Mendikot Rules
Mendikot is a four-player partnership trick-taking game popular in western India. The aim is to capture the tens (mendi) in the tricks your team wins.
🔟 Play it now: open Mendikot with a computer partner.
Players and cards
- 4 players in two teams, partners opposite. (Versions for 6 or 8 players use more packs.)
- One 52-card pack, Ace high. All cards are dealt, 13 each. Play goes anticlockwise.
Choosing the trump (hukum)
- Cut hukum (used on Cheettukali): play starts with no trump. The first time a player cannot follow suit, the card they play sets the trump suit for the rest of the hand, and that trick is won by the highest trump in it.
- Band hukum (closed trump): a player chooses a card face down before play; it is revealed when someone first can't follow suit.
Playing
- The player on the dealer's right leads first. Follow suit if you can; otherwise play any card.
- The highest trump wins a trick; with no trump in it, the highest card of the suit led wins.
Winning a hand
| Result | Points (Cheettukali) |
|---|---|
| Team captures 3 tens | +1 |
| Tens split 2–2: team with 7+ tricks | +1 |
| Mendikot: all 4 tens | +2 |
| Whitewash: all 13 tricks | +3 |
First team to 7 points wins the match. At home, the losing team often deals the next hand, and a Mendikot is celebrated loudly.
FAQ
Which card is most important in Mendikot?
The tens. Each team wants to capture at least three of the four.
Can you play any card if you can't follow suit?
Yes. In cut hukum, the first such card also sets the trump suit.
What is a 52-card Mendikot?
Winning all 13 tricks, which captures all 52 cards. It is the biggest result in the game.