Belote is traditionally played by four players, in two teams of two sitting crosswise. That's the overwhelming majority of games. But it only takes one night with friends to find yourselves five, six or seven around the table — and suddenly the official rules no longer tell you what to do.
Should you make two tables? Ask one player to watch? Draw lots? Fortunately, for each case there's a rotation rule that lets everyone play fairly, at a single table, without leaving anyone out more than the others.
This guide details the three most commonly played variants. If you're after the basic rules first, read our complete belote guide.
The problem with a table of more than four
Belote needs exactly four players: two teams, eight cards per hand, a 5+3 deal. Add a fifth player and the whole balance collapses:
- There aren't enough cards to give eight to each player (32 ÷ 5 ≈ only 6 cards).
- The two teams of two no longer work.
- Nobody wants to be the one who always "watches".
The universal solution, adopted by every regional tradition: player rotation. Each hand, you play four-handed — but not always the same four. The others rest in turn, and the score is tracked individually.
Belote with 5 players
This is the most common "crowded table" variant. The dominant rule in France and Belgium is simple: the dealer doesn't play the hand they deal. They shuffle, deal, then watch the other four play.
The principle
- The 5 players sit around the table. Let's number them P1, P2, P3, P4, P5.
- P1 deals the first hand: they don't play; P2, P3, P4 and P5 do.
- For the second hand, P2 becomes the dealer (the deal rotates clockwise): P3, P4, P5 and P1 play.
- And so on. Over 5 consecutive hands, everyone will have dealt exactly once, and so rested exactly once.
Example of five consecutive hands
| Hand | Deals (rests) | Players in action | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 |
| 2 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P1 |
| 3 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P1 | P2 |
| 4 | P4 | P5 | P1 | P2 | P3 |
| 5 | P5 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 |
Forming the teams
Once the four players are set, the teams form by position around the table: the players sitting opposite each other are teammates, as in classic belote. With each rotation the pairings change naturally, which avoids the boredom of always playing with the same person.
Tip: some tables prefer the player to the dealer's right to deal ("Sunday belote" system). What matters is to set the convention at the start of the game and stick to it.
How to keep score
Each hand is played four-handed under the classic rules (162 points in play). The points scored are credited to the two players forming the team, not to the "seat" at the table. Over the running total, each player has taken part in 4 hands out of 5 — so their score reflects their real contribution.
Belote with 6 players
With 6, two players rest each hand. The challenge doubles: ensuring everyone rests fairly, and that the partner pairings rotate enough.
The principle
- 6 players around the table: P1 to P6.
- Each hand, 2 rest and 4 play (in two teams of two).
- Over 3 consecutive hands, everyone will have rested once (since 3 hands × 2 rest seats = 6 seats, one per player).
Example of six consecutive hands
| Hand | Resting | Team A | Team B | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P5 | P4 | P6 |
| 2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P1 | P6 | P2 |
| 3 | P5 | P6 | P1 | P3 | P2 | P4 |
| 4 | P2 | P4 | P1 | P6 | P3 | P5 |
| 5 | P1 | P6 | P2 | P5 | P3 | P4 |
| 6 | P3 | P5 | P2 | P6 | P1 | P4 |
You can immediately see the difficulty: over 6 hands you have to make sure everyone rests exactly twice, that the partner pairings vary, and that no player ends up too often on the same team or too often against the same opponent.
The pen-and-paper trap: tracking this by hand over a long evening, you drift fast. After 10–15 hands, some players will have rested 3 times and others 5 — the fairness erodes.
Belote with 7 players
This is the most demanding variant. Three players rest each hand while the other four play. It's also the one where manual rotation becomes almost impossible to balance.
The principle
- 7 players around the table: P1 to P7.
- 4 play, 3 rest per hand.
- Over 7 consecutive hands, everyone will have played 4 times and rested 3 times (4 × 7 = 28 playing seats / 7 players = 4 each ✓).
Example of seven consecutive hands
| Hand | Resting | Team A | Team B | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P6 | P5 | P7 |
| 2 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P2 | P1 | P3 |
| 3 | P7 | P1 | P2 | P3 | P5 | P4 | P6 |
| 4 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P6 | P1 | P7 | P2 |
| 5 | P6 | P7 | P1 | P2 | P4 | P3 | P5 |
| 6 | P2 | P3 | P4 | P5 | P7 | P6 | P1 |
| 7 | P5 | P6 | P7 | P1 | P3 | P2 | P4 |
Picture managing that in your head between two sips of your apéritif, two hours into the game, with someone shouting "I've already rested three times!". Good luck.
The three challenges of a crowded table
1. Fair rest
Everyone should rest the same number of times over the course of a game. Easy for 5 players over 5 hands. Hard for 6 or 7 players over a long evening of 20 hands or more.
2. Variety of pairings
If you always keep the same teams (P1+P3 against P2+P4, say), the game becomes predictable and certain pairs risk dominating. Rotating the duos adds spice — but complicates the tracking even more.
3. Individual scoring
When the teams change each hand, you no longer score by "team" but by player. Each player accumulates the points of every team they played on. Over a 20-hand game with 6 players, that gets unreadable on the corner of a tablecloth very fast.
The Belote7 solution
Belote7 was built specifically to solve this problem. When you start a game with 5, 6 or 7 players, the app applies a proprietary rotation algorithm that guarantees:
- Fair rest over the long run: no player rests twice in a row, and by the end of a complete game everyone has rested exactly the same number of times.
- Variety in the partner pairings: the algorithm makes sure you don't constantly play with or against the same people.
- Automatic individual scoring: each player accumulates the points of every hand they took part in. No more mental arithmetic, no more scribbled-out paper.
- Full history (Premium version): you can review the score's progression hand by hand, and settle once and for all the question of who won that night back in April 2025.
The app is free on the App Store, with a one-time Premium option (no subscription) to remove ads and unlock unlimited history.
Frequently asked questions
Yes. The most widespread rule: each hand, the dealer rests and watches the other four play. Over five hands, every player will have dealt once.
Two players rest each hand. Over 3 consecutive hands, everyone will have rested once. The partner pairings should also rotate so the same duos don't always play together.
Yes, but it's the hardest variant to organise by hand. Three players rest per hand, and over seven hands each will have played four times.
Not necessarily, but it's recommended from 5 players upward to avoid imbalances and keep the game interesting for everyone.
No, each hand is played to 162 points as in classic belote. The nuance is that the score accrues to the player, not the team — since the teams change each hand.
Belote7 was built specifically for this. Download it on the App Store.