Buraco ›
Rules of Buraco
Aim of the game
Buraco is a card game for 2 players or pairs. The object is to create flushes of the same suit or groups of 3 or more of the same cards to get more points than your opponents.
The game is very popular in Italy in the Open Dirty mode and in Brazil with its different methods.
It’s played with 2 French decks with wildcards (except in Open mode). The games can be played at 2000 or 3000 points per game.
How to play Buraco
Dealing
11 cards are dealt to each player and two groups of 11 cards each are left aside, which are called “stock”. The other cards will become the deck from where the players pick up cards.
Game play
The first player must take one card from the deck, and try to make combinations to place them on the playing area (minimum 3 cards). One can put down as many combinations as desired.
Note: in the Open and Closed STCL modes, only flushes are allowed to be made.
When finishing, the player must mandatorily throw one card of his/her hand and lie it down faced-up in the center of the table (pile).
At the beginning of their turn, each player has the option to take one card from the deck or stay with all the acculmulated cards in the pile to make the combinations (It’s compulsory to take them all from the deck).
As well as making new combinations, you also must incorporate cards into the combinations you already have in play.
The wildcards
The twos and jokers have the function of wildcards and can be used in any combination.
Note: in the Open mode there are no jokers.
In a combination there can only be one wildcard. There can be 2 twos only if one of them has the function of a wildcard and the other its normal value.
It is possible to replace a joker at stake for the correspondending card. In that case, the joker will be moved in the sequence having another value according to the following conditions:
- If the 2 functioning as a joker has the same suit of the combination and it can replace the 2, it will not function as a joker anymore to take the place of the 2.
- If it is not possible, it will keep on functioning as a joker at the right end of the sequence (where the highest cards are placed).
- If it is not possible, it will keep on functioning as a joker at the left end (with the lowest cards).
- If the sequence is completed (from ace to ace), it is not possible to replace the joker.
The pot
At one side of the table, two piles with 11 cards each are reserved, they are called “stock”. When one of the players has no cards, he/she catches one of the piles of the stock. Each partner can only use one of the stocks in a game.
When the cards of the deck finish, one of the piles of the “stock”, if there are any, will replace the deck.
Canastas
A canasta is formed when a combination of 7 or more cards is made.
Depending on how they are formed, there are different types of canastas:
- Dirty run: It is formed with the help of a joker.
- Clear run: It is formed with no jokers.
- Royal run: It is formed when it is possible to form a clear run from the Ace to the King (but when arranging it, the ace is placed after the king because it has a higher value).
- Canasta of ace to ace (except in Open Dirty mode): manage to form a natural canasta that goes from ace to ace.
Note: a dirty run can become a clear run when the 2 used as a joker can be moved to the position of the 2. If this is not possible (for example, if a combination has a joker), it can never be a natural canasta.
Close
A player “closes” when he/she has no more cards in his/her hand. There are different ways to “close”:
- Direct: When a player lies down his/her last card over his/her game area, catching the stock and keeping on placing combinations in the same play.
- Indirect: When a player throws his/her last card in the pile, he/she cannot use the stock until the following round.
- End: When a player puts down the last of their cards and can no longer pick up from the dead cards, having at least one canasta in the playing area. The games ends with this play.
Note: in the Open Dirty mode, to be able to “bater” or go out, it is necessary to dispose of one card on the pile.
Value of the plays
The points are scored the following way:
- 3 to 7: 5 points
- 2 (joker): 10 points (20 in Open Dirty)
- 8 to king: 10 points
- Ace: 15 points
- Joker: 20 points (30 in Open Dirty)
- Final closing: 100 points
- Dirty run: 100 points
- Clear run: 200 points
- Royal run: 500 points
- Ace to ace run: 1000 points
Also, not picking up the dead card 100 points are taken. If it is picked up and not used, 100 points are also taken away (except in Open Dirty). The points of the cards that are left in your hand are also taken away.
The game ends when a player or pair gets the amount of points necessary to win.
If there is a draw, the winner will be the player or the pair that started the game.
Methods of play
Open
- There are no jokers.
- Straights only (three of a kind not allowed).
