Mendikot – Rules

Play Mendikot against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Mendikot comes from western India (Gujarat and Maharashtra) and is played there in families and among friends. It is a simple trick-taking game with a clear goal: the four tens. Capturing all four is a "mendikot" – and taking all 13 tricks is a "whitewash".

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 52 French cards, ace high, 2 low.
• Only the tens matter – and, on a tie, the number of tricks.
• Face up and face down: Hands concealed, tricks face down.

3. Preparation and start

1. Dealing: Everyone gets 13 cards.
2. Choosing trumps: by one of two methods (see section 5).
3. Start: The player right of the dealer leads.

Start example: You hold the 10, ace and king of diamonds. With the ace you can later bring the ten home safely.

4. Goal and winning

• A round: The team with three or four tens wins. At 2 : 2 the team with at least 7 tricks wins.
• Game: Traditionally played for a set time; on the computer to a target score.

5. Play in detail

Choosing trumps.

• Cut hukum: The first suit someone can't follow becomes trumps. The card they then play decides it.
• Band hukum: The player right of the dealer puts a card face down. It is revealed the first time someone can't follow suit.

A trick.

1. The leader plays any card.
2. Following suit is compulsory.
3. The highest trump wins, otherwise the highest card of the suit.

Example with Players 1 to 4. Players 1 and 4 against Players 2 and 3. Order: Player 1, 2, 4, 3. Cut hukum.

1. Player 1 leads the ace of hearts. Player 2 follows with the 3 of hearts, Player 4 adds his 10 of hearts, Player 3 plays the 5 of hearts.
2. Trick to Player 1 – with a ten.
3. Later Player 3 leads clubs. Player 1 has no clubs and plays the 4 of spades – spades are now trumps, and Player 1 wins the trick.
4. At the end Players 1 and 4 have three tens: round won.

6. Scoring

• Traditionally: You count rounds won, with mendikots counting extra.
• Dealer: If the dealer's team loses, the same dealer deals again.

7. Special rules and situations

• 2 : 2 in tens: Tricks decide – 7 or more wins.
• Revealing band hukum: Only when someone can't follow suit.
• More players (variant): With 6 or 8 players and several packs.
• Common mistakes: leading your own ten too early; discarding a ten while an opponent holds the trick.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: 4 players, 13 cards, cut hukum.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play with the player opposite as your partner, anticlockwise; trumps by cut hukum or band hukum, game to 5, 3 or 8 points.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Protect tens: Play a ten when your partner or an ace surely holds the trick.
2. Ten to your partner: When your partner is winning, throw them a ten.
3. Aces early: They capture the opponents' tens.
4. Trumps in cut hukum: When you first can't follow, choose a suit you are strong in.
5. Count tricks: At 2 : 2 they decide.
6. Keep count: Which tens are still out?
7. Watch opponents: A player void in a suit can trump it.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 52 cards, two teams, anticlockwise.
2. 13 cards each.
3. Trumps: first void suit or a hidden card.
4. The player right of the dealer leads.
5. Follow suit.
6. The highest trump or highest card wins.
7. Goal: the four tens.
8. Three or four tens win the round.
9. 2 : 2: at least 7 tricks win.
10. Mendikot (4 tens) and whitewash (13 tricks) count extra.

11. Frequently asked questions

What is a mendikot?

All four tens in one team's tricks.

How are trumps chosen?

By the first suit someone can't follow – or by a hidden card.

What happens at 2 : 2 in tens?

The team with at least 7 tricks wins.

Do other cards score?

No, only the tens and, on a tie, the tricks.

What is a whitewash?

All 13 tricks.

How long does a game take?

About 20 to 40 minutes.

Origin & history

Mendikot is a family game popular in western India; the name is often traced to 'mendhi' and the English 'coat' (kot). The goal is to capture the four tens.