In the **29 Card Game**, scorekeeping is divided into two parts: tracking **Trick Points** during the play of the hand to see if the bid is made, and tracking **Game Points** (match tokens) on the main score pad to determine the overall match winner.
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1. Card Values & Total Trick Points
The game is played with a 32-card deck ($8$ cards per suit: $J, 9, A, 10, K, Q, 8, 7$). Only eight specific card ranks carry point values, totaling **28 trick points** in the deck.
| Card Rank | Point Value Per Card | Total Points in Deck (4 Suits) |
|---|---|---|
| **Jacks ($J$)** | **3 points** each | 12 points |
| **Nines ($9$)** | **2 points** each | 8 points |
| **Aces ($A$)** | **1 point** each | 4 points |
| **Tens ($10$)** | **1 point** each | 4 points |
| **Kings, Queens, 8s, 7s** | **0 points** | 0 points |
| **Total Available** | **28 Trick Points** |
> **Why is it called "29"?**
> An extra **1 bonus point** is awarded to the team that wins the **last trick** of the hand, bringing the maximum obtainable trick points in a single hand to **29** ($28 + 1 = 29$).
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2. Determining the Hand Result
After all 8 tricks are played, both teams count the points in the tricks they captured:
* **Bidding Team Wins** if their total trick points equal or exceed their bid (e.g., if they bid 17, they need $\ge 17$ points).
* **Defending Team Wins** if the bidding team fails to reach their bid target (e.g., if the bidding team scores 16 or fewer on a 17 bid).
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3. Game Point Tracking (Match Score)
Matches are traditionally tracked using red and black scoring chips, coins, or a grid on a sheet of paper. Each team starts at **0 Game Points** (or 6 chips in reserve), and the objective is to reach **+6 Game Points** (or reduce the opponent to 0).
```
[ BASE HAND RESULT ]
│
┌───────────────────┴───────────────────┐
▼ ▼
[ Standard Hand ] [ Doubled / Redoubled ]
Winning Team: +1 Game Point Doubled: +2 / -2 Game Points
Losing Team: -1 Game Point Redoubled: +4 / -4 Game Points
```
### Game Point Adjustments Per Hand
| Situation | Bidding Team Makes Bid | Bidding Team Fails Bid |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Standard Hand** | Bidders: **+1** | Defenders: **0** | Bidders: **-1** | Defenders: **+1** |
| **Doubled Hand** | Bidders: **+2** | Defenders: **0** | Bidders: **-2** | Defenders: **+2** |
| **Redoubled Hand** | Bidders: **+4** | Defenders: **0** | Bidders: **-4** | Defenders: **+4** |
| **Pair Declaration** | Adjusts bidding team's target by $\pm 4$ points before play. | Adjusts bidding team's target by $\pm 4$ points before play. |
| **Single Hand (Solo)** | Bidders: **+3** (if win all 8 tricks) | Bidders: **-3** (if lose any trick) |
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4. Winning the Game
* **Victory Condition:** The first team to reach **+6 Game Points** wins the game.
* **Setback Condition:** A team whose score drops to **-6 Game Points** automatically loses the match.