Last Updated on April 10, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Napoleon, also known as Nap, is a trick-taking game for two or more players, played with a standard 52-card deck where Aces are high and 2s are low. The goal is to either be the highest bidder and win all of your tricks or win more tricks than the highest bidder.

For more trick-taking games, check out our guides for Euchre and Whist.

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How to Play Napoleon

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Set Up

To start, a dealer must be chosen. Players draw a random card from a shuffled deck, with the lowest card selecting the dealer. Ties are resolved with repeated draws. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals one set of three cards and one set of two cards to each player, faced down.

Bidding

After the deal, players enter a bidding phase starting with the player to the dealer’s left. The highest bidder leads the first card of the round. If the highest bidder bids 4 or fewer tricks, they are called Misère and do not establish a trump suit. If they bid all 5 tricks, the first card they lead establishes trump. The first player to bid 5 tricks is called “Napoleon.” If another player bids 5 tricks, they become “Wellington” and outbid Napoleon. A third player can bid 5 tricks as “Blucher,” outbidding Wellington. Bidding ends once a Blucher bid is made, and the game then revolves around the competition between the highest bidder and the rest of the players, with the bidder attempting to win their tricks and the others trying to prevent them.

How to Play

The highest bidder leads the first card, and players follow clockwise. Players must follow suit or play trump if available. If they cannot, they must discard a card, but only cards from the lead suit count. The highest card in the trick wins it.

Scoring

If the highest bidder successfully wins the number of tricks they bid, they earn that many points. Special bonus points are awarded for Napoleon, Wellington, and Blucher bids (10 points each). If the bidder fails to meet their bid, the other players receive points equal to the bidder’s intended score. Failing a Napoleon bid earns the others 5 points, Wellington earns 10 points, and Blucher earns 20 points. The first player to reach 30 points wins.

For more information on Napoleon and its rules, check out Wikipedia’s article here and Pagat’s article here.

Variations

Peep Nap
In Peep Nap, after the deal, the highest bidder may look at a single face-down card set aside from the deal. If the card improves their hand, they can swap it with one from their hand.

Pool Nap
In Pool Nap, each player (except the dealer) contributes an equal bet to the pot, which the dealer matches. The pot goes to the player who successfully completes a Napoleon bid. If a Napoleon bid fails, the player must double the pot.

Sir Garnet
In Sir Garnet, an additional 5-card pile is dealt and placed face down. If a player bids Napoleon, they may exchange cards between their hand and the pile, provided they end up with 5 cards. Failing a Napoleon bid results in the player paying double.

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Napoleon is a thrilling trick-taking card game that requires strategic bidding and careful play. Whether you’re bidding for a Napoleon, Wellington, or Blucher, every decision can drastically impact your chances of winning. The mix of standard trick-taking gameplay and unique variations like Peep Nap and Pool Nap ensures that each round feels fresh and exciting. Get your deck ready and dive into this engaging game!