Zique -- an Original Card Game

Invented by Howard Fosdick (V 1.0) © BestFreeNewGames.com

Overview: Here's a card game for two in which players score through both trick-taking and melds. Competitors face tension between the two scoring strategies as they try to optimise their hands.

This is our own unique, enhanced version of Bezique, which has fascinated card players since the 1850s.

What's fun about this game is that it exhibits a lifecycle. At various times your ability to meld waxes and wanes, and it's up to you to manage this optimally. Through it all, you face the constant trade-off between scoring for melds versus quick points for winning Aces and 10s in tricks.

Equipment: Two players use two French decks. These are two sets of cards from Aces down to 7's, for a total of 64 cards. You can make this deck simply by taking two standard 52-card decks and removing all cards below 7's, as well as any Jokers.

Cards Rank: A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7. Note that the 10 is the second-highest card, ranking right below the Ace.

Objective: To win a deal or hand by scoring the most points. To win Game by being first to score at least 800 points across deals.

Deal: Deal alternates between players. Deal each player 8 cards face down to start. The remaining cards become the drawing stock. Dealer turns up one card and places it next to the drawing stock. The suit of this card dictates the trump suit for the hand.

Play: The non-dealer leads any card to the first trick.

The procedure of play now will be:

Each player plays one card to a trick. Any card may be led, and the follower may play any card in response.
The trick is won by the highest trump played, if any. Otherwise it is won by the highest card of the suit led. In event that two exactly same cards are played, the first one played wins the trick.
The winner of the trick places both cards face down in his winnings pile.
The trick winner may declare one scoring meld, if he has any to declare and so chooses.
The trick winner draws one card from the drawing stock, followed by his opponent who also draws one card. Thus each player has 8 cards in hand until near the end of the hand.
The trick winner leads any card to the next trick.

Melds: After winning a trick, the trick winner may declare one meld if he so chooses -- before he draws a card from the drawing stock.

Melds score as follows:

Meld:	Called:	Points:
Any 4 Aces		100 points
Any 4 Kings		80 points
Any 4 Queens		60 points
Any 4 Jacks		40 points
King and Queen of Trump Suit	Royal Marriage	40 points
King and Queen of any non-Trump Suit	Common Marriage	20 points
Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds	Zique	50 points
Both Queens of Spades and Both Jacks of Diamonds	Royal Zique	350 points
Ace-10-King-Queen-Jack of Trump Suit	Royal Sequence	250 points
Ace-10-King-Queen-Jack of any non-Trump Suit	Common Sequence	150 points

When a player melds cards, he places them face up on the table before him. The dealer immediately records this score.

As play and trick-taking continue, the exposed cards remain face up in front of that player. They are treated just the same as the hidden portion of the player's hand. The player may play them to tricks, or not, as he desires.

Multiple Melds for a Card: A single card may score in more than one meld -- but only when those melds are of different kinds. Each meld scored requires that the player first win a trick before declaring it.

Example: You score a marriage with a King and Queen of Hearts. Leaving the suitable card(s) face up in front of you, you could then use either of these cards in either a four-of-a-kind meld, or a sequence meld. But you could not use either in another marriage.

Of course, those subsequent melds require that you add the cards to complete them. And, you must first win a trick prior to scoring each subsequent meld.

Example: You score for a zique with a Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds. You leave them face up on the table before you. You then acquire another Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds. You can score a second zique with this second set of cards after you win another trick. Then after you win a third trick, you could score a royal zique for all four cards together.

However, you could not switch either Queen of Spades to pair it a second time with the opposite Jack of Diamonds for further ziques. Any card may participate in only one scoring meld of each kind.

Closing: After the last two cards are taken up from the drawing stock, the hand is said to be "Closed".

Both players now take up any exposed cards (from melds) they have upon the table, and place them back into their hidden hands.

Now the rules of trick-taking change:

The trick winner leads any card.
His opponent must follow suit if able. (He is not required to "head" or win the trick.)
If the opponent cannot follow suit, he must play a trump if he can. If he can not play a trump, he may play any card.
If the leader to a trick leads a trump, his opponent must play a trump if he can. It must be a higher trump if he has one. If he has no trump, he may play any card.
The trick is won by the highest trump played, or if no trump is played, by the highest card of the suit led. In the event two exactly similar cards are played, the person playing the first one wins the trick.

