How To Play: Napoleon

Overview

Have you ever shouted “Vive l’Empereur!” while your friends stare blankly? That’s Napoleon for you—chaos, bluffing, and shifty alliances. In this guide, you’ll find a quick outline of the game rules and all the best strategies I learned (sometimes the hard way) on how to play Napoleon. If you want to win, or at least not lose embarrassingly, you’re in the right place.

What’s in the box

• 1 deck of 52 playing cards
• 1 rulebook
• 5 player reference cards
• 1 score pad
• 5 pencils

How To Play Napoleon: Rules Summary

Setup

1. Grab a standard deck of 52 cards. If you have more than 5 players, toss in another deck.
2. Deal out all cards, as evenly as possible. Some players may get one extra card if the math is cruel.
3. Everyone looks at their hand and (very quietly) panics about how bad it is.

Gameplay

1. Start bidding. Each person declares if they want to be Napoleon (the solo player) and how many tricks they will win, or if they prefer the safe life and pass.
2. The highest bidder becomes Napoleon. They choose a trump suit and can pick one secret partner (the “General”) or go solo, depending on your group’s flavor of rules.
3. The player to Napoleon’s left leads the first trick. Everyone must follow suit if possible.
4. If you can’t follow suit, you may toss in any card, including a trump for maximum drama.
5. The highest card in the suit led, or highest trump, wins the trick. Winner leads the next round. Repeat until all cards go bye-bye.

Winning

1. If Napoleon (and their General, if chosen) win at least as many tricks as promised, they win. Parade hats are optional.
2. If the rest of the table manages to stop Napoleon’s ambitious plans, they win. Mocking is encouraged.

Special Rules & Conditions

1. If someone bids for “Wellington,” they try to win every single trick—a nearly impossible feat, like getting everyone to agree on pizza toppings.
2. If Napoleon fails, sometimes everyone else gets points. Or, in my group, they just get bragging rights and someone has to make tea.
3. House rules can vary wildly, so always agree on the details before you start. Otherwise, you’ll argue. Trust me, I’ve been there.

There you go! Now you know How To Play Napoleon, at least well enough to fake confidence around the table. Just don’t blame me if you bid too high and crash harder than the real Napoleon.

Best Napoleon Strategies

Outsmart Your Foes: Mastering Bidding and Team Coordination in Napoleon

Work that Bid like a Pro

First, everyone’s got their own style when it comes to bidding, but confidence wins. I once face-planted by playing it way too safe. Now, I trust my gut and plan ahead. Try these moves:

1. Count your strong cards before going wild with bids.
2. Watch your friends for their tells—Tim always scratches his nose when he bluffs.
3. Bid high when your hand is killer, but don’t overpromise. It gets ugly fast.

Team Talk: Secret Signals

Even though you can’t chat openly, you and your partner need secret codes. Trust me, Carla and I dominated when we got on the same page. Here’s what worked for us:

1. Lead with your strongest suit to show your team your hand’s strength.
2. Remember which cards your friends have played.
3. Pay attention to hesitations; they speak louder than words.

Communication and smart bids are key. That’s the best way I know for How To Play napoleon and win more often!

Choosing the Perfect Trump: Outsmart Your Rivals in Napoleon

Look at Your Hand First

Always check your hand before picking a trump suit. If you see a lot of high cards in one suit, consider it.

1. Count your cards in each suit.
2. Notice if you have the ace, king, or queen.
3. Skip a suit if you only have low cards in it.

Watch the Table

Next, pay attention to what got played in early rounds. This can help you guess which suits your friends lack.

1. Remember which suits were weak in earlier hands.
2. Try not to pick a suit your rivals showed strong in.

Go Bold or Go Home

Sometimes, it pays to pick a trump suit that surprises everyone. Be daring when the time feels right.

1. Trust your gut if two suits feel right.
2. Choose something odd if your hand is balanced.

Mastering How To Play napoleon gets much easier if you pick the best trump suit. I once shocked my group by picking clubs with only two high cards, and somehow, it worked out. But maybe don’t try that unless you want to watch your friends’ jaws drop.

Unlock Victory with Card Counting and Memory in Napoleon

Remembering Which Cards Have Been Played

Watch each trick like a hawk. Soon, you’ll spot patterns. Once, I remembered a single seven and won a game. Literally felt like Sherlock Holmes. Track high and low cards every hand.

1. Pay close attention every round.
2. Mental note top trumps and key suit cards.
3. Recall what your rivals love throwing away.

Tracking the Trump Suit

Never let the trump suit catch you by surprise. When I forgot, disaster followed. With the right focus, you won’t miss an ace hiding!

1. Count trump cards as they appear.
2. Notice who’s out and who’s hoarding trumps.

Using Memory to Predict Opponent Moves

What’s better than seeing the future? Nothing. Use memory to guess who has dangerous cards left. This is where every Napoleon match becomes thrilling. And tense. Really tense.

1. Connect discarded cards with likely hands.
2. Watch hesitant plays; they often mean trouble is coming.

If you want to master How To Play napoleon, practice card counting during casual games. Your friends won’t know what hit them.

Ready to Rule Like Napoleon?

So there you go, my best advice after way too many late nights playing Napoleon with my crew. If you remember to keep your bids bold (but not ridiculous), pick your trump with guts, and actually keep track of what cards have been played (unlike my friend Gary, who seems to nap halfway through), you’ll be lightyears ahead of most newbies. The last tip? Don’t take it too seriously. Those wild moments make the best stories.

Now go teach your friends How To Play napoleon and claim glory—or at least bragging rights until next game night!

Want to know what we think of Napoleon? Read our detailed review of Napoleon here