RULES OF GAME

Burraco is played in open games (two-four players) and in tournaments. Tournaments can be between partners or teams. Two decks of French playing cards are used including joker .
Before beginning the game, the players cut the deck to establish who is dealt to first and who deals. The player from the couple who has the lowest card must deal to the player of the other couple who has cut the highest card. In the case of two identical cards being chosen two new cards must be cut.

The dealer shuffles and the player to their right cuts the deck. The dealer gives eleven cards to each player one by one in a clockwise direction from the top of the (bottom half) deck. Meanwhile the player to the dealer’s right deals two piles of eleven cards one by one called ‘pots’ from the bottom of the ( top half ) deck he has cut. The first ‘pot’ is crossed over the second and they are both
placed in a corner of the card table. These ‘pots’ need to be taken by the player of each couple who
first puts down his hand of eleven cards (and any others taken from the ‘discard pile’) in combinations. If during the dealing any mistake is made then ( eg. one card too many, one card to few, cards upturned ) the hands and ‘pots’ must be re-dealt.

When the hands are dealt the dealer turns over the top card of the deck and makes a ‘discarded pile’. This card remains and can be taken by the first player or they may choose to take one from the top of the deck (placed in the middle of the table). Each player has the choice of taking a single card from the top of the deck or to pick-up all of the cards in the ‘discarded pile’. The game begins with a player putting down a minimum of three cards which may be a run of the same suit or three of a kind (the aces may be high or low). Three of a kinds can be formed of cards of the same suit (there are two decks in use).

Wildcards are all the 2’s in the deck and jokers. These may be used to substitute any cards, they can’t be taken out of the game and reused once put down in a combination.”Wild 2’s of the same suit may also assume the value of a (normal 2) if put before a 3.
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After each player’s turn they must throw away a single card to the ‘discarded pile’.

After throwing away the final card to the ‘discarded pile’ no other move his permitted until the player’s next turn.( putting down cards, substituting cards or even changing the thrown away card).

Who puts down all their eleven cards (plus any taken from the’ discarded pile) can take the ‘pot’ of eleven cards placed on the side of the table. The ‘pot’ may be taken in two ways: by discarding a final card or ‘ in flight ‘.
By discarding a final card the player has played all the cards in their hand but one, which is discarded. They may then take the ‘pot’. This can only be played at the player’s next turn and must not even be looked at until the player’s partner has taken their turn.

‘In flight’ the player uses all of his hand and isn’t left with a final card to discard. They can then take the ‘pot’ and play it during their turn before discarding a card. It is possible to close the game if the required ’canasta’ is made and take 100 points given for final closure.

Every ‘canasta’ is made of a minimum of seven of a kind or a run of seven in the same suit. It is shown by the last card placed face up across the others in a horizontal position if the ‘canasta’ is ‘dirty’, or the last two cards in this position if it is ’pure’. A ‘pure canasta’ doesn’t contain a joker or wildcard substituting another card. It is possible for reasons mentioned in USEFUL TIPS to add a joker or wildcard to a ‘pure canasta’ and make it ‘dirty’.

A ‘canasta’ is ‘dirty’ if it contains a joker or wildcard. Unless the ‘wild’ 2 is used in the same suit and sequence as a 2 ( normal 2) eg. : © A-2-3-4-5-6-7 or ª 2-3-4-5-6-7-8

It is possible to substitute a wildcard or joker with the card that they represent. It is then possible to move them up or down in the combination and they then take on the value of the relative card. If a ‘wild’2 is of the same suit as the combination it may also assume the value of a 2.
Eg.: ’canasta ’of © 3-4-5-6-7 -wild 2 of © - 9.

Only the 8 of ©can substitute the ‘wild’ 2, which if then moved next to the 3 assumes the value of a normal 2. In this example the ‘canasta’ becomes eight cards but ‘pure’ :© 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9.

It isn’t possible to add a joker or wildcard to a combination where there is one already. Unless it is a ‘pure canasta’ you want to ‘dirty’. Three of a kinds of jokers and wildcards are not allowed.

