Despite all of the modern technology that’s taking over the entertainment space, there’s still a place for the classics. Card games have been embedded in cultures all around the world for centuries, passed down through the generations. In Bulgaria, the undisputed most popular game is that of belot. So, what is the game of belot, how do you play, and what might the future hold for the Bulgarian favorite?

Belot’s place in the world of card gaming

Source: Pixabay

There are a lot of tactics involved in the game, with it being suited to players who also enjoy bridge or blackjack. Bridge players will be familiar with the four-player, trick-based set-up - more on that later - while blackjack players will recognize the card values of tens and aces as well as the strategy of playing to probability based on the cards in one’s hand.

This is likely due to the familiar sense of tactical play that’s learned in the nation’s favorite game, belot. Now, Casino Horse shows that there several of the world’s leading casinos are available in Bulgaria, including many new brands that offer the latest and greatest games created by the ever-popular Microgaming. Indeed, in Bulgaria’s regulated space of gambling, per iGaming Business, online blackjack has been gradually growing in popularity across the country. It stands to reason that these platforms would start to explore the possibility of integrating an online casino version of belot, given how popular the platforms and the gambling card game are in Bulgaria. But to examine this further, we need a better understanding of how to play the game.

Playing belot

Britannica shows that belot has been around since the 1920s, which makes it a relatively young card game. While two, three, and even five-player versions are available, the four-player version of belot is the most popular. The card game itself is played with a stunted deck of 32 cards, with there being four of each card (one per suit) and each having a different value if it’s part of the selected trump suit, as follows (Trump/Non-Trump):

• Seven (0/0 points)

• Eight (0/0 points)

• Queen (3/3 points)

• King (4/4 points)

• Ten (10/10 points)

• Ace (11/11 points)

• Nine (14/0 points)

• Jack (20/2 points)

There are two teams of two players, with the game being made up of several rounds in which each team tries to get to the winning score of 500 points. Belot commences with hands being dealt to all four players and a single card being placed in the middle. Players will either pass or accept the card, with either outcome resulting in a trump suit (which will be dominant) being decided for the round.Then, each player is dealt eight cards. The ensuing rounds are where the scoring takes place, with each player putting down one card each and the highest-value card taking all of the cards played. The winner of that round then puts down the first card of the next round. Scoring is based on the values of the cards accrued as well as some bonus points rewarded to teams based on success after selecting the trump suit and winning all of the tricks.

In terms of adapting this for the online sphere, many casino games feature a player-vs-croupier or player-vs-game set-up, as shown in the likes of blackjack, casino poker, roulette, and slots. So, if the online platforms mentioned earlier adopted a similar game room style that online poker utilizes, the players of belot would still be able to enjoy the challenge of facing their fellow players.

Belot is already the most popular card game in Bulgaria, so there may be space for it to develop and reach an ever wider audience on-demand by merging with the popular and regulated scene of iGaming in the country.

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