Play Ecarte Online
Learn the Ecarte card game through a complete match against the computer and 20 open practice studies. Ecarte combines a five-card hand, negotiable exchanges and strict trick-taking rules. Play free online with no ads or download.
puzzle games · card games · casual games
How to play Ecarte online
- Choose a full CPU match or an open study. A full match uses 32 cards, with five cards in each hand and a separate trump indicator.
- As non-dealer, propose an exchange or play your hand. As dealer, accept or refuse the proposal. Select discards and confirm Exchange when it is your turn to draw.
- Select a card, then confirm Play card. Win tricks, watch the king and vulnerability points, and reach five match points first. Studies instead set a target for additional tricks.
Controls
Tap a card or use Previous, Next card and Select. During an exchange, selection toggles a discard; Exchange confirms all selected cards. Arrow keys move focus, Enter or Space selects, P plays, U undoes and H hints. Help, sound, pause and fullscreen controls are available.
A tip before you start
A high ace is not enough to beat a jack here. Read the complete suit order and remember that a legal response may force you to spend a stronger card than you wanted. In open studies, plan which hand will lead the next trick.
Ecarte card game rules: ranks and compulsory play
The rank order is 7, 8, 9, 10, Ace, Jack, Queen, King. The non-dealer leads first. When answering a lead, you must beat it with the same suit if possible; otherwise follow that suit, otherwise play a trump if you have one. Only when none of those is possible may you discard another suit. The trick winner leads next.
Proposals, refusals and the remaining stock
An accepted proposal lets the non-dealer exchange first, followed by the dealer. Each exchanges at least one card while replacement cards remain. The selection limit prevents discarding more cards than can be replaced. You may propose again after an exchange, but play begins when a proposal is refused, the non-dealer chooses to play, or the stock is exhausted. The face-up trump indicator never enters either hand.
Vulnerability and the chosen scoring profile
Playing without making the first proposal makes the non-dealer vulnerable. Refusing the first proposal makes the dealer vulnerable. Later refusals after an exchange have no such penalty. A majority of three or four tricks normally scores one point; all five tricks score two. Beating a vulnerable opponent scores two, even with all five tricks. This version caps those trick points at two instead of adding the two bonuses together.
Marking the trump king
A king turned as the indicator gives the dealer one point immediately. A held trump king can be declared before you play your first card, for a separate point. Marking is optional, so you can preserve secrecy by leaving it unannounced. At four match points, marking may happen immediately and wins the match. The first player to reach five wins; an already secured trick majority can finish a match before the remaining tricks are played.
Twenty open studies with deeper planning
Studies show both remaining hands and use positions reached through legal deals and earlier tricks. Your goal is the displayed number of additional tricks against every legal rival response. A study goal need not win a full match. Later studies contain more meaningful alternatives and require deeper planning. Ordinary CPU matches keep the rival hand and unseen stock hidden; the computer uses a simple public-information policy.
Undo, replay and continue a match
Undo restores your whole action and its computer responses, including the original stock order. Hints suggest a card or phase action without confirming it. Study hints have a limited allowance that Undo does not refund. Restart repeats the current seed; New match creates another after confirmation. Between completed deals, use Next deal to continue the same match with the dealer swapped.
Frequently asked questions
Is Écarté the same as Ecarte?
Yes. Ecarte is the spelling without accents. Both names refer to this traditional two-player game; they share this page.
Does the ace beat the king?
No. The king is highest. The ace sits between the ten and jack, so a jack, queen or king of the same suit beats it.
Does a vulnerable vole score three points?
Not in this game's chosen profile. Winning all five tricks and beating a vulnerable opponent still earns two trick points. The king point is separate. Other published profiles may score the combination differently.
Can I play another person online?
This version has a computer opponent and solo open studies. It does not provide remote multiplayer, money stakes or online matchmaking.
What does the game save?
Unlocked studies, best study scores and your sound preference save on this device when local storage works. Unfinished matches restart after a reload. If saving is unavailable, you can continue playing during the current session.
About Ecarte
Learn the Ecarte card game through a complete match against the computer and 20 open practice studies. Ecarte combines a five-card hand, negotiable exchanges and strict trick-taking rules. Play free online with no ads or download.
Play this puzzle / card / casual game in the embedded browser player. No app installation or MangoFun account is required. Follow the instructions shown inside the game; controls and device support depend on the title.