Players may continue to score melds after the Close if able.

Scoring for Brisques: After the hand ends, each player counts all Aces and 10s in his pile of trick winnings. These are called Brisques. Each scores 10 points.

Whoever wins the last trick of the hand also wins 10 points.

Scoring summary:

Action:	Called:	Points:
Any 4 Aces		100 points
Any 4 Kings		80 points
Any 4 Queens		60 points
Any 4 Jacks		40 points
King and Queen of Trump Suit	Royal Marriage	40 points
King and Queen of any non-Trump Suit	Common Marriage	20 points
Queen of Spades and Jack of Diamonds	Zique	50 points
Both Queens of Spades and Both Jacks of Diamonds	Royal Zique	350 points
Ace-10-King-Queen-Jack of Trump Suit	Royal Sequence	250 points
Ace-10-King-Queen-Jack of any non-Trump Suit	Common Sequence	150 points
Each Ace or 10 won in tricks	Brisque	10 points
Winning the last trick in the hand	Finale	10 points
Advanced Rules only -- 7 of trumps displayed	Dix	10 points

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Playing Tips: The beauty of this game is its life cycle. The feel of the game ebbs and flows as players collect and then disgorge meld cards from their hands.

Trade-offs are central to its challenge. You'll often find you have a choice whether to pursue meld points or trick-taking points. Successfully navigating this trade-off is key. It's not unusual that one player scores most of his or her points through melds, while the opponent takes most the brisques. So if you can neutralise your opponents advantage in one area, you can win through your advantage in the other.

Perhaps a more important choice is which cards to try to meld. Carefully consider the odds of scoring for any particular meld, then model your behaviour accordingly. Clever players leave open the possibilities for more than a single meld at any one time, and also adjust their melding goals as more cards become known during the hand.

Of course, big meld scores with four-of-a-kind, the trump and non-trump sequences, and the royal zique can ensure you win a hand. Nevertheless, the player who carefully tracks cards and optimises lesser scores for marriages and brisques can still win any deal.

Be sure to "cross play" any card to more than a single meld when possible. For example, score a Queen in a marriage and then a zique. Or score for a marriage, then re-use those same cards in a royal or common sequence. Remember, you have to win a separate trick prior to each declaration, so hoard your trick-winners accordingly.

Click here for a printable Scoring Summary Chart.

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Optional Rules: After you've gotten familiar with the game, you may add these advanced rules to your play.

Dix: The 7 of trumps is called "the dix". There are two dix in every hand. Each dix scores 10 points for one player one time during the hand.

Should the dealer's turn up be a dix at the start of play, he immediately scores 10 points for that dix. That ends scoring for that particular dix.

If no one has yet scored 10 points for a particular dix, the player who has it in hand merely need show it to his opponent to score 10 points for it. He may show this card at any time, and is not required to win a trick beforehand to do so.

Dix Exchange: When a player has a dix in hand, he may exchange it for the original turn-up card at any time. (He does not have to win a trick to do so.)

For a Longer Game: Play to 1,600 points instead of 800.

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Differences from Bezique:

Zique derives from the traditional game, Bezique. It features few different rules, yet we feel they improve the game:

Players may score for melds after the Close. (This creates tension if players still have cards to meld during the Close. In traditional Bezique, players can no longer meld after the Close. There is no good reason for this rule and it is anti-climactic.)
The Double Bezique is scored lower at 350 points (instead of 500), while the Bezique is scored higher at 50 points (instead of 40). (The Double Bezique is scored in closer relation to its statistical occurrence and doesn't distort the game as it does in Bezique. The single Bezique is scored at 50 instead of 40 points to distinguish it from other 40-point plays.)
Non-trump sequences are added and scored. (This adds scoring opportunities and forces complicated trade-offs.)
Clear rules about the Dix and how melds may be scored after winning a trick. (These rules are sometimes confusing in various Bezique descriptions.)
Game is 800 points instead of 1,000. (This means a Game takes only a few hands. Or play the long game at 1,600 points. At 1,000 points to Game, Bezique sits uncomfortably in the middle between long and short sessions.)

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License: Feel free to print, copy, and distribute these rules, so long as you retain this paragraph. Invented by Howard Fosdick © 2023, distributed under Creative Commons License BY-ND. HOME