The object of the game is to finish your hand following combinations that you and your partner have already begun, or to make new combinations. When you are interested in a discarded card you are obliged to take all of the ‘discarded pile’. If this consists of a single card you may take it but must throw away another. Each game finishes when all these terms are met:
>1 - One of the players has finished their first hand of eleven cards ( and can take the ‘pot’).
>2 - Their couple have taken the ‘pot’.
>3 - Their couple have made at least one ‘canasta’ (‘pure’ or ‘dirty’).

The couple who ’close’ finally make 100 points.

The game may last until the deck consists of only two cards and if nobody has closed the game no extra points are given to either couple for closing. In open games after each closure the points are taken, deck re-shuffled and play continues until the first couple who reach 2005 points wins. In tournaments organized in turns playing times are established by the referee and announced to the participants.

VALUES OF EACH CARD

JOKERS = 30 POINTS ACES = 15 POINTS ‘WILD’ 2 = 20
POINTS

3,4,5,6,7, = 5 POINTS

8,9,10,J,Q,K=10 POINTS

GAME POINTS

ARE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE

POSITIVE POINTS:

’DIRTY CANASTA’ = 100 POINTS (MADE WITH THE HELP OF A JOKER OR

WILDCARD)

EG. 7 CARDS OF THE SAME SUIT IN SEQUENCE

B) ’PURE CANASTA’ = 200 POINTS ( MADE WITHOUT THE HELP OF A JOKER OR
WILDCARD )

EG. 1) 7 CARDS OF THE SAME SUIT IN SEQUENCE
© 6 - 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – J – Q

EG.: 2) 7 CARDS
4 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 4 – 4

C) CLOSING THE GAME = 100 POINTS

D) SUM OF POSITIVE POINTS: IS THE TOTAL OF ALL THE COMBINATIONS
OF CARDS ON THE TABLE AT THE TIME OF CLOSING.

NEGATIVE POINTS ( SUBTRACTED FROM POSITIVE POINTS )

A) FAILING TO TAKE THE POT = MINUS 100 POINTS

B) SUM OF NEGATIVE POINTS = TOTAL POINTS HELD IN A PLAYER’S HAND AT THE MOMENT OF CLOSURE.

SCORE KEEPING AFTER EACH CLOSURE SCORES ARE TOTALLED:
FIRST POINTS FOR ‘CANASTAS’ AND CLOSURE (BASE);
THEN POSITIVE POINTS (THE FINAL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN POSITIVE AND NEGATIVE POINTS).

THE COUPLE WHO REACH 2005 POINTS FIRST WIN THE GAME.
SEE POINTS TABLES FOR OPEN GAMES/TOURNAMENTS.

INGLESE PAGINA “LET’S PLAY” SOSTITUIRE CON QUESTO NUOVO FILE

How to ‘open’ the game

Look at the hand ( 11 dealt cards )

Eg.:© A - K - J, ¨ 2 –6 - 7, § 7 - Q, ª 9 - 10, a JOKER

We can pick up a single card from the top of the pile (in the middle of the table) or take one or more from the upturned pile, which is the Queen of ª and which we’ll take.
We begin the game by putting the joker, 9 and 10 of ª on the table.
We don’t add the Queen of ª to allow for the possibility of our partner putting down the 6 and 7
of ª which they could have in their hand.

Next turn, if our partner hasn’t added to our run of ª we can move the joker to after the 10 and give it the value of a Jack, then add the Queen of ª.

We can also put down the 6 and 7 of ¨ with the 2 of ¨ ( wildcard ).

Finally we can throw away the 7 of § and wait for our next turn.

e value of a 2.

Eg.: ’canasta ’of © 3-4-5-6-7 -wild 2 of © - 9.

Only the 8 of © can substitute the ‘wild’ 2, which if then moved next to the 3 assumes the value of a normal 2. In this example the ‘canasta’ becomes eight cards but ‘pure’ : © 2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9.