Mus – Rules

Play Mus against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Mus comes from the Basque Country and is a cult game all over Spain. There are no tricks: everyone holds four cards, and in four rounds (“lances”) players bet on who has the highest cards, the lowest cards, the best pairs and the best “game”. Bluffing the opponents into folding wins points without ever showing your cards.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 40 Spanish cards (oros, copas, espadas, bastos): 1–7, sota, caballo, rey.
• Special feature: Threes count as kings, twos as aces. So there are 8 “kings” and 8 “aces”.
• Ranking (high → low): rey/3, caballo, sota, 7, 6, 5, 4, ace/2.
• Points for juego:

• Suits: don't matter.
• Counters: 5 points = one large counter (amarraco), small counters for single points.

3. Preparation and start

1. Teams: Partners sit opposite each other.
2. Deal: Everyone gets 4 cards.
3. Mus or no mus: In turn from the mano, everyone says “mus” (I want to exchange) or “no hay mus”.
4. Exchange: If everyone says “mus”, each player discards any number of cards and gets new ones. This repeats until someone says “no hay mus”.
5. Lances: Then four betting rounds follow.

Start example: Player 1 is mano. Everyone says “mus”, Player 1 exchanges two cards. In the second round Player 3 says “no hay mus” – now the betting starts.

4. Goal and winning

• Game: The first team to 40 points wins (a “juego”). Often several are played.
• Órdago: If an órdago is accepted, that lance decides the whole game at once.
• Tie in a lance: The mano (or whoever sits closest to the mano) wins.

5. Play in detail

The four lances.

1. Grande: Who has the highest cards (highest first, then the second, and so on).
2. Chica: Who has the lowest cards.
3. Pares: Who has the best matching: duples (two pairs) > medias (three of a kind) > par (pair). Only players with pares may bet.
4. Juego: Who has 31 or more points. The order is 31 (best), 32, 40, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33. If nobody has juego, punto is played instead: closest to 30 wins.

Betting in each lance.

• Paso: pass.
• Envido: bet 2 points (or more).
• Subir: raise.
• Quiero: accept – the lance is settled at the end with cards shown.
• No quiero: decline – the betting side gets 1 point at once (or the previously accepted value).
• Órdago: all-in – if accepted, the lance wins the whole game.
• All pass: The lance is settled at the end for 1 point (for pares and juego according to the combination).

Example with Players 1 to 4. Players 1 and 4 against Players 2 and 3. Player 1 holds rey, rey, 3, 7.

1. Grande: Player 1 has three “kings”. He says “envido”. Players 2 and 3 say “no quiero”. Players 1 and 4 get 1 point.
2. Chica: Everyone passes. At the end Player 3 shows ace, 2, 4, 5 – the lowest cards. Player 2 and Player 3 get 1 point.
3. Pares: Player 1 has medias (three kings). Player 4 has a pair of sevens. Players 1 and 4 bet 2, the opponents accept. At the end Player 1's medias are best. His team gets the 2 points of the bet plus 2 for his medias and 1 for Player 4's par.
4. Juego: Rey 10 + rey 10 + 3 10 + 7 = 37. A juego!

6. Scoring

• The winning team scores pares and juego points for both players holding the combination.
• End: First team to 40 points.

7. Special rules and situations

• Signals (señas): Partners may show what they hold with agreed gestures (e.g. biting the lip = two kings). That's part of the game – the opponents may see them if they're watchful.
• Declaring pares and juego: Before betting, everyone says whether they have pares or juego (“sí” / “no”).
• No pares or juego on one side: Then that lance isn't played.
• Settling at the end: Cards are only shown after all four lances have been bet.
• Common mistakes: forgetting that threes are kings; confusing punto and juego; calling órdago too often.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: 8 kings and 8 aces, four lances, game to 40.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play with the player opposite as your partner to 40 or 25 points, with eight kings and eight aces; there are no señas there.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Threes are kings: Three “kings” in hand are strong for grande and pares.
2. Use mus wisely: Exchange cards that are neither high nor low.
3. Bluff: An envido with weak cards can make the opponents decline.
4. Use the mano: As mano you win ties – that makes you bolder.
5. 31 is the best juego: Not 40!
6. Órdago only when clear: It ends the game in one go.
7. Mind your partner: Together you hold eight cards.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 40 Spanish cards; threes = kings, twos = aces.
2. 4 cards each.
3. Everyone says “mus”: exchange cards.
4. “No hay mus”: betting begins.
5. Grande: highest cards.
6. Chica: lowest cards.
7. Pares: par < medias < duples.
8. Juego: 31+ (31 best), otherwise punto.
9. Envido, quiero, no quiero, órdago.
10. First team to 40 points wins.

11. Frequently asked questions

Why does the three count as a king?

That's classic Mus: there are eight kings (four reyes, four threes) and eight aces (four aces, four twos).

What is the best juego?

Exactly 31. Then 32, then 40, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33.

What happens if I say “no quiero”?

The betting side gets one point at once (or the previously accepted value) and the lance is over.

What is an órdago?

A bet on the whole game. If accepted, the better hand in that lance wins the game.

Who wins a tie?

The mano, or the player sitting closest to the mano in playing order.

How long does a game take?

To 40 points about 30 to 60 minutes.

Origin & history

Mus comes from the Basque Country and is documented since the 18th century. Today it is played all over Spain, with its own leagues and championships. Typical are allowed signals (señas) between partners.