How to play Twenty-Nine
Learn the table in one hand. Start with the goal, then follow the order of play.
The short version
Twenty-Nine is a four-player partnership trick-taking game. Players sit in two teams, opposite their partner. Each hand has three stages: bid for the contract, choose how to play it, then win enough tricks to make the contract.
The team that wins the hand moves the match toward six points. The first team to reach the match target wins.
1. Deal and bid
Each player receives four cards first. Starting at the dealer’s right, players bid the number of points their partnership expects to capture. The minimum opening bid is 16.
You may raise the bid or pass. A bid is a promise: if your team wins the contract, you need to reach that target. The highest bidder becomes the declarer.
2. Choose the contract
The declarer chooses one of the available contracts:
- Hidden suit: name a trump suit. It stays hidden until a player explicitly reveals it.
- Seventh card: the suit of the declarer’s seventh card becomes trump.
- No trump: there is no trump suit for the hand.
After the contract is chosen, the remaining cards are dealt and the stake can be called. A double raises the risk; a redouble raises it again.
3. Play the tricks
The player to the dealer’s right leads the first trick. Play moves counter-clockwise.
Follow the led suit whenever you can. If you cannot follow, you may discard. With a hidden suit, a player who is void may either reveal trump or play a hidden trump without revealing it. Until trump is explicitly revealed, the led suit still determines the winner.
When trump is revealed, a trump card beats any card in the led suit. If more than one trump is played, the strongest trump wins.
Card strength
Within a suit, the order from strongest to weakest is:
Jack, Nine, Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Eight, Seven
The points printed on the cards are what count toward the contract. The last trick also carries the final-trick bonus.
What should I do on my turn?
- Check the suit that was led.
- If you have that suit, play one of those cards.
- If you are void, decide whether to reveal hidden trump or play a discard.
- Keep the target in view. Your partnership needs enough captured points, not simply the most tricks.
Practice before playing online
Use Play with Bots to learn the rhythm without waiting for a full table. Use Learn with Coach when you want the game to explain the current phase and why a card is legal.