How to Play Twenty-Nine
South Asia's beloved café game — the Jack rules, the trump hides face-down, and six game points decide everything.
Play Twenty-Nine freeTwenty-Nine is the four-player partnership game of Bengal, Bangladesh and Nepal — played over tea in a million cafés and courtyards. It belongs to the Jass family: only sixteen cards carry points, the Jack is the boss of every suit, and the trump is chosen in secret, revealed only at the perfect moment. The name is historical arithmetic — 28 card points plus one for the last trick. This app plays the modern standard: 28 points, no last-trick point.
What you need
- 4 players in two partnerships — partners sit opposite.
- A 32-card deck: 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K, A of each suit.
- Ranking in every suit, high to low: J · 9 · A · 10 · K · Q · 8 · 7 — the Jack and the 9 outrank the Ace.
The point cards
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Each Jack | 3 |
| Each 9 | 2 |
| Each Ace | 1 |
| Each 10 | 1 |
28 points per round, and nothing else scores. Tricks full of kings and queens are worth exactly zero — this game is about capturing points, not counting tricks.
Bidding & the hidden trump
- Each player receives 4 cards. Starting left of the dealer, bid the points your team will capture — minimum 16, maximum 28. Each bid must beat the last; passing drops you out; three passes end the auction (if the first three pass, the dealer must bid the minimum).
- The winner chooses trump in secret, setting one card of it face-down — even their partner can't see it.
- Everyone receives 4 more cards (8 in hand, 8 tricks), and play begins left of the dealer.
The reveal — the game's signature. The trump stays hidden until a player who cannot follow suit asks for it. The card is flipped for all to see — and the asker must play a trump on that trick if they hold one. Until the reveal, every trick is simply won by the highest card of the led suit; after it, trumps rule.
Marriage
After the reveal, a player holding the trump K and Q may declare the pair — but only immediately after their side wins a trick. Declared by the bidding side, their target drops 4 (never below 16); by the defenders, the target rises 4 (never above 28).
Doubling
Once trump is set and before the first card, the defenders may double the stakes — and the bidders may redouble. The game points at risk multiply ×2, then ×4. Pride has a price list.
Playing a trick
- Follow the led suit if you can. Void → play anything (except on the revealing trick — see above).
- Before the reveal: highest card of the led suit wins. After: highest trump wins, else highest of the led suit.
- The winner leads next. Eight tricks, then the count.
Game points — the race to six
| Result | Game points |
|---|---|
| Bidding side reaches its (marriage-adjusted) target | +1 (×2 doubled, ×4 redoubled) |
| Bidding side falls short | −1 (×2 / ×4) |
The match runs to ±6 game points — traditionally tracked with the red and black sixes. Reach +6 and your team wins; sink to −6 and it's over.
Strategy — first principles
- Respect the Jack. Three points and unbeatable in its suit; every plan starts with the Jacks.
- Reveal on your terms. Ask when the flip wins you a fat trick — not when desperation forces you.
- Count to 28. Sixteen cards score. Track them and you know what every trick is worth before you fight for it.
- Bid the hand you were dealt, not the one you hope to draw — half your cards arrive after the auction.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the 9 beat the Ace?
Twenty-Nine descends from the Jass family, where J and 9 are promoted to the top of every suit — it's the family signature and the source of the game's drama.
Is there a last-trick point?
The traditional count added +1 for the last trick (hence "29"). Like every major digital version, this app plays the modern 28-point count — the name stays for history.
When exactly is the trump revealed?
Only when a player who cannot follow suit asks. Asking obliges that player to trump if able, and the card stays face-up for the rest of the round.
What if my partner asks for the reveal?
Same rule for everyone — the asker must trump if able. Even the bidder's partner learns the trump only at the reveal.
What is a marriage worth?
The trump K+Q pair moves the bidding side's target by 4 — down for the bidders (floor 16), up if the defenders declare it (ceiling 28). Declared after the reveal, right after your side wins a trick.
How does doubling work?
After trump is set, defenders may double (game points ×2) and the bidders may redouble (×4). It applies to that round only.
Is Twenty-Nine related to Call Break?
Only as cousins — Call Break is individual with fixed spade trump; Twenty-Nine is a partnership points game with a chosen, concealed trump.
Do my cards stay private online?
Yes — the server validates every bid and card, and never sends the concealed trump to anyone until the reveal fires.
How many points is a Jack in 29?
Three — the Jack is the highest card in the game. The Nine is worth two, Ace and Ten are worth one each, and the King, Queen, Eight and Seven are worth nothing. That is 28 card points in the deck, and the extra point for the last trick makes 29.
What beats what in 29?
Within a suit the order is J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7 — Jack high, then Nine, then Ace. It catches every new player out, and it is the same ranking used in Jass and Belote.
How many points do you need to win 29?
Six game points. You gain one for making your bid and lose one for missing it, so a match is typically eight to twelve hands.
Glossary
- Marriage
- The trump K + Q pair — a ±4 target swing after the reveal.
- Point cards
- J (3), 9 (2), A (1), 10 (1) — 28 points in the deck.
- Reveal
- Flipping the concealed trump into public play.
- Red & black sixes
- The traditional score markers for the ±6 game-point race.
Keep reading
- 29 Card Game Strategy
- 29 Card Game Variants
- 29 Card Points — Jack 3, Nine 2, and the 29th point.