Bezique
A classic 19th-century trick-taking and melding game using two piquet decks. Features complex scoring for card combinations (beziques) and tricks, with the dramatic eight-card bezique worth 40,000 points.
What You'll Need
About This Game
A classic 19th-century trick-taking and melding game using two piquet decks. Features complex scoring for card combinations (beziques) and tricks, with the dramatic eight-card bezique worth 40,000 points.
How to Play
- Use two 32-card piquet decks shuffled together (64 cards total)
- Deal 8 cards each; turn up trump card
- Play tricks: leader plays any card, opponent plays any card
- Higher card of led suit wins (or trump wins)
- After winning trick, may declare one meld from hand:
- Common marriage=20, Trump marriage=40, Bezique (Q♠+J♦)=40
- Four Jacks=40, Four Queens=60, Four Kings=80, Four Aces=100
- Sequence (A-10-K-Q-J trump)=250
- Draw from stock after each trick (winner first)
- Last 8 tricks: must follow suit and win if possible
- Brisques: each A/10 won in tricks = 10 points
- Last trick = 10 bonus points
- First to 1000 points wins
- Variant: Rubicon Bezique with 4 decks
History & Background
Bezique originated in France in the mid-19th century, likely derived from the older game Piquet combined with marriage-meld games. It quickly became popular among the European aristocracy.
The game was a particular favorite of Winston Churchill, who played it regularly and wrote about it fondly. He reportedly played thousands of hands during his lifetime and considered it one of the finest two-player card games.
Bezique reached peak popularity in England during the late Victorian era. Special 64-card "Bezique packs" were manufactured, consisting of two 32-card piquet decks combined.
The game's influence extended to the development of Pinochle, an American game that borrowed many of Bezique's mechanics. While Bezique has declined in popularity, it remains a sophisticated game appreciated by card game enthusiasts.