Mendikot is a four-player partnership card game in which the
tens decide the round. These are the rules as Rung Royal plays
them.
The table
Four players in two teams of two. Partners sit opposite each other.
Play goes anticlockwise — to the right.
Everyone gets 13 cards.
The tens
Win the round by taking 3 or 4 of the tens.
At 2 tens each, the side with 7 or more tricks wins.
The trump — a setting
Katte (the default): the first card played by someone who can't follow suit becomes trump. It counts as a trump in that trick.
Band: the player to the dealer's right lays one of their first five cards face down, within 20 seconds — if time runs out, a random one of the five is laid for them. Only they know it.
The first time anyone can't follow suit, it is turned up before they play — and they must play a trump if they have one.
The one who hid it may also turn it up on their own lead, and must then lead a trump.
Playing a trick
Follow the suit that was led if you can.
If you can't, play any card.
The highest trump wins the trick. With no trump in it, the highest card of the suit led wins.
Whoever wins a trick leads the next one.
Scoring
Result
Points
Mendi — 3 tens
+1
Mendikot — all 4 tens
+2
Whitewash — all 13 tricks
+3
Who deals next
The dealer's team wins: the next player deals.
The dealer's team loses: the same dealer deals again.
A whitewash against the dealer's team: the dealer's partner deals.
The match
First to 5 points wins the match. A player's first three matches are to 3.
Mendikot can be played online too.
Rung Royal extras
Our own additions, not traditional rules — offered offline, for watching a video.
New cards: deals you a fresh hand. Offered in every game.
Change the trump isn't offered in this game.
The longer read — where the name comes from, how it differs from Court Piece,
and a first strategy: How to play Mendikot
(मराठी · ગુજરાતી).
The full Court Piece rules are on the rules page.
