Cards4Couples
Hard · 5/5Jass group (point-trick with melds)Widespread (Jewish communities, Scotland, USA); related to French Belote

Clobyosh

Also known as Bela, Klabberjass, Kalabrias, Clob, Klaberyass

Widely rated one of the most skilful two-player card games. A trick-taking game where you bid to set trumps, score for sequences and the trump King-Queen ('Bela'), and capture point cards — but if you take on trumps and lose, all your points go to your opponent.

You'll need: A 32-card pack (remove 2s-6s from a standard deck).

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Objective

Be first to reach 501 total points over several hands, from captured card points, sequences, Bela, and the last trick.

Card values

Plain suits

Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2, others 0.

Trump suit

Jack ('Yuss') 20, Nine ('Manel') 14, Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Eight/Seven 0.

Combinations

  • Run of four in a suit ('fifty') = 50; run of three ('twenty') = 20 (sequence order A-K-Q-J-10-9-8-7).
  • Only the holder of the single best run scores runs; ties favor higher top card, then trump, then who declared first.
  • Bela = King + Queen of trumps = 20, declared as played and always counts.
  • A sequence only counts if its holder wins at least one trick.

Setup

  1. 1Deal 6 cards to each player (in two packets of three) and turn the next card up as the proposed trump.
  2. 2Bidding: the non-dealer ('forehand') may 'take' the turned suit as trumps or 'pass'. If both pass, forehand may name a different trump suit, then the dealer; if all options are declined, redeal.
  3. 3Once trumps are set, deal three more cards each (nine-card hands). The holder of the trump Seven may exchange it for the trump indicator.

How to play

  • Forehand leads first. You must follow suit; if you can't, you must trump; when a trump is led you must beat it if able. Trick-taking power follows the point-value order above.
  • Declarations of sequences happen on the first trick, using a stylized back-and-forth so the loser reveals little; the winner shows and scores on the second trick.
  • Bela is announced as its two cards are played ('Bela' / 'from the Bela').
  • The winner of each trick leads to the next; the last trick is worth 10.

Scoring

Scored in points · play to 501

Each hand

  • Each player totals captured card points plus their scored combinations plus the 10 for last trick.
  • The non-taking defender's points are always safe.
  • If the trump-maker (taker) fails to beat the opponent's total, they are 'bate' — all their points go to the opponent.
  • Equal scores are held over and go to the winner of the next completed hand.

Winning

First to 501 wins. You may claim victory the instant you reach 501 mid-hand (after winning a trick); an unclaimed 501 can be overtaken, and a false claim forfeits the game. Usually played best of three.

Game mechanics referenced from pagat.com (John McLeod); rules text is our own wording.

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