Belot Scoring Overview
Belot scoring adds up four things: the card points in the tricks you won, 10 for the last trick, any announcements, and a capot bonus if one team takes every trick. The contract then decides how the cards are valued and how the total is rounded into the tens that go on the score sheet. In a suit contract the cards and the last trick come to 162 points, which is why a team needs its share of the aces, tens and trump honours, not just a pile of tricks.
If you remember one thing: a contract made cleanly is usually worth more than a handful of flashy tricks.
Card Values
| Mode | Point values |
|---|---|
| Trump | J=20, 9=14, A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, 8=0, 7=0 |
| Non-trump | A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2, 9=0, 8=0, 7=0 |
Bonuses
Last Trick
Winning the final trick gives +10.
Capot
Taking every trick in the hand adds a +90 capot bonus.
Contract Outcomes
The contract changes the arithmetic. In a suit contract only one suit uses the trump values; in All Trump every suit does; in No Trump none does, and the card points and the last-trick bonus are doubled. Contre doubles the hand score and Recontre doubles it again, so call Contre only when you are confident the opponents' contract will fail, and Recontre only when you are just as sure of your own.
Rounding Rules
Belot is scored in tens, so every total is rounded before it goes on the score sheet, and the contract decides how. In a suit contract a total ending in 6 or more rounds up, except that when both teams end in 6, the smaller total rounds down instead. In All Trump, when both totals end in 4, the smaller one rounds up. So after a close hand, look at the rounded figures, not just the raw card points.
FAQ
What is the last trick bonus in Belot?
The team that wins the eighth and last trick scores an extra 10 points. In No Trump the bonus is doubled, like the card points.
How does capot work in Belot?
If one team wins all eight tricks, it scores a capot bonus of 90 points on top of its cards. Unlike the card points, the capot bonus is not doubled in No Trump.
Are No Trump and All Trump scored the same?
No. In All Trump every suit uses the trump values, so each jack is worth 20 and each nine 14, and when both totals end in 4 the smaller one rounds up. In No Trump every suit uses the plain values, the card points and the last-trick bonus are doubled, and there are no announcements.