I’m interested in learning how to play this devilishly complicated card game. My next door neighbour is in the top-league of local belote adeptes, and has suggested I go along with him and watch…
I’m game for this, but I’d like to have an inkling of how it plays out before going to a concours, 'cos if it’s like bridge or poker I think a rubber-necking English novice will be as welcome as a spare dick at a wedding.
My neighbour speaks no English, and most of his neighbours who partner him are the same. I don’t want to spoil their fun, they take the game very seriously, every point counts!
So…can anyone recommend a simple guide (in English) to this very French game so I can get the general drift of it before I take the plunge?
My neighbour taught me Bataille last time we met, so at least I know the names of the suits, and the names of the Roi, Dame and Valet. And that each suit is amputated below the 7…! He told me that Bataille is the entry level game for gamins. It is fun, though!
For some strange reason, I find the rules in French easier to follow than the English translation, which is a bit clumsy. I gather ‘atout’ stands for ’ trump’, or does ‘atout’ just mean the leading suit, the first card picked up? Does the suit of the first card played become the trump?
I’m still trying to work out how the points are worked out for a winning hand. Are all the cards played in a particular hand counted up, and awarded to player who wins the hand?
So, Player 1 picks up king of D which is now trump (atout) worth 4 points and plays it.