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Game 28 Complete Beginner's Guide: Bidding, Trump, and Scoring Explained

May 2026 · 8 min read · Game 28 rules →

Game 28 is one of those games that looks intimidating before you understand it — bidding, secret trump, partner rules, Thani — but becomes deeply satisfying the moment the system clicks. This guide walks you through every concept from scratch, with examples and practical advice for your first few games.

Step 1: Understanding the Card System

Before anything else, memorise the card point values. Game 28 doesn't use all 52 cards — only 8 ranks per suit, giving you 32 cards total. Here's what each rank is worth when won in a trick:

The total of all card points is 28 (4 Jacks × 3 = 12, 4 Nines × 2 = 8, 4 Aces × 1 = 4, 4 Tens × 1 = 4). That's where the name comes from.

The rank order for trick-winning (highest to lowest): J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7. Note that the Nine ranks above the Ace — this is different from most card games and trips up new players.

Step 2: The Deal and First 4 Cards

Each player receives their full 8 cards in two stages:

1. The dealer gives everyone 4 cards
2. Players bid based on these 4 cards
3. After bidding is complete, the remaining 4 cards are dealt
4. The bid winner sees all 8 of their cards, then secretly chooses trump

This two-stage deal is important: your bidding hand is only half your final hand. The first 4 cards give you a signal about your strength, but you're also betting on what the last 4 cards might bring.

Step 3: How Bidding Works

Bidding is where beginners feel most lost. Here's the core logic:

• Bids represent how many card points your team will win this round (out of 28 total)
• The minimum bid is 14 — you must at least believe your team will win half the points
• The first bidder must open — they cannot pass
• Subsequent players can either bid higher or pass
• The highest bid wins — that player's team must meet the bid to score

How to decide your opening bid:

Your first 4 cards are your bidding hand. Look for:

• Jacks: Each Jack you hold is worth 3 points — roughly 10% of the total. Two Jacks in your hand of 4 = already 6 points, and you still have 4 more cards coming plus your partner's 8 cards.
• Nines: Worth 2 points each. A hand with a Jack and a Nine is already worth 5 points, suggesting your team might reach 18–22 with good trump coverage.
• Suit concentration: If your 4 cards are heavily concentrated in one suit, that's a signal to consider making that suit trump later.

Step 4: Choosing Trump

After winning the bid and seeing all 8 cards, the bid winner secretly chooses a trump suit. Trump is not revealed to the table immediately — it stays hidden until a player is void in the lead suit and asks for trump to be "called."

How to choose trump:

• Pick the suit where you hold the most high-value cards, especially the Jack. A Jack of Spades + other Spades = Spades is a natural trump choice.
• Consider your partner's likely holdings. If your partner bid strongly or you hold many of one suit, they probably hold high cards in that suit too.
• Avoid trump suits where opponents might hold the Jack and Nine. If you don't hold the Jack of a suit, making it trump risks your opponents using that Jack to capture your point cards.

Step 5: Playing Tricks and Revealing Trump

Once cards are dealt and trump is chosen, the trick-playing phase begins. The left of the dealer leads first.

The basic rules:

• You must follow the lead suit if you have any cards of that suit
• If you're void in the lead suit, you may play any card — but you cannot proactively lead trump
• Trump can only be revealed when a player is void in the lead suit and requests their partner to "call" trump
• Once trump is called and revealed, it applies for the rest of the round

Step 6: Scoring

After all 8 tricks are played, count the card points each team captured.

The first team to reach the target score (typically 6 game points) wins the match.

What is Thani?

Thani is declaring that your team will win all 28 card points — maximum bid. It's announced during bidding. If you succeed, your team immediately earns 3 game points. If you fail (even by 1 point), the opposing team gets 3 game points.

When is Thani worth attempting?

• You and your partner between you hold both Jacks, both Nines, and strong trump coverage
• You're confident you can win all 8 tricks — which means winning every single point card
• You're behind on game points and need a large swing — Thani is a risk worth taking when desperate

Beginners should avoid Thani until they understand the flow of the game well. A failed Thani is extremely costly.

Beginner Tips for Your First Games

1. Start with conservative bids. Bid 14–16 unless your first 4 cards include a Jack or strong support. You can always improve as you get a feel for hand strength.
2. Don't try to declare Thani early. Stick to bids of 18–22 until you've played 10+ rounds and understand how card points distribute across tricks.
3. Choose trump in your strongest suit. If you have J♠ + two other Spades, Spades is almost always the right trump choice.
4. Communicate through timing. In real-play, your partner watches how and when you play cards. In an online game, your trump reveal timing signals confidence — reveal early if you're strong, delay if you need your partner to lead defensively first.
5. Remember the Nine is above the Ace. This is the most common mistake — new players forget that 9 beats A in trick rank order. Don't play your Ace to "beat" an opponent's Nine — it won't work.

All chips are virtual and for entertainment only. Read the full Game 28 rules →