Call Break Variants
From Kathmandu clubs to phone screens — the house rules, and what this table plays.
Play Call Break freeCall Break (kol brek, call bread, lakadi) is the beloved trick game of Nepal and northern India — four players, everyone alone, spades permanently trump, and a call you must live up to. The frame is constant; the details travel. Here is what varies, and what applies here.
Common rule differences
| Rule | How tables differ |
|---|---|
| Rounds | Five is the norm; friendly games play 3, marathon games 9 or 13. |
| Minimum call | Usually 1; some circles force 2, others let a dealt-bad hand demand a redeal (a "misdeal" with no spades or no face cards). |
| Overtricks | +0.1 each is standard; some tables score them nothing, a few punish a call missed by MORE with extra penalties. |
| Breaking calls | Everywhere: miss the call, lose the call. The game is named for it. |
| Strict play | The must-beat and must-trump rules are the soul of the game, but casual tables sometimes relax the overtrump duty. |
What this table plays
- Four players, no partners; 13 cards each, spades always trump.
- Calls 1–13, no nil. Everyone calls; everyone answers for it.
- Strict play in full: beat the led suit when you can, trump when void, overtrump a spade already played when you can — only then play freely.
- Scoring: made call +the call, overtricks +0.1 each; missed call −the call.
- Five rounds by default; highest total wins. A level top plays a decider.
Small glossary
- Call
- Your public promise of tricks — at least 1, and the whole game.
- Break
- Missing your call, and losing that many points for it.
- Overtrick (baji)
- A trick past the call — worth 0.1, and no more.
- Cut / ruff
- Playing a spade when void in the led suit — required here, not optional.
- Overtrump
- Beating a spade already in the trick — also required when possible.
Keep reading
- How to Play Call Break — the complete rules.
- Call Break Strategy — calling and forced play.
- Call Break Scoring — points, tenths and worked examples.
- Call Break vs Spades — the three rules that differ.