- To be able to go out, you need a natural canasta.
- A straight ace to ace is allowed and is worth 1000 points.
- The twos add on 10 points.
- You can go out by disposing of one card or putting it in a combination.
- Open pile
Open dirty
- With jokers.
- Straights and thre of a kind (3 twos are not allowed).
- You can close with a mixed canasta.
- An ace to ace straight is not allowed (As, 2, ..., Q, K, 2/joker is allowed)
- The twos add 20 points and the jokers 30 points.
- To be able to go out it is necessary to do it disposing of one card.
- Open pile
Closed
- With jokers.
- Straights and three of a kinds.
- A natural canasta is needed to be able to go out.
- A straight ace to ace is allowed and is worth 1000 points.
- The twos add 10 points and the jokers 20 points.
- You can go out by disposing of one card or putting it in a combination.
- Closed pile: to be able to take cards from the pile, it’s compulsory to play the last of them immediately.
NTCR (no trio clean run), closed
- With jokers.
- Straights only (three of a kind not allowed).
- A natural canasta is needed to be able to go out.
- A straight ace to ace is allowed and is worth 1000 points.
- The twos add 10 points and the jokers 20 points.
- You can go out by disposing of one card or putting it in a combination.
- Closed pile: to be able to take cards from the pile, it’s compulsory to play the last of them immediately.
Dirty and closed
- With jokers.
- Straights and three of a kinds.
- You can close with a mixed canasta.
- A straight ace to ace is allowed and is worth 1000 points.
- The twos add 10 points and the jokers 20 points.
- You can go out by disposing of one card or putting it in a combination.
- Closed pile: to be able to take cards from the pile, it’s compulsory to play the last of them immediately.
Game controls
Select a correct combination of cards to press on the table to put them into play.
Why do robots play? What for?
In some games, when a player loses connection during the game, a robot substitutes until the player can return. The player has a time allowed of some minutes to return to the game and continue playing.
End the game amicably (cancel game)
Some games have the option of ending the game amicably. If this happens, the game is cancelled. That is, the players don’t receive or lose points and the game doesn’t count in the leaderboards or statistics. What’s more, the chips bet are returned to each player (except in the case of penalisation for abandoning the game).
To cancel a game, one of the players must click the following button 
. All the players must agree to end the game, otherwise the game will continue.
The robot doesn’t count in the votes to end a game amicably.
Table options
The table options are chosen by the master (the first player to sit at the table and that has a star 
beside his/her avatar).
To see or change the table options, press the following button 
. The table options can be changed before starting a game or in the middle of the games. If the icon is changed to red, that means the master changed some of the options.
- Time per turn
- Used to indicate the time a player has to play on his/her turn. If the time ends, the game plays for him/her. See also: Game in automatic mode
- Compete for points and chips.
- Permits playing competitive games. Deactivate this option to practise (you will not score points or win chips, nor will you get badges or level up).
- Bet per game:
- Indicate the amount of game chips you will bet in the game. The winner takes the pot. See also: What are the game chips? How can I get them?
- Private table.
- If this option is active, only invited players or friends can sit in. See also: How to invite other players to play at your table.
- Spectators allowed.
- Other people can enter the table to watch the game and chat. See also: Watchers during the games
- Method of Buraco:
- Open, Closed, NTCR (no trio clean run), closed, Dirty and closed, Open dirty
- Express (Quick games)
- It is the fastest way of play. Played without point limit.
- Limit of points
- Determine the end of the game. The player or pair that gets total points, wins the game.
Ranking for points
To take part in the leaderboard of this game, it is necessary to be registered and have chips enough to meet the bets.
To score points, the games have to be competitive (indicated by a boxing glove or swords). There is no scoring if 2 players at the table share the same IP.
If at one table game chips are being bet, you will need to have sufficient chips available to cover the bet. The winner of the game will get the XP points and the chips bet (the bank will receive 20% of the pot).
The experience points (XP) got depend on the kind of the game.
| Going for points | Express | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 players or in pairs | 40 XP points | 20 XP points |
The players that lose a game, add 5 points. If the game is ended amicably, each player gets back their chips bet.