How to Play 28 Card Game with 4 Players, Step by Step
28 is played by four people in two teams of two, partners sitting opposite. Here is one complete hand, in order, so you can see how it all fits together.
1. Seating and cards
Partners sit opposite each other. Play and dealing go anticlockwise. Use the 32-card pack (7 to Ace). Card ranking in each suit is J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7.
2. Deal four cards
Each player gets four cards first. Look at them: you will bid on these four only.
3. Bidding
The player on the dealer's right bids first and must bid at least 14. Each next player bids higher or passes. Bidding ends when three players pass in a row. To bid over your own partner when your left-hand opponent has passed, you need 20 or more (Honours).
4. Hide the trump
The winning bidder takes one card from their four and places it face down. The suit of that card is trump, but nobody else knows it yet.
5. Deal the other four
Each player gets four more cards, so everyone has eight. There is a second round of bidding in which anyone may raise to 24 or more; a new bidder places a new trump card.
6. Double and redouble
Before the first lead, the other team may double the stakes (×2), and the bidding team may redouble (×4).
7. Play the eight tricks
The player to the dealer's right leads. Everybody must follow suit if they can. The highest card of the suit led wins, unless trump has been played. A player who cannot follow suit may ask for the trump: if they hold one, they must play it, and the hidden card is turned face up. The winner of each trick leads the next one.
8. Count the points
At the end, each team adds the card points (J 3, 9 2, A 1, 10 1) from the tricks it won. If the bidding team has at least its bid, it made the contract and scores; otherwise the other team scores.
An example
You bid 16 and your team wins tricks containing 17 points in all. You made it, and on Cheettukali a bid below 20 earns +1. If you had only 15, you would score −2.
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FAQ
Can 28 be played with more than 4 players?
The standard game is for four. A six-player version exists, and 56 is another game for six.
Who bids first in 28?
The player on the dealer's right.
Do I have to follow suit?
Yes, if you can. If you cannot, you may play any card or ask for the trump to be shown.
How many cards does each player get in 28?
Four first, then four more, so eight in all.