🃏 Play Klondike Solitaire
How to Play Napoleon
Napoleon is a classic trick-taking card game for 3-7 players using a standard 52-card deck. The game begins with each player being dealt 5 cards, with the next card placed face-up to start the kitty (or blind) pile. The remainder of the deck forms the stock pile. The player who deals also gets the first opportunity to take the kitty pile into their hand.
The bidding phase follows, where players declare how many tricks they believe they can win, starting with "Napoleon" (5 tricks) and escalating through variants like "St. George," "Wellington," and "Blenheim" (7 tricks). The highest bidder becomes the declarer and must meet their bid while others team up to defeat them.
After bidding, the declarer draws a card from the stock (or takes the kitty) and discards one unwanted card face-down. The game then proceeds with trick-taking—players must follow suit if possible, with the highest card of the led suit winning the trick. Trump suit (usually the suit matching the declarer's discard) beats all other suits.
The declarer wins if they take at least their bid number of tricks; otherwise, the defenders win. Points are awarded based on the margin of victory or defeat and the bid level, making aggressive bidding both risky and rewarding.
Pro Tips
- Count cards: Keep track of which high cards have been played, especially aces and kings, to gauge your chances of winning necessary tricks.
- Bid conservatively early: Start with lower bids in the first round to gauge your hand's strength before committing to ambitious contracts.
- Signal partners: In games with partnerships, play cards in a way that signals your hand strength or the suits you hold—discarding high cards of a suit can indicate weakness in that suit.
- Watch the kitty: The card the declarer discards reveals crucial information about their hand and the trump suit, so observe carefully.
Variations
Napoleon with 5-4-3-2
In this variant, the bid ladder extends to include "5" (5 tricks), then "4" (4 tricks, no trump), "3" (3 tricks, no trump), and "2" (2 tricks, no trump). The lowest bids are the most difficult to achieve but offer the highest point rewards.
Wellington
When a player bids Wellington (6 tricks), they must take exactly 6 tricks—not more, not less—to win. This precision requirement makes high bids particularly challenging and exciting.
Misère Napoleon
In this variant, the declarer attempts to lose all tricks (or a specified number of tricks), reversing the objective and requiring a completely different strategy focused on avoiding winning cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players can play Napoleon?
Napoleon is best played with 3-7 players. With fewer players, the game moves faster but offers less strategic depth; with more players, bidding becomes more complex and alliances more important.
What is the trump suit in Napoleon?
The trump suit is determined by what the declarer discards—when they take the kitty pile, they must discard one card, and that card's suit becomes the trump suit for the entire hand.
Can players pass during bidding?
Yes, players may pass at any point during the bidding. Once you pass, you cannot re-enter the bidding for that round. The highest valid bid wins the contract.