29 Card Game for Beginners: Your First Game, Step by Step
Never played 29? This walkthrough takes you through one complete hand, slowly. By the end you'll know enough to sit at any table.
1. Sit and deal
Four players, partners opposite. Take the 32 cards from 7 to Ace. The dealer gives each player four cards.
2. Look at your four cards
Find your Jacks and Nines. Remember the order: J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Points: J 3, 9 2, A 1, 10 1.
3. Bid
Starting next to the dealer, players bid a number (16 to 28) or pass. The first player must bid. The highest bid wins. Beginners: bid only with a Jack and a couple of cards of its suit.
4. Hide the trump
The winning bidder chooses a suit and places one card of it face down. Then four more cards each.
5. Play eight rounds
- The player next to the dealer leads any card.
- Everyone must follow suit if they can.
- No card of that suit? You can ask for the trump to be shown and cut with a trump, or throw any card.
- Highest trump wins; if no trump, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The winner leads the next round.
6. Count
Add up the points in the rounds each team won. Bidders reached their bid? +1 for them. Didn't? −1.
7. Repeat until ±6
The deal moves on and you play again. First team to +6 wins.
Learn by playing
Cheettukali's table has a short tutorial, a 💡 Hint button and Undo for wrong bids, so your first games are stress-free.
Five rules to remember for your first game
- J, 9, A, 10 are the point cards.
- Always follow suit if you can.
- Bid only with a Jack and some length.
- Give points to your partner, not to the opponents.
- Ask for the trump only when the round is worth it.
What to learn next
Once these feel natural, learn the Pair rule, then doubling, then try a few advanced tricks.
Glossary for your first game
- Round / trick: one card from each player; the winner takes all four.
- Lead: the first card of a round.
- Follow suit: playing the same suit as the lead.
- Trump: the suit that beats all others once revealed.
- Bid: the points your team promises to take.
🃏 Try it now: play the 29 card game free in your browser, no download, no money.