Official Twenty-Nine Rules

Last Updated on August 29, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Twenty-Nine, also known as 29, is a popular trick-taking card game played with four players in fixed partnerships. Originating in South Asia, it shares similarities with other trick-taking games from the region, where the objective is to win tricks using the highest-ranked cards in the chosen trump suit.

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How to Play Twenty-Nine

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Game Variations

Descriptions of the game vary significantly, suggesting that different regions or players may have their own variations. As a result, it’s likely that there are several versions of the game played both within India and abroad. We have tried our best to list the most common variations at the end of this page. If you play with different rules or have any questions, feel free to let us know in the comments!

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Players and Cards

The game is typically played with four players in fixed partnerships, with partners sitting across from each other.

A 32-card deck is used, consisting of 8 cards from each of the four suits: hearts, diamonds, clubs, and spades. The cards are ranked from high to low as follows: Jack, Nine, Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Eight, and Seven. The goal is to win tricks with valuable cards. The point values for each card are:

• Jacks: 3 points each
• Nines: 2 points each
• Aces: 1 point each
• Tens: 1 point each
• Other cards (King, Queen, Eight, Seven): No points

Thus, the total points in the game add up to 28, though some versions add an extra point for the last trick, bringing the total to 29, which is how the game gets its name.

In some variations, Twos, Threes, Fours, and Fives from the full deck are discarded and used as trump indicators, with each player receiving one card from these discarded cards. The Sixes are used for scoring, with one red and one black Six for each team.

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Deal and Bidding

The dealer shuffles the deck and the player to the dealer’s right cuts it. Four cards are then dealt to each player, one at a time. Based on these four cards, players place bids for the right to choose the trump suit. The minimum bid is 15, and the maximum bid is 28 (assuming the last trick doesn’t count for extra points). The bidding continues until three players pass in succession.

Once the final bid is made, the declarer selects the trump suit and arranges the discarded Twos, Threes, Fours, and Fives so that a card from the chosen suit is at the bottom of the pile. The dealer then completes the deal by giving each player four more cards, so that everyone has eight cards.

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The Play

The player to the dealer’s left leads the first trick. Players must follow the suit of the lead card if possible. The winner of each trick leads the next. At the beginning of the game, the trump suit is unknown to all players except the declarer. If a player is unable to follow the lead suit, they must ask the declarer to reveal the trump suit. Once the trump suit is declared, the highest trump card wins the trick. If no trump cards are played, the highest card of the lead suit wins.

If a player holds both the King and Queen of trumps, they can declare this combination, known as a “Pair” or “Royals,” after winning a trick. If the declarer or their partner declares the Pair, it reduces the required points by 4. If an opponent declares the Pair, it increases the required points by 4.

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Scoring

After all eight tricks have been played, the side that wins the last trick adds an extra point. If the bidding side meets or exceeds their bid, adjusted for any “Pair” declaration, they win a game point. If they fail, they lose a game point. The game continues until one team reaches a cumulative score of +6, winning the game, or -6, losing the game.

The score is tracked using the Six cards, with each team using one red Six and one black Six. Red pips represent positive scores, and black pips represent negative scores.

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Twenty-Nine (29) FAQ

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Variations

Sequence of Play

In some regions, the game is played counter-clockwise, with the player to the dealer’s right bidding first. In these cases, the bidding and play may also begin with the dealer.

Last Trick

Some versions of the game add an extra point for the last trick, increasing the total score to 29. Other versions may explain the name “29” by saying it represents the total number of points required by both teams to meet the bid.

Bidding

In some versions, the minimum bid is 16. If a Pair is declared by the declarer’s team, it can only reduce their points if the bid is higher than 16.

Reverse

In certain regions, such as West Bengal, players may reverse the ranking of the cards (with the Seven being the highest and the Jack the lowest) by selecting a 2 as the trump indicator.

Seventh Card

In some variations, a player may ask for the “seventh card,” which will determine the trump suit after the first four cards are dealt. This additional card adds a layer of strategy to the bidding process.

Double, Redouble, and Set

After the declarer selects the trump suit, opponents can choose to “double” the score if they believe the declarer’s team will fail. A “redouble” can then be made to increase the stakes even further.

Auto-Double

In some versions, if the bid is 21 or more, the score automatically doubles, meaning the game can be won or lost with higher stakes.

Single Hand

A player may declare a “single hand” to win all eight tricks alone, without a partner. This is a high-risk move, and if successful, it results in 3 game points for the player’s team. If not successful, the team loses 3 points.

Asking for Trumps

In some versions, players are not required to ask for the trump suit when they cannot follow suit. Instead, they can discard any card, but if a player requests the trump suit to be revealed, they are then obligated to follow the suit once it is declared.

Guess the First Trump

Some variations of the game involve guessing the trump suit only after the first trick, making it a more challenging and strategic game.

Scoring Multiple Games

In some regions, the game consists of multiple rounds, with each game worth 6 points. Spare cards may be used to track the number of games each team has won or lost.

Lucknow Version

In the Lucknow version, players can declare a “Tenny,” where one player attempts to win all four tricks alone. Additionally, the bidding process allows players to declare “ditto” to match the previous bid.

Bangladesh Version

In Bangladesh, the game is played counter-clockwise, and the bidding process involves a unique variation where each player can only bid once. If the first player has no points in their hand, the deal is annulled and shuffled again.