, and at times, the 6s are kept to count score.

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How to Play 29 Card Game

The following are the ways of playing 29 card game:

• The game starts with the person sitting right side of the dealer.
• After the distribution of cards, players make bids. The player with the highest bid gets a chance the pick the trump card.
• After bids, players are given 4 more cards making a total of 8 cards.
• The person on the left of the dealer plays the first card and the following players maintain the same suit.
• When a player is unable to follow the same suit, he/she announces the same and if posses they have a trump card, this is the time to declare which card it is.
• Whenever a player throws in a trump card, they proceed to get other players’ cards and points.
• The player who plays the last card earns an extra point for making the possibility of 29.
• Points are counted at the end of each round and the player who reaches 29 points is declared to be the winner.

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Rules of 29 Card Game Online

Here are some of the rules that must be kept in mind to be an expert in the game:

• The roles are set before the game begins. So, the players who will get the role of the dealer are decided in the beginning.
• The dealer distributes 8 cards to all the participants.
• The player sitting over the right side of the dealer starts the bidding.
• The bid by the first person must be higher than 15. All the challengers get a chance to raise the bid. The player who bids the highest gets a chance to choose the trump card. This card is kept secret, not shown to other players.
• As it is a 29-card game, the bid must not exceed 29.
• The consecutive players must discard cards of the same suit as played by the previous challenger.
• In the above situation, if you have a trump card then you can declare it instead.
• In the 29-card game, the points are summed at the end of each round, and the challenger with the maximum points is declared to be the winner at the end of the game.

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Tips and Tricks of 29 Card Game

While understanding how to play 29 card games online, an important aspect is to know the tips and tricks because of these help in winning a challenge. The following are the important tips that you can use while playing 29 card game:

• Try to get the Trump cards of your opponents discarded whenever possible.
• Once your opponents have no trump cards, play a card that makes your partner win.
• Always remember throwing lower value cards, and later move to higher ones.
• Keep a check on the cards thrown by all the participants.
• Keep your moves deceptive to confuse your opponents.
• Always avoid using trump whenever your partner calls.
• You can call if you have 3 trump cards in your hand.
• Develop your own strategies with your experiences.
• In 29-card games, the “toss” is the process of discarding three cards from your hand at the beginning of each round.
• Every card in 29 card game holds a specific point value – hence, it is important to know the value of each of them separately.
• Trump cards are extremely powerful and hence, you need to hold the trump card until quite later in the game as they can then make the biggest impact.
• In 29-card games, the bidding process determines how many points each player is trying to win, hence, you need to be careful and strategic in the bid.

There are also some other tricks in the 29 cards game but might be a bit difficult to use during the initial stage. As you gradually become an expert in the game, you will learn some more tricks that will help you in winning the game.

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Variations of Online 29 Card Game

29-card games are a popular card game in some regions, and there are some variations to the rules depending on the location. Here are some important points to note:

Playing Direction

This game is also played counter-clockwise in some regions where the player to the dealer’s right is the first to bid and leads the first card. However, there are other regions where the dealer could well start bidding and playing. 

Last Trick

While some players give an additional point for the final trick, others do not. The game’s name, 29, comes from the greatest offer that may be made with the final trick point. The maximum score is 28, which some players define as the sum of the points needed for each team to win without the final trick point.

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Bidding

There are a number of variations where the lowest allowed bid is 16, and a Pair declared by the team that made trumps cannot reduce their requirement below 16. Some players also add a Joker to each player’s supply of trump indicator cards.

With the Joker, the bidder can select “No Trumps” instead of a trump suit by placing the Joker at the bottom of the pile. When “No Trumps” are selected, it is not possible to declare a Pair.

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Reverse

In this variation, players introduce a fascinating dynamic by designating a 2 card from any suit as the trump indicator. By doing so, the bidder initiates a captivating twist on the traditional rules, ushering in a “No Trump” game characterized by reversed card rankings.

In this unique scenario, the 7 card ascends to the highest position, while the Jack takes on the lowest rank – all while retaining their original point values. This reversed ranking concept takes effect not only during the initial trump-asking trick but also throughout all ensuing tricks. 

Seventh Card

In some variations of the game, players offer an interesting option to those who intend to bid but find it challenging to select a suit based on their initial four-card hand – especially if they hold one card from each suit. This option permits such players to invoke the ‘seventh card’ as the trump suit.

Here’s how it works: during the second phase of dealing, the bidder’s second-to-last card is positioned beneath the trump indicator cards, determining the trump suit. Although the bidder is allowed to view this ‘seventh card’, fellow players remain unaware of its suit until the trumps are eventually revealed.

Double, Redouble and Set

In certain variations of the game, a distinct rule comes into play following the bidder’s decision to choose trumps or invoke the ‘seventh card’, but before the dealer proceeds with the ongoing deal.

Here, a tactical element emerges: either of the bidder’s opponents can interject the term ‘double’ if they hold the belief that the bidder’s team is destined for a setback.

If their prediction proves accurate and the bidder’s team indeed fails, this maneuver yields a consequence of two game points subtracted from their total. On the flip side, if the bidder’s team triumphs, they receive two game points added to their tally.

Single Hand

In certain gameplay variations, a distinctive strategy emerges once all cards have been dealt, just before the commencement of the initial trick. A player who holds exceptionally strong cards can opt to declare a ‘single hand,’ committing to the ambitious objective of winning in all eight tricks without assistance.

In this scenario, traditional trump suits are set aside, and the player who declared the ‘single hand’ takes the lead in the first trick. Should the solo player successfully secure all eight tricks, their team gains a rewarding three game points. Conversely, if the outcome falls short of this feat, the team suffers a loss of three points.

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Scoring in 29 Card Game

Whenever the bidding alliance completes the requirement by taking the said number of tricks, they earn a single game point and if they fail to do it, they lose a game point. The score of the opponents remains unchanged.

While playing the game, the red and black sixes are kept for scoring. The red six reveals the gaining point, whereas the same black indicated the negative score. Initially, no pips are displayed.

They are revealed only when players lose or gain while proceeding further with the game. It ends either when a team has +6 points or -6 points.

FAQs about 29 Card Game Rules

Q) How many cards are dealt in the 29 card game?

A) Each player is dealt 8 cards – this makes it a total of 32 cards in the game.

Q) How are points calculated in the 29 card game?

A) Points are counted at the end of each round – the player that gets to 29 points first is declared the winner.

Q) What happens if a player cannot follow the suit in the 29 card game?

A) If a player cannot follow the suit, they have to announce it. If they have a trump card, they can declare it and then go on to win other players’ cards and points.

Q) How to start playing the 29 card game?

A) The game starts with the person sitting to the right of the dealer.

Q) What are the rules for bidding in the 29 card game?

A) Bidding starts with the player to the right of the dealer and must be higher than 15.

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