How to count points in Belote
Last updated August 24, 2026
The quick answer
A deal of Belote is worth 162 points: 152 in card values plus 10 for the last trick, the dix de der. In the trump suit the Jack is worth 20 and the Nine 14, ahead of the Ace at 11 and the Ten at 10. Outside trumps the Ace is 11, the Ten 10, the King 4, the Queen 3, the Jack 2, and the Nine, Eight and Seven are worth nothing. Holding the King and Queen of trumps adds 20 for belote-rebelote.
The short version
- The 32 cards are worth 152 points in total, and the last trick adds 10 more: 162 per deal.
- Trumps rank and score differently: Jack 20, Nine 14, then Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3.
- King and Queen of trumps in the same hand are worth 20, announced as you play them.
- The taking team needs more than the defenders. Fall short and you go dedans: the defenders take all 162.
- Winning all eight tricks is a capot, and games are usually played to 501 or 1000 points.
Belote card values
| Card | In trumps | Outside trumps |
|---|---|---|
| Jack | 20 | 2 |
| Nine | 14 | 0 |
| Ace | 11 | 11 |
| Ten | 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 | 4 |
| Queen | 3 | 3 |
| Eight and Seven | 0 | 0 |
The same card is worth two different amounts depending on whether it is a trump. The Nine and the Jack are the cards that change the most.
Why a deal is worth 162 points
Add the table up across all 32 cards and you get 152. The team that wins the eighth and final trick adds 10 more, the dix de der, which brings every deal to exactly 162. If your two team totals do not add up to 162, a card has been counted twice or missed. With a declared belote-rebelote in play, the deal is worth 182.
Belote and rebelote: the extra 20
A player holding both the King and the Queen of trumps announces belote as the first of the two is played and rebelote as the second follows. That is worth 20 points to their team. It has to be said out loud at the table to count, and in the usual rule the 20 stays with the team that holds it whatever happens to the contract.
Making the contract, or going dedans
The team that chose trumps has to finish with more points than the defenders, which means at least 82 out of the 162. Get there and both teams keep what they took. Fall short and the taking team is dedans: they score nothing and the defenders collect all 162, plus their own belote if they had one.
- 82 points is the bar in a plain deal, because 81-81 is a tie and not a win.
- A tied deal at 81-81 is a litige in most French rules: the takers score nothing and their 81 points ride on the next deal.
- Belote-rebelote counts towards the total, so 62 points and a belote makes the contract.
Capot: taking all eight tricks
Win every trick in the deal and you have a capot. Most tables score it as 252 for the taking team, the 162 of the deal plus a 90-point bonus; some families use a flat 250 instead. Agree which one you play before the first deal, because it is the one Belote number that genuinely differs from region to region.
Coinchee and contree
In Belote coinchee the card values are identical, but the taking team names a target first, from 80 up to 160, or capot, or generale. Making the announced total scores the bid; missing it hands the whole deal to the defenders. An opponent who coinches doubles the stakes, and a surcoinche doubles them again.
Playing to 501 or 1000
Deals are added to a running team total and play continues until one team crosses the agreed finish line, usually 501 for a short game or 1000 for a full evening. If both teams pass it in the same deal, the higher total wins.
How to score a deal of Belote
Count the tricks first and settle the contract last. Doing it the other way round is how arguments start.
- 1
Separate the two piles of tricks
Each team gathers the tricks it won. Keep the last trick on top so nobody forgets who took it.
- 2
Add the card values
Count each pile with the trump values for the trump suit and the plain values for the other three. The two totals must add up to 152.
- 3
Add the dix de der
Give 10 points to the team that won the eighth trick. The deal now totals 162.
- 4
Add any declared belote-rebelote
20 points to the team whose player announced the King and Queen of trumps during play.
- 5
Settle the contract
If the taking team has more than the defenders, both keep their points. If not, they are dedans and the defenders take the lot.
A worked example
Team A took hearts as trumps. They win 95 points of cards, take the last trick, and hold the King and Queen of hearts.
| Line | Team A (takers) | Team B |
|---|---|---|
| Card points in tricks | 95 | 57 |
| Dix de der (last trick) | 10 | 0 |
| Belote-rebelote | 20 | 0 |
| Deal total | 125 | 57 |
95 and 57 make the 152 card points, the dix de der brings the deal to 162, and the announced belote adds 20 on top. Team A has more than Team B, so the contract holds and both teams keep what they scored.
House rules vary. Where a value genuinely differs from table to table, this page says so rather than picking one and pretending it is universal.
Let Scory do the counting
Belote is the game where the maths gets argued about: who took the last trick, whether the belote was announced, and whether the takers actually cleared 82. Scory has a dedicated Belote screen that takes one team total and works out the rest.
- Enter one team's points and the app fills in the other, so the deal always balances to 162.
- Belote-rebelote, dix de der, dedans and capot handled as toggles rather than mental arithmetic.
- Set the finish line to 501, 1000 or your own target, with the winner called for you.
- A deal-by-deal history, so a disputed round can be checked instead of re-argued.
Frequently asked questions
How many points are there in a deal of Belote?
162: the 152 points of card values plus 10 for the last trick. A declared belote-rebelote adds 20, taking the deal to 182.
What is the Jack of trumps worth in Belote?
20 points, the highest card in the game. Outside the trump suit the same Jack is worth only 2.
What is the dix de der?
The 10 points awarded to the team that wins the last trick of the deal. It is the difference between 152 and 162, and it decides plenty of tight contracts.
How many points do you need to make the contract?
More than the defenders, so at least 82 of the 162. At 81-81 nobody has won: in most French rules the takers score nothing and the 81 points carry into the next deal.
What happens when a team goes dedans?
The taking team scores zero for the deal and the defenders take all 162, keeping any belote-rebelote they announced.
What is a capot worth?
Taking all eight tricks is usually scored as 252, the 162 of the deal plus a 90-point bonus. Some tables play a flat 250 instead, so agree on it before you deal.
Does Belote coinchee use the same card values?
Yes, exactly the same. What changes is that the takers announce a target between 80 and 160 first, and score that bid rather than the points they collect.