The Betel. Part 1. Definitions.

       The Betel is a combination of bridge and Hearts - trick-taking card games.

Definitions

• Suit - Major suits:  ♠ - "Spades", ♥ - "Hearts". Minor suits: ♦ - "Diamonds", ♣ - "Clubs".
• Trump - A card in the trump suit has greater trick-taking power than any other plain suit card.
• Plain suit - A non-trump suit; a side suit.
• Honor - Upper honors: A - "Ace", K - "King". Lower honors: Q - "Queen", J - "Jack".
  
• Spot card - Upper spots: "10", "9". Lower spots: "8", "7".
• Deck - The 32 cards used in The Betel. Four honors and four spots in all four suits: (4 + 4) * 4 = 32.
• Deal - One particular allocation of the deck to the three players including "the bidding", "the play" of the cards and the scoring.
• Hand - The 10 cards held by each player during a deal.
• Trick - A set of 3 cards played by each player in turn, during "the play" of a hand.
• Overtrick - Any extra trick taken by the declarer above the number of tricks required by the contract.
• Twins - Two cards, face down, lying on the table. They are exchanged during "the bidding".
• Bidding - The first stage of a deal, when players determine the final "contract". They make a series of "calls" in turn, which is called the auction or the bidding.
• Level - The number of tricks that the bid or the contract states will be taken or will not be taken. There are five levels: 1. "One" (6 or more tricks) or "Betel 2" (2 or less tricks), 2. "Two" (7 or more tricks) or "Betel 1"  (1 or less tricks). 3. "Three" (8 or more tricks) or "Betel 0" (no tricks). 4. "Small Slam" (9 or more tricks) or "Grand Betel" (no tricks). 5. "Grand Slam" (all tricks). 
  
• Slam - Either "Small Slam" - a contract to win at least 9 tricks or "Grand slam" - a contract to win all 10 tricks.
• Denomination - Component of a bid that denotes the proposed trump suit or notrump. Thus, there are five denominations: 1. "notrump", 2. "spades", 3. "hearts", 4. "diamonds", 5. "clubs".
  
• Contract - The statement of the player who has won "the bidding". The contract consists of two components: "the level", stating the number of tricks to be taken, or not taken, and "the denomination", denoting the trump suit (or its absence in a notrump bid). The last bid in the bidding phase denotes the final contract. The bid before two consecutive passes is the last bid i.e. the contract.
• Call - Any "exchange of a twins" and then "bid" or "pass" or "double" in the bidding stage.
  
• Pass - A call indicating that the player does not wish to change the contract named by the preceding bid.
• Double - A call that indicates that points for a contract will be doubled, whether they are positive or negative. Additionally, the next bidding may start from the beginning. After a double and a pass you cannot bid the same contract again, but you can bid that contract in subsequent bidding rounds. In addition, the same contract may not be doubled for a second time in any subsequent bidding.
  
• Exchange - First part of "call". You can abandon the exchange and then "pass", "double" or "bid", or exchange one or two cards from the "twins" and then bid, not pass. You can abandon it in such ways: by viewing one card, by viewing two cards or by not viewing any card of the twins. If you look at one or two cards and "pass", you'll get specified number of negative points, but no negative points after "double". If you decide to exchange you cannot "pass" but you can "double". You can take "twins" to hand and then put two other cards (or the same) from hand on table creating new "twins" and then you have to "bid" or "double" bur no "pass".
• Bid - Second part of a "call". A specification of both "level" and "denomination", such as "three notrump" or "small slam hearts" or "betel 0". Any legal "bid" constitutes a potential "contract".
  
• Play - The stage of a deal when players attempt to take tricks. The declarer tries to take (or to not take) at least as many tricks as the contract calls for, and the defenders try to prevent that.
• Declarer - The player that makes the final "bid" in the bidding. The final bid is called the "contract" and it's the last one after two consecutive passes or after "Grand Slam".
• Defenders - The two players that try to defeat the contract played by the declarer.
• Ruff - To play a trump on a trick when a plain suit was led.
• Lead - The first card played on a trick, which dictates the suit that others must play if able to do so.

The basics

       The Betel is played with 32 cards - a bridge deck from sevens to aces. There are three people playing. There are also additional rules that allow four players to play. There are eight consecutive cards of the suit (8 * 4 = 32) and ten tricks (10 * 3 = 30 plus 2 remaining on the table). The dealer distributes 10 cards to each player, one card at a time, face down, beginning with the player on their left. Two cards remain on table - they are called the "twins" and can be exchange during "the bidding". Optionally, the fourth player can watch the consecutive twins, and finally declare which of the three players will score the most points and thus earn or lose points yourself. The order of suits is as in bridge: "spades" (highest), "hearts", "diamonds", "clubs". Also, the order of the cards is the same: "ace" (highest), "king", "queen", "jack", "10", "9", "8", "7". The game is divided into two parts: "the bidding" and "the play". Players call first and then play, as in bridge.

next part -> The play

Grzegorz GPS Świderski

PS.  Related notes:

• Glossary of contract bridge terms
• Betelek
• Słownik brydżowy

PS2. All parts:

• Part 1. Definitions.
• Part 2. The play.
• Part 3. The bidding.
• Part 4. Scoring.
• Part 5. Strategy.

Nowy człowiek - koniec socjalizmu! <- previous note

next note -> The Betel. Part 2.

Tags: gps65, Betelek, Betel, Bridge, Hearts