Introduction
Card games are a simple option for leisure and are played in coffee shops across France. Each region in France had different card art with minor differences, and the same decks eventually found their way into other countries like Mexico and England, influencing card games across the world.
List of Most Popular French Card Games
Piquet
Piquet is a 16th-century trick-taking game for 2 players that emphasizes strategy and card-memorizing. The 32-card deck is used. Unlike most other variations of card games, Piquet has almost every piece of information visible to both players. Every action is scored in Piquet, and a player who can make the right decisions at each turn can guarantee themselves the win nearly every time. A game derived from Piquet is Bezique.
Belote
Belote is one of the most popular French card games despite its age of 70 years. Belote is played with a 32-card deck. This is a trick-taking game for 2-4 players, and the 4-player variation involves two partners per team. On each turn, a player can take or pass on a revealed card. The goal is to win by either taking tricks or completing special sets.
Manille
Another popular French card game played with the 32-card Piquet deck. Manille is designed for 4-players. The game commences with the dealer leading a trick. All other players are required to follow suit if possible, and the highest card wins the trick. The unique aspect of Manille is the fact that the dealer can let their teammate call the trump suit at the beginning of rounds.
Écarté
This is a 2-player game played with the 32-card Piquet deck introduced in the 19th century. Each player gets 5 cards, and a card is revealed to determine the trump suit. The goal of the game is to win tricks in a best of five. This is a simple trick-taking game with no complex rules, which is why it still survives to this day among classic card game enthusiasts.
Boston
A trick-taking card game originating from 18th-century France, this card game uses the standard 52-card deck. A player begins the game by making a bid, and setting up a certain task that they need to achieve. These tasks range from simple to difficult and award points based on the difficulty.
Commerce
This game is designed for 3-10 players and can be played with any deck. Throughout the game, players swap cards in hand for cards from the stock to form the best 3-card combination. Eventually, the round ends with a player calling for the showdown phase, where hands are compared.
Aluette
Aluette is an old French card game dating back to the 15th century. This is a 4-player trick-taking game played in partnerships of two. The unique part of this game is that teammates do not combine tricks. The player with the highest number of tricks wins. This game uses the 48-card deck, and teammates can give signals and gestures to set up advantageous tricks.
History of Card Games in France
France was first introduced to card games from the importing of Egyptian cards in 1370. Those cards had the basis of the 4-suit system, and France slowly adopted their own suiting system, derived from the German suits. French card games truly became their own in 1480, with the suits of trèfles (clubs), carreaux (diamonds), cœurs (hearts), and piques (spades).
Card games in France use special French decks, having 32-, 40- and 48-card variations. The same decks are still used to this day and can be easily adapted to the modern 52-card deck. Remove the 8, 9, and 10 cards from the deck for 40 cards, the 10 cards for the 48-card deck, and the A-6 cards for the 32-card Piquet deck.
French card games are credited with the introduction of the Queen. Egyptian Mamluk cards, and the German and Latin decks by extension, have always had three male face cards. France then adapted the use of Queens from tarot decks, replacing the Knight as the middle face card.
France was first introduced to card games from the importing of Egyptian cards in 1370. Those cards had the basis of the 4-suit system, and France slowly adopted their own suiting system, derived from the German suits. French card games truly became their own in 1480, with the suits of trèfles (clubs), carreaux (diamonds), cœurs (hearts), and piques (spades).
Frequently Asked Questions
What do I need to play French Card Games?
While card games in France have many different deck variations, all can be adapted using the standard 52-card deck as described above.
What are the most popular card games in France?
The most popular games are Belote, French Tarot, and Manille, which are still being played despite their old age.
Can I play French card games online?
A quick search will show that many French card games have simulators online that allow multiplayer functionality.
