Cutu is a 4-player partnership trick-taking game: 32 cards (7 to Ace), 8 cards each, 8 tricks per hand. Every hand opens with a bidding round — 4 to 8 tricks or pass, each bid strictly higher than the last; if all pass, the cards are redealt. The highest bidder becomes declarer: at 5 or more tricks they choose the trump suit (or no-trump), at 4 the trump is automatically their longest suit. The declarer's team must take at least the bid: making it scores +bid (+1 per overtrick), failing costs −bid, and defenders add +1 per trick over 4. When a team takes zero tricks — a cutu — the other team's positive score for that hand doubles. The first team to 100 points wins the match.
Play now — it's freeCutu uses 32 cards: in every suit only 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King and Ace remain — the small cards are removed from the deck. Each of the four players is dealt 8 cards, so a hand has 8 tricks.
The players form two fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other. Scores are shared: both partners always have the same total. Table talk and signalling to your partner are not allowed.
After the deal, starting with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise, each player makes exactly one bid:
| Bid | Meaning | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 | The number of tricks their team undertakes to win | Each new bid must be strictly higher than the previous one |
| Pass | Drops out of the bidding | A player who passes cannot re-enter that hand's bidding |
If all four players pass, the cards are redealt and bidding starts over. The highest bidder becomes the declarer; their partner plays as a team and the contract belongs to both.
On bids of 5 or more the declarer chooses the trump: any of the four suits, or no-trump. On a bid of 4 no choice is made — the trump is automatically the declarer's best colour: the suit with the most cards, ties broken by the strongest top card.
Any trump beats any card of another suit; between two trumps the higher one wins. In no-trump hands only the highest card of the led suit can win the trick.
Cards carry no point values — only the number of tricks taken matters. Within every suit the order is the same:
| Rank | Card |
|---|---|
| Highest | Ace (A) |
| King (K) | |
| Queen (Q) | |
| Jack (J) | |
| 10, 9, 8 | |
| Lowest | 7 |
The declarer leads the first card of the first trick; the winner of each trick leads the next.
Every player must follow the led suit if holding one. A player void in the led suit must play a trump if holding one — and if the trick already contains a trump, must beat it with a higher trump when able (wasting a small trump under a bigger one is not allowed).
If no trump in hand can beat the best trump already played, the player may discard anything (including a small trump). A player with neither the led suit nor trumps discards any card.
The trick is won by the highest trump — or, if no trump was played, by the highest card of the led suit. After 8 tricks the hand is scored.
At the end of the hand the declarer's team tricks are compared with the contract:
| Outcome | Points |
|---|---|
| Contract made (tricks ≥ bid) | + bid |
| Each overtrick | +1 |
| Contract set (tricks < bid) | − bid |
| Defence: each trick over 4 (opponents) | +1 |
Cutu: if a team takes zero tricks in a hand, the other team's positive score for that hand doubles. Hand points accumulate; the first team to reach 100 wins the match. The deal rotates one seat after every hand.
Don't overbid: every promised trick beyond your hand's strength costs −bid.
Count trumps — knowing how many are out tells you when to spend your big ones.
At a bid of 4 the trump is automatic, so bid 4 only when your longest suit can really produce tricks.
Once the contract is safe, stop taking risks: overtricks add just +1, but a thrown-away honour can set your partner.
Play as a team: if your partner is winning the trick, let it go — never take your partner's trick.
32 cards — ranks 7 through Ace in all four suits, with 8 cards dealt to each of the four players.
Four players in two fixed partnerships of two. Partners sit opposite each other and share a score.
Each player bids once per hand: 4, 5, 6, 7 or 8 tricks, or pass. Every bid must be strictly higher than the previous one; if everyone passes, the hand is redealt.
The declarer — the highest bidder. At 5 or more tricks they pick any suit or no-trump; at 4 tricks the trump is automatically their best (longest) suit.
You must play a trump if you have one, and you must beat an already-played trump with a higher one when able. If you cannot, you may discard any card.
Points equal to the bid — a made contract of 5 scores +5, plus +1 for each overtrick. A set contract of 5 costs −5.
A cutu is a hand in which a team takes zero tricks: the other team's positive score doubles. The game is named after this event.
When a team reaches 100 cumulative points — the higher-scoring team at that point wins the match.
Yes — you can play Cutu online free at cuc.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table.