Carioca – Rules
Play Carioca against the computer
1. Overview
| Name | Carioca |
| Type | Rummy game with eight contracts |
| Players | 2–6, usually 4 |
| Recommended age | 10 and up |
| Playing time | one round 5–10 minutes; a game (8 rounds) 60–90 minutes |
| Material | 2 French packs with 4 jokers (108 cards), pen and paper |
| Goal | Meet the contract in each of eight rounds and finish with the fewest penalty points. |
| Difficulty | medium |
What is it about? Carioca is Chile's family rummy. Each of the eight rounds requires a different combination of tríos (three of the same rank) and escalas (runs of four cards in one suit). Whoever melds it first and then gets rid of all their cards wins the round. The others count their hand cards.
2. Cards and material
- Pack: 2 × 52 cards + 4 jokers = 108 cards.
- Trío: three cards of the same rank.
- Escala: four consecutive cards of the same suit.
- Joker: replaces any card but may not be discarded.
- Face up and face down: Hands concealed, discard pile and melds face up.
3. Preparation and start
- Dealing: Everyone gets 12 cards.
- Discard: One card is turned face up.
- Start: The player left of the dealer begins.
Start example: Round 1 requires two tríos. You hold two sevens, two kings and a joker – you still need one card.
4. Goal and winning
- A round: The first player to meld the contract and then shed all cards wins it.
- Game: After eight rounds, the player with the fewest penalty points wins.
5. Play in detail
The eight contracts.
| Round | Contract |
|---|---|
| 1 | 2 tríos |
| 2 | 1 trío + 1 escala |
| 3 | 2 escalas |
| 4 | 3 tríos |
| 5 | 2 tríos + 1 escala |
| 6 | 1 trío + 2 escalas |
| 7 | 3 escalas |
| 8 | 4 tríos |
A turn.
- Draw: one card from the stock or the top card of the discard pile.
- Meld: If you hold the complete contract, put it down.
- Lay off: Only from your next turn may you add to your own and others' melds.
- Discard: one card onto the discard pile – never a joker.
Example with Players 1 to 4. Round 2: one trío and one escala.
- Player 1 holds three jacks and hearts 5-6-7. He draws the 8 of hearts.
- Player 1 melds the jacks and hearts 5-6-7-8 and discards.
- From his next turn he lays off: a 9 of hearts on his escala, a queen of spades on Player 3's trío.
- A few turns later Player 1 discards his last card: round won.
6. Scoring
| Card | Penalty points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 30 |
| Ace | 20 |
| Jack, queen, king | 10 |
| 2 to 10 | face value |
- Recording: Penalty points per player after every round.
- Player who goes out: 0 points.
7. Special rules and situations
- Lay off only next turn: You may not lay off in the turn you meld.
- Don't discard jokers: They must be melded.
- No buying: Only the player whose turn it is takes discarded cards.
- Ace in a run: high (Q-K-A) or low (A-2-3).
- Common mistakes: waiting too long and getting caught with jokers; trying to lay off in the melding turn.
8. Variants
Standard in this description: 12 cards, eight contracts, no buying.
| Variant | What changes | Suits |
|---|---|---|
| Buying | Take discarded cards out of turn for a penalty card. | faster rounds |
| Ten rounds | Extra contracts, e.g. a royal escala (13 cards of one suit). | long evenings |
| Fewer jokers | Only 2 jokers. | purists |
| Lay off right away | You may add to your own and others' melds in the same turn you meld. | quicker rounds |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play against three computer opponents through the eight contracts with 12 cards, without buying. There, laying off is allowed right away by default; “only from the next turn” can be selected.
9. Tips for beginners
- Read the contract: Each round needs something different.
- Use jokers wisely: They help you meet the contract faster.
- Shed high cards: Aces cost 20 points, jokers 30.
- Plan escalas: Four cards in a row are harder than a trío.
- Lay off after melding: Shed many cards on your next turn.
- Watch the discard pile: What others pick up reveals their plans.
- Don't feed: Don't discard what an opponent is clearly collecting.
10. Summary in 10 steps
- 108 cards, 12 cards each.
- Eight rounds with fixed contracts.
- Trío = 3 of a rank, escala = 4 in a row.
- Draw: stock or discard pile.
- Meld the complete contract.
- Lay off only from the next turn.
- Discard one card, never the joker.
- The first player out of cards wins the round.
- Penalty points: joker 30, ace 20, face cards 10, others face value.
- After eight rounds the fewest points wins.
11. Frequently asked questions
What is an escala?
Four consecutive cards of the same suit.
May I discard the joker?
No.
When may I lay off?
Only from the turn after you melded. As a house rule, also right away in the same turn (see Variants).
May I buy cards?
Not in the basic rules.
How much is an ace?
20 penalty points.
How long does a game take?
Eight rounds take about 60 to 90 minutes.
Origin & history
Carioca is the family card game in Chile – played on long evenings, on holiday and at family gatherings. As in contract rummy, each round requires a set laydown of tríos and escalas that gets harder from round to round. Where the name comes from is not known for certain.