Callbreak score tracker
Keep score in Callbreak (Call Break, Lakdi, Callbridge). Type each player's call and the hands they won, and the totals add up for you. Games are saved in this browser.
How to play Callbreak
Callbreak is a trick-taking card game for four players with a standard 52-card deck. Each player gets 13 cards, and spades are always trump. A game is usually 5 rounds (sometimes 10), and the highest total at the end wins.
1. The deal
The dealer deals all 52 cards one at a time, counterclockwise, so everyone has 13. The deal moves one seat to the next player each round. The tracker shows who deals and who calls first.
2. The call
Starting with the player next to the dealer, each player calls the number of hands (tricks) they expect to win. The lowest call is 1. In most games, a call of 8 or more that is made wins the whole game at once.
3. The play
The player next to the dealer leads the first hand, and the winner of each hand leads the next. You must follow the suit that was led if you can. In most games you must also beat the highest card played so far if you can, though some groups let you play a lower card. If you have none of the suit led, you must play a spade (trump) if you have one. A hand is won by the highest spade in it, or, if no spade was played, by the highest card of the suit led.
4. Scoring
| Call | Hands won | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | 3 | +3 | Made the call exactly |
| 3 | 5 | +3.2 | The call, plus .1 for each of the 2 extra hands |
| 3 | 2 | −3 | Missed the call: lose the whole call |
| 8 | 8 | Wins the game | A call of 8 or more that is made, in most games (see house rules) |
Adding up: the number after the point counts extra hands; it isn't a fraction. Points and extra hands are added separately, so −1, −5 and 4.1 make −2.1 (−2 points, 1 extra hand), not −1.9. Twelve extra hands are written .12, as in 5.12.
House rules
Groups play Callbreak a little differently. Choose these when you start a game in the tracker:
- Rounds per game: 5 or 10.
- Lowest call: 1 in most games; some groups make everyone call at least 2.
- Extra hands: counted as .1 each for every hand won above the call, or not counted at all.
- Making a call of 8 or more: it can score like any other call; win the round, with everyone else scoring 0 for it; win the whole game at once; or count as its own one-round game, recorded separately while the main game goes on.
Other names for Callbreak
The same game is played across South Asia under different names:
- Nepal: Callbreak, Call Brake, OT, Gol Khadi. Playing cards are तास (taas).
- India: Lakdi, Lakadi, Kathi. Cards are ताश (taash) or पत्ती (patti) in Hindi.
- Bangladesh: Callbridge, কল ব্রিজ. Cards are তাস (taas) in Bengali.
Some apps add extras such as a reshuffle when a hand has no face cards or spades, or a secret call where players call without seeing each other's calls. Agree on these before you start; the scoring above stays the same.
Frequently asked questions
How is Callbreak scored?
If you win at least as many hands as you called, you score your call plus .1 for each extra hand: call 3 and win 5 to score 3.2. If you win fewer hands than you called, you lose your call: call 3 and win 2 to score −3.
Why is −1, −5 and 4.1 a total of −2.1 and not −1.9?
The number after the point is not a fraction: it counts extra hands. Points and extra hands are added separately, so −1 − 5 + 4 = −2 points with 1 extra hand, written −2.1. In the same way 3.2 + 2.1 = 5.3, and 12 extra hands are written .12, as in 5.12.
What is the lowest and highest call in Callbreak?
Every player must call at least 1 (some groups say 2). The highest possible call is 13, but in most games a call of 8 or more that is made wins the whole game at once.
What happens when someone makes a call of 8?
It depends on your house rules. In most games the player wins the whole game at once. Some groups let it win only that round, some count it as a separate one-round game, and some score it like any other call. Pick the rule when you start a game.
How many rounds are in a game of Callbreak?
Usually 5 rounds, sometimes 10. The player with the highest total after the last round wins. Choose 5 or 10 when you start a game in the tracker.
Who deals next?
The deal moves one seat each round. Cards are dealt and played counterclockwise, and the player next to the dealer calls first and leads the first hand. The tracker shows who deals each round.
Is Callbreak the same as Lakdi or Callbridge?
Yes. The game is called Callbreak, Call Brake, OT or Gol Khadi in Nepal, Lakdi, Lakadi or Kathi in India, and Callbridge (কল ব্রিজ) in Bangladesh. The rules and scoring are the same or very close.
Are my games saved?
Yes, in your browser on this device only. Nothing is sent to a server. The current game survives a reload, and finished games are kept in Past games until you clear them.