Buraco – Rules

Play Buraco against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Buraco is the family rummy of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina and closely related to Canasta. You collect runs in one suit. The special feature is the “morto”: an extra packet of eleven cards for each team, received once you've used up your hand.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 2 × 52 cards plus 4 jokers = 108 cards.
• Wild cards: Jokers and twos. At most one wild card per meld.
• Order: A (low before the 2 or high after the king), 2, 3 … 10, J, Q, K, A.
• Card values:

• Face up and face down: Hands concealed, melds face up, discard pile face up and spread, mortos face down.

3. Preparation and start

1. Shuffle: The dealer shuffles all 108 cards.
2. Mortos: Two packets of 11 cards each are set aside face down.
3. Deal: Everyone gets 11 cards.
4. Discard: One card is turned face up; the rest is the stock.
5. Start: The player left of the dealer begins.

Start example: Player 2 deals. Player 1 gets 11 cards, including 5-6-7 of hearts and a joker.

4. Goal and winning

• Going out (batida): A player may go out if their team has taken its morto and has at least one canastra (7+ cards).
• Game: The first team to reach 2000 points wins.

5. Play in detail

A turn.

1. Draw: the top card of the stock – or the whole discard pile.
2. Meld (optional): Lay out new runs or add to your team's runs.
3. Discard: One card face up onto the discard pile.

Melds.

• Run: at least 3 cards in sequence in the same suit (e.g. 5-6-7 of hearts).
• At most one wild card (joker or two) per run.
• Canastra: a run of 7 or more cards. Without a wild card = limpa (clean), with a wild card = suja (dirty).

The morto. When a player has no cards left in hand (by melding or discarding), they pick up their team's morto and play on with it. Each team gets only one morto.

Example with Players 1 to 4. Players 1 and 4 against Players 2 and 3.

1. Player 1 draws the 8 of hearts and melds 5-6-7-8 of hearts.
2. Later Player 4 adds the 9 and 10 of hearts. Now only one card is missing for a canastra.
3. Player 1 adds the joker: hearts 5 to 10 + joker = 7 cards – a canastra suja (100 bonus points).
4. Player 4 then has no cards left in hand and picks up his team's morto.
5. Now Players 1 and 4 may go out as soon as one of them has no cards: batida.

6. Scoring

• Recording: “We” and “They”.
• End: First team to 2000 points.

7. Special rules and situations

• Two as a natural card: A two in its natural place in a run (e.g. A-2-3 of hearts) doesn't count as wild.
• Taking the discard pile: You always take the whole pile.
• Last card: Without the morto or a canastra you may not discard your last card (you'd go out without being allowed to).
• Stock empty: When the stock is empty and no morto is left, the hand ends.
• Sets (variant): In some regions sets of three equal ranks are allowed too.
• Common mistakes: putting two wild cards in a run; trying to go out without having taken the morto.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: four players in teams, runs only, game to 2000.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play with two or four, to 1000, 2000 or 3000 points, with runs only or with runs and sets.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Collect runs in one suit: Keep cards that are close together.
2. Save wild cards: A clean canastra scores double.
3. Get the morto early: It gives your team 11 new cards – and the right to go out.
4. Use the discard pile: A big pile may contain many useful cards.
5. Dangerous discards: Don't discard cards the opponents can add to directly.
6. Meld high cards: Jokers and aces in hand cost many points at the end.
7. Plan together: Your team melds jointly – extend the runs together.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 108 cards, two teams.
2. Two mortos of 11 cards each.
3. 11 cards each.
4. Draw: one card or the whole discard pile.
5. Meld runs in one suit, at most one wild card.
6. Discard one card.
7. Hand empty: pick up the team's morto.
8. 7+ cards = canastra (limpa 200, suja 100).
9. Go out only with morto and canastra (+100).
10. First to 2000 points wins.

11. Frequently asked questions

What is the morto?

An extra packet of 11 cards for each team. It's picked up as soon as a player has no cards left in hand.

May I meld sets of equal ranks?

Not under the basic rule, only runs in one suit. As a variant, sets are allowed.

How many wild cards may a run have?

Only one.

When may I go out?

When your team has taken its morto and has at least one canastra.

What's the difference to Canasta?

Buraco uses runs instead of sets and has the morto.

How long does a game take?

To 2000 points about one to two hours.

Origin & history

Developed in the mid-20th century in South America from Canasta variants; a folk game in Brazil. Through immigrants it also became very popular in Italy from the 1980s (Buraco italiano).