trick-taking · South Asia (India, Bangladesh, Nepal)

29 (Twenty-Nine)

Also known as Twenty-Nine · 29 · Twentynine · 29 Card Game · Jonokai · Twenty Nine

29 (Twenty-Nine) is one of South Asia's most beloved trick-taking card games, played by four people in two partnerships using a 32-card deck where Jacks and Nines are the highest, most valuable cards. After a tense auction to win the bid and choose the trump suit, teams race to capture enough card points in tricks to make their contract. Play 29 online free against smart bots or with friends, learn the rules, and master the marriage and seventh-card calls that make Twenty-Nine so addictive.

Coming soon — learn the rules below

4–4 players · free to play online

How to play 29 (Twenty-Nine)

Sit four players as two partnerships, partners facing each other, and deal 4 cards to each player to start.
Look at your four cards and bid: name a number from 16 up to 28 if you think your side can win that many points, or pass.
The highest bidder wins the auction and secretly picks the trump suit (placing a face-down marker card); everyone is then dealt up to 8 cards.
Remember the ranking in every suit: Jack (high), 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, 7 (low). Jacks are worth 3 points, Nines 2, Aces and Tens 1 each.
Play tricks clockwise, always following the suit led if you can; the highest trump or highest card of the led suit wins the trick.
When you cannot follow suit, you may ask the bidder to reveal trumps, then play (and trump) freely under your table's rules.
Declare a Marriage (King + Queen of trumps) to adjust the target; after 8 tricks, count card points and see if the bidding side made its bid.

29 (Twenty-Nine) rules

Objective

29 is a partnership trick-taking game for four players in two teams of two, partners sitting opposite each other. One side wins the auction and names a trump suit, contracting to capture at least the number of card points it bid. The deck holds 28 points (an extra point for the last trick gives the game its name, 29). After play, you count the points your side won in tricks: the bidding team wins the hand if it reaches its bid, otherwise it fails. Match the bid and you score; fall short and you lose ground. The first team to reach the target number of game points wins the match.

The deck, card ranking and points

29 uses a 32-card pack: take a standard 52-card deck and remove all 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s and 6s, keeping A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each of the four suits. The ranking is unusual and the key to the game: in every suit the order from highest to lowest is J (high), 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7 (low). So the Jack beats the Nine, which beats the Ace. Card points: Jack = 3, Nine = 2, Ace = 1, Ten = 1, and King, Queen, 8 and 7 are worth 0. That is 7 points per suit and 28 points in the whole deck. Many play with an extra point for winning the last trick, making 29 points total.

The deal

Choose a first dealer at random; the deal then rotates. The dealer shuffles and deals clockwise (counter-clockwise in some Bangladeshi versions), giving each player 4 cards, usually in one batch of four. Players look at their first four cards and the auction begins. After bidding ends, the dealer deals the remaining cards so that everyone has 8 cards in total. The four unused cards (the removed low cards) are set aside; one of them is used face-down by the bid winner to secretly mark the trump suit.

The bidding (auction)

Based on their first four cards, players bid for the right to name trumps. The player to the dealer's left bids first; bids must be a number and each new bid must be higher than the last, or you pass. The minimum bid is 16 and the maximum is 28. The auction continues around the table until three players pass in succession, leaving one bidder. If the first three players pass, the dealer is committed to a minimum bid of 16. The highest bidder's side undertakes to win at least that many card points in tricks. The bid winner secretly selects the trump suit by placing one of the unused cards of that suit face-down on the table without revealing it yet.

How to play (trick-taking and trump reveal)

The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick. Each player in turn must follow the suit led if able; if you cannot follow suit, you may play any card, including a trump. A trick is won by the highest trump played, or, if no trump was played, by the highest card of the suit led (using the J-9-A-10-K-Q-8-7 order). The winner of each trick leads to the next. The trump suit stays hidden until someone needs it: the first time a player cannot follow the suit led, that player may ask the bidder to reveal trumps. The bidder then turns up the face-down trump card so everyone sees the suit. In most house rules trumps are only 'live' from the moment they are revealed, so once a player calls for trump, they must usually play a trump on that trick if they have one.

