Taash KhelTwenty-Nine · उनतीस
29 card game rules
The jack outranks the ace, the nine outranks both, and the whole hand is worth exactly twenty-nine points. Every part of the name is arithmetic.
Four players in two partnerships, 32 cards, eight tricks each hand. The bidding side must take at least as many card points as it bid.
There are 28 points in the cards and one for the last trick — twenty-nine in total, which is where the name comes from.
Where the 29 points come from
| Card | Each | In deck | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jack | 3 | 4 | 12 |
| Nine | 2 | 4 | 8 |
| Ace | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| Ten | 1 | 4 | 4 |
| King, queen, eight, seven | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Last trick | 1 | — | 1 |
| Hand total | 32 | 29 |
Twelve of the 29 points sit in four cards. The jacks alone decide more than a third of the hand, which is why the trump jack is the single most valuable card in the game.
The ranking follows the points
Within a suit the order is J · 9 · A · 10 · K · Q · 8 · 7 — jack high, then nine, then ace. The cards that score are the cards that win.
That reading is the opposite of every other game documented here. In Call Break and Teen Patti the ace is the top card; in it is the lowest — see where the ace is low and where it is high. In 29 the ace sits third.
Against the other trick games here
| 29 | Call Break | 3 2 5 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Players | 4, in pairs | 4, alone | 3, alone |
| Cards each | 8 | 13 | 10 |
| What you count | Card points | Tricks | Tricks |
| Trump | Set by the bid | Always spades | Chosen by one player |
| Ace rank | Third | Highest | Highest |
29 is the only one where tricks themselves are worth nothing. A side can take six of eight tricks and still lose the hand if the jacks and nines went the other way.
Common questions
What is the 29 card game?
A four-player trick-taking game in two partnerships, played with 32 cards. The name comes from the 28 card points in the deck plus one for the last trick.
How do you play 29 card game?
Each player gets eight cards, a trump is set by bidding, and the side that bids must take at least that many card points across the eight tricks.
How many points are in the 29 card game?
Twenty-nine. Jacks are worth three each, nines two, aces and tens one each — 28 in all — plus one point for winning the last trick.
Why is the jack the highest card in 29?
Because the ranking follows point value, not face value. Jack beats nine, nine beats ace, and ace beats ten.
How many cards are used in 29 card game?
Thirty-two — seven through ace in all four suits. The deck is cut down so that eight cards each deals exactly.
Is 29 the same as Twenty-Nine?
Yes. It is written both ways, and it is played mainly in eastern and northern India.
The trick game we publish — spades always trump, five-round matches, free on Android.
Get it on Google PlayKeep reading
References
- Indian card games at Pagat, maintained by John McLeod since 1995