Why are Jacks and Nines the highest cards in 28?

28 belongs to a family of South Asian "Jack-Nine" trick-taking games where the Jack and Nine outrank the Ace. In each suit the order from high to low is Jack, 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, 7. Jacks are also worth 3 points each and Nines 2 points, so they dominate both the ranking and the scoring.

How many points are there in a game of 28?

There are exactly 28 points in the cards: Jacks are 3 each, Nines 2 each, and Aces and Tens 1 each, while Kings, Queens, 8s, and 7s are worth nothing. The total of 28 is what gives the game its name.

What is the minimum bid in 28?

The lowest legal bid is 14, because the bidding team must promise to capture more than half of the 28 available points. Bids can go as high as 28. The highest bidder earns the right to choose the trump suit.

How is the trump suit revealed in 28?

The bid winner sets one card aside face down to fix the trump suit secretly. Trump stays hidden until the first time a player cannot follow the led suit; that player may ask the bid winner to turn the card over, revealing trump to everyone. The bid winner may also reveal it voluntarily for strategy.

What is the difference between 28 and 29?

They are nearly identical Jack-Nine point-trick games. 28 uses a 32-card deck with 28 points and a minimum bid of 14, while 29 adds the Sevens to the relevant scoring and counts a 29th point for winning the last trick, with a minimum bid of 16. Both reward capturing Jacks and Nines, and you can play each free on lovecardgames.com.

Can I play 28 online for free?

Yes. lovecardgames.com offers 28 (Twenty-Eight) in your browser with no download and no signup. You can play solo against smart bots to learn the rules or join real-time multiplayer games with friends.

How to Play 28 (Twenty-Eight): Rules, Bidding, Trump & Scoring

28 (Twenty-Eight) is a fast, sharp partnership trick-taking game from India, especially popular in Kerala. Four players form two teams, the Jack and the Nine outrank the Ace, and you bid in secret for the right to choose a hidden trump. This guide covers the complete, accurate rules: the card ranking, point values, bidding, how trump is revealed, and scoring.

What is 28?

28 is a point-trick game for four players in two fixed partnerships. It is the parent of the closely related 29, and it sits in the same family as Spades, Callbreak, and Court Piece. Two features make 28 distinctive: the Jack and the Nine are the two highest cards in every suit, and players bid on only four cards for the right to name a secret trump. You do not simply count tricks won — you count the point value of the cards you capture, racing toward a total of 28, which gives the game its name.

The deck and the deal

28 uses a stripped 32-card deck. Take a standard pack and remove the 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, and 6s, leaving the 7 through Ace in each of the four suits. The four players sit in two partnerships, with partners facing each other so play alternates between the teams.

The deal happens in two stages. The dealer first gives four cards to each player. Players look at these four cards and bid. Once the auction is settled, the dealer deals the remaining four cards to each player, so everyone ends up with eight cards and all 32 cards are in play.

Jacks-and-Nines: ranking and points

This is the heart of 28 and the part newcomers get wrong most often. Within each suit, cards rank from highest to lowest as:

Jack (highest)
9
Ace
10
King
Queen
8
7 (lowest)

So a Jack beats a Nine, a Nine beats an Ace, and the 7 is the weakest card. The point values follow the same idea:

Each Jack = 3 points
Each Nine = 2 points
Each Ace = 1 point
Each Ten = 1 point
Kings, Queens, 8s, and 7s = 0 points

Add those up across all four suits and you get exactly 28 points in the deck. Memorising "J-9-A-10" as both the ranking and the scoring cards is the single most useful thing you can do as a beginner.

Bidding for trump

After everyone has seen their first four cards, the auction begins with the player to the dealer's left. Going around the table, each player either passes or names a number higher than the current bid. Your bid is a promise: it is the minimum number of points your team will capture if you win the auction and set trump.

The lowest legal bid is 14 — your side must take more than half of the 28 points.
The highest is 28, claiming every point in the deck.
Bidding continues until no one will raise. The highest bidder becomes the bid winner and sets the contract.

The bid winner secretly selects one card from their hand and sets it aside face down — that card's suit becomes trump. Nobody else knows what trump is yet, which is a defining tension of the game.

How the hidden trump is revealed

Trump stays hidden until it matters. During play, the first time a player cannot follow the suit that was led, that player may ask the bid winner to reveal trump. The bid winner turns over the set-aside card so everyone can see the suit, and from that point trump is known to all. A player who calls for trump in this way must usually then play a trump on that very trick if they can — common house rules vary on this detail, so agree before you start. The bid winner may also reveal trump voluntarily at any time for strategic reasons.

Playing the tricks

The player to the dealer's left leads the first of the eight tricks. Standard trick-taking rules apply:

You must follow the led suit if you hold a card in it.
If you cannot follow suit, you may play any card, including a trump (once trump is revealed).
The highest trump played wins the trick. If no trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins.
The winner of each trick leads the next one.

Because Jacks and Nines are both high-ranking and worth the most points, capturing the opponents' Jacks and Nines — or protecting your own — drives almost every decision.

Scoring

After all eight tricks are played, the bidding team counts the point value of the cards it captured:

If the bidding team meets or beats its bid, it scores a game point. If the defenders also failed to take any tricks, the bidder often scores extra.
If the bidding team falls short, it loses a game point and the contract is set.

A common penalty rule: revealing trump and still failing the bid loses more than a clean miss. Game points accumulate across deals, and a match runs to an agreed target. The deal then passes to the next player and a fresh auction begins.

Quick strategy tips

Bid on your Jacks and Nines. A hand with two Jacks plus length in a suit supports a strong bid; a hand of Kings and Queens is weak despite looking "high."
Hide your trump strength. Since trump is secret, lead side suits early to disguise your plan.
Trap the high cards. Try to capture the opponents' Jacks (3 points) and Nines (2 points) rather than feeding yours.
Time the reveal. Calling for trump tips off opponents, so reveal only when you gain the most from it.

If you enjoy 28, you will likely also love 29, the larger six-player cousin, and other trick-takers like Spades, Hearts, and Euchre. Fans of Indian classics should try Court Piece, Callbreak, Mendikot, and Dehla Pakad. For point-trick play with a different flavour, the Italian favourite Briscola is a great change of pace.

Play now

Ready to bid? Play 28 (Twenty-Eight) free in your browser on lovecardgames.com — no download, no signup. Practice against smart bots to learn the Jacks-and-Nines ranking, or invite friends for live multiplayer and chase the perfect 28-point deal.