How to Play

Manillen is the Belgian trick-taking partnership game where the 10 is the highest card (the Manille) and the Ace second. Four players in two partnerships use a 32-card deck and fight for 31 of 61 card points each hand; matches run to 21 or an agreed target.

Manillen is the Belgian (especially Flemish) version of the French-Spanish trick-taking game Manille, and one of the most widely played partnership card games in Belgium alongside Wiezen and Rikken. Four players in two fixed partnerships use a 32-card Piquet deck (Sevens to Aces); eight cards are dealt to each hand. The defining twist is its inverted ranking: the 10 is the highest card in every suit (the Manille) and the Ace is second (the Manillon), above King, Queen, and Jack. After the deal, one side names a trump suit, and all eight tricks are fought for card points. The deck holds 60 card points per hand plus a 1-point bonus for the last trick (61 total), and a partnership must take more than half (31+) to win that hand's stake. Matches are usually played to 21 points or over an agreed number of deals.

Players

Exactly 4 players, in two fixed partnerships; partners sit opposite each other. The first dealer is chosen by cutting for the highest card, and the deal rotates anticlockwise after each hand (the French convention). Partnerships are fixed for the match.

Card Deck

One 32-card Piquet pack (remove the 2s through 6s from a standard 52-card deck, leaving Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each suit). Ranking in every suit, high to low: 10 (Manille), Ace (Manillon), King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7. The 10 outranks every other card, including the Ace. Card point values per trick: Manille (10) = 5, Manillon (Ace) = 4, King = 3, Queen = 2, Jack = 1, 9/8/7 = 0. Plus a bonus 1 point for winning the last trick, totalling 61 card points per hand.

Objective

As a partnership, take more than half of the 61 card points available each hand (that is, at least 31 points). Across the match, a partnership reaches the agreed point target (commonly 21 match points or 101 cumulative card points) first to win.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the 32-card deck. The player to the dealer's left cuts.
2. Deal 8 cards to each of the 4 players in two packets of four, anticlockwise.
3. No stock remains; the entire deck is in play.
4. Trump selection begins with the player to the dealer's right; see Bidding / Trumps below.

Bidding and Trumps

1. Starting with the player to the dealer's right and going anticlockwise, each player in turn may either choose a trump suit or pass.
2. If the first three players all pass, the dealer must choose a trump suit (or declare Zonder Troef / No Trumps; see below).
3. Choosing a trump commits the chooser's partnership to taking 31+ card points this hand.
4. Zonder Troef (no trumps): The chooser may also declare 'no trumps', in which case play proceeds with no suit as trump and scoring is typically doubled. Zonder Troef is declared before any trump is named.

Gameplay

1. The player to the dealer's right leads the first trick by playing any card.
2. Follow suit if you have a card of the led suit. If you have none, you must play a trump if you can (this is mandatory trumping, typical of Manille-family games); you may play any other card only when you have neither the led suit nor a trump.
3. Over-trump rule: When you must play a trump and the current winning card is already a trump, you must play a higher trump if you hold one (you must 'over-trump').
4. Trick winner: The highest trump wins the trick; or, if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. Remember the 10 beats the Ace beats the King.
5. The trick winner leads the next trick.
6. Play continues for all 8 tricks until both partnerships' hands are empty.

Scoring

• After all 8 tricks, each partnership tallies their captured card points plus the 1-point last-trick bonus (total pot = 61).
• The partnership with 31 or more points wins the hand; they score the difference between their points and 30 as match points (for example, winning 38-23 scores 8 match points).
• In Zonder Troef (No Trumps) hands, the match points are doubled.
• If the point split is 30-31, some groups award the winning pair a flat 1 match point; if exactly 30-30 (tied with no last trick bonus yet resolved), the hand is a draw and played again.
• In matches played to an agreed target, the first partnership to reach the target in match points wins.

Winning the Match

A typical match runs to 21 match points; some groups play to 101 cumulative card points over multiple deals. Once a partnership reaches the target at the end of a hand, they win the match; if both partnerships cross the target in the same hand, the one with the higher total wins, and if still tied another hand is played.

Common Variations

• Manillen Troef: A lighter version where trumps are set by turning up the top card of the remaining stock after the deal; no trump selection.
• Manillen Zonder Troef: Pure no-trump play for every hand; scoring typically doubled throughout.
• Verplicht Manille (compulsory Manille): Dealers who pass all selections must play Zonder Troef.
• Manille Parlante (Speaking Manille): Partners are allowed three ritual verbal signals during play to indicate suit strength, similar to Italian Tressette; rare in modern Belgian play but common historically.
• Manille Ascolana / Aussprache: Regional French and Walloon variants with subtle differences in bidding and mandatory trumping rules.

Tips and Strategy

• The 10 is king. Each suit has only one Manille; losing yours costs your partnership five points in one trick. Play it only when your partner is leading the same suit or when you can safely lead it in a suit opponents are short.
• Count card points, not tricks. Five tricks can earn you under 15 points if opponents' tricks hoard the Manilles and Manillons. Watch which high cards have fallen.
• Over-trump discipline. Because you must over-trump when forced, your long-trump partnership can be drained rapidly; lead trumps early to control when the over-trumps fall.
• Signal suit strength. Your first discard from a void suit tells your partner which side suit you are strong in; experienced Manillen partnerships use consistent discard signals.
• Zonder Troef psychology. Declaring no trumps doubles rewards but exposes you to losing Manilles to any long suit held by an opponent. Declare only with a balanced, high hand.

Glossary

• Manille: The 10 of a suit; the highest-ranking card and worth 5 points when captured in a trick.
• Manillon: The Ace of a suit; second highest and worth 4 points per trick.
• Troef: Dutch/Flemish for trump; the suit named by the bidder.
• Zonder Troef: 'No trumps'; optional no-trump contract, typically doubles scoring.
• Over-trumping: Playing a higher trump than the one currently winning the trick; required when you have a higher trump and are forced to play trump.
• Laatste slag: The last trick; worth a bonus 1 point for whichever side wins it.
• Match points: The scoring units accumulated across hands; (points earned) - 30 per successful hand.