Call Break online
Call your tricks, spades always trump. Make your call or lose it.
- Players
- 4 players
- Length
- 25–45 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Energy
- Calm, on your own screen
- On a video call
- Works well
- Type
- Cards · Bidding
What playing it feels like
- A hand of cards you hold close, played fast against a table that is watching your count.
- Mostly quiet: the action happens on each player’s own screen, so it holds up on a video call.
- One round and everyone has it.
Good for
- Exactly 4 people
- A proper evening rather than a filler
- A video call, since nobody has to be heard over anyone
Maybe skip when
- There are fewer than 4 of you
- More than 4 of you want to play at once
- You only have ten minutes
Call Break — Lakdi in much of India, Call Bridge elsewhere — is a four-player trick-taking game where you say out loud how many tricks you will win, and then have to win them. Spades are always trump, so the ace of clubs is nowhere near as safe as it looks.
The twist that makes it Call Break rather than any other trump game is that you are never allowed to dodge: you must follow suit, you must play a higher card than the one that is winning if you hold one, and with no card of the suit you must trump if a spade would win. A hand is mostly decided by who has been forced into what.
The server deals, enforces all of that and keeps the score, so there are no arguments about whether you could have beaten that card. Five hands, and whoever has the most points at the end wins.
How to play Call Break
- 1Create a room and share the 6-letter code. Call Break is played by exactly four players.
- 2Everyone is dealt 13 cards. In turn, each player calls how many tricks they will take, from 1 to 13. Spades are always trump.
- 3Follow suit, and play a higher card than the one winning if you can. With none of the suit, you must trump with a spade if that would win.
- 4The highest spade takes the trick, otherwise the highest card of the suit led. The winner leads the next trick.
- 5Make your call and score it, plus 0.1 for each extra trick. Miss it and you lose that many points. Highest total after five hands wins.
Call Break FAQ
How many people can play Call Break?
Exactly four, each playing for themselves. There are no partnerships, which is what separates it from Court Piece and 29.
Is Call Break the same as Lakdi?
Yes. Lakdi and Call Break are two names for the same game, and Call Bridge is a close relative that scores a little differently.
Can I pass when it is my turn to call?
No. Everyone calls a number from 1 to 13, so the lowest call you can make is one.
What if the calls add up to very little?
If the four calls total less than 8, nobody wants to play that deal. The cards are thrown in and the same dealer deals again.
Do I really have to beat the winning card?
Yes, if you can. You must follow suit, and if you hold a card of that suit higher than the one currently winning, you must play it. With no card of the suit, you must play a spade if it would take the lead.
How is a hand scored?
Take at least the tricks you called and you score your call, plus a tenth of a point for every trick over. Take fewer and you lose points equal to your call. A game is five hands.
Ready to play Call Break?
Create a room, share the code, and start in seconds — free.
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