Marriage (Pair) and the Seventh-card call

Marriage (also called Pair) is holding both the King and Queen of the trump suit. A player on the bidding side who holds the marriage may declare it (after their side has revealed trumps and won a trick) to reduce their team's target by 4 points, down to a minimum bid of 16. If the marriage is held by the defending side, it instead raises the bidding team's target by 4 (up to a maximum of 28). The marriage must be declared before you play either of those two cards. A popular optional rule is the Seventh card (Satvi haath): instead of choosing trump up front, the bidder can call the seventh card of the deal to become trump, raising the stakes and risk.

Scoring and winning the match

After all 8 tricks, each side counts the card points it captured. If the bidding team reaches its (possibly marriage-adjusted) bid, it succeeds and scores; if it falls short, it fails and loses. A common scoring method tracks game points using a marker (traditionally the pips of a Six card, red for plus, black for minus): the bidding side gains or loses 1 game point per hand, and the first team to reach +6 game points wins the match (or a team loses on reaching -6). Many online versions instead score points equal to the bid or use a fixed match length. Doubling (and redoubling) before the final deal, and automatic double stakes for high bids of 21 or more, are widespread optional rules that multiply the game points at stake.

Strategy tips

Bid on point cards, not just high cards: a hand rich in Jacks (3 pts) and Nines (2 pts) is worth more than one full of Kings and Queens, which score zero.
Count the 28 points as they fall. Knowing that 16 points already exist in the four Jacks and four Nines helps you judge whether your contract is still reachable.
Hold the King and Queen of a long trump suit when you can win the bid: declaring the Marriage cuts your target by 4 and can turn a risky bid into a safe one.
Lead trumps early when you have length and strength in trump to draw out opponents' trumps and protect your side's point cards like Aces and Tens.
As a defender, save high trumps to capture the bidder's Jacks and Nines late, and signal suits to your partner so you can pool just enough points to set the contract.
Watch the seventh-card and double rules: aggressive bids of 21+ and the seventh-card call can swing the match, so only take those risks with a genuinely strong, trump-heavy hand.

Variants

Last-trick point (28 vs 29 points) · Seventh card (Satvi haath) trump call · Double and redouble for higher stakes · Auto-double on bids of 21 or more · Single hand (declarer plays alone to win all tricks) · Reverse trump (ranking reverses when a low card is chosen) · Bangladeshi version (counter-clockwise, ditto bids, marriage only on bids of 19+) · 56 and 28 (related Jack-Nine games)

29 (Twenty-Nine) — frequently asked questions

How do you play 29 (Twenty-Nine) card game?

Four players in two partnerships are dealt cards, bid from 16 to 28 for the right to choose a trump suit, and then play eight tricks. You must follow the suit led if you can; the highest trump or highest card of the led suit wins each trick. After play, the bidding team counts its captured card points and succeeds only if it reaches the number it bid.

Why is the game called 29 if there are only 28 points?

The four suits hold 28 card points in total (Jacks 3, Nines 2, Aces 1, Tens 1, others 0). Many groups add one extra point for winning the last trick, which makes the maximum 29 and gives the game its name. Others say 29 comes from the fact that a bid plus the points the defenders need to beat it always sums to about 29.

What is the card ranking and point value in 29?

In every suit the order from high to low is Jack, 9, Ace, 10, King, Queen, 8, 7. The Jack is worth 3 points, the Nine 2 points, and the Ace and Ten 1 point each; Kings, Queens, 8s and 7s are worth zero. That makes 7 points per suit and 28 points across the 32-card deck.

What is the Marriage or Pair rule in 29?

Marriage (Pair) is holding both the King and Queen of the trump suit. If your bidding side holds it, declaring the Marriage lowers your team's point target by 4 (down to a minimum of 16). If the defending side holds it, it raises the bidding team's target by 4 (up to 28). You must declare it before playing either the King or Queen of trumps.

What is the minimum and maximum bid in 29?

The minimum bid is 16 and the maximum is 28. The player to the dealer's left bids first, and each later bid must be higher or the player passes. If the first three players all pass, the dealer is forced to bid the minimum of 16.

Can I play 29 (Twenty-Nine) online for free?

Yes. You can play 29 online free in your browser against challenging bots or with friends in real-time multiplayer, with full support for trump selection, the Marriage rule, doubling and the seventh-card call. No real money is involved and there is no download required.