OBJECT OF BURA: The object of Bura is to score 31 or more points.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 2 to 6 players
MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52-cards, a way to keeps score, and a flat surface.
TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game
AUDIENCE: Adults
OVERVIEW OF BURA
Bura is a trick-taking card game for 2 to 6 players. The goal of the game is to be the first player to score 31 or more points.
Bura is typically played a gambling game, so players should determine before the game begins how much a stake is worth.
SETUP
All players ante an equal number of stakes into the pot. The deck must also be modified taking out all cards ranked 5 and lower. This leaves you with a 36-card deck.
The first dealer is chosen at random. The deck will be shuffled, and the dealer will give each player a 3-card hand. Cards are dealt one at a time.
The next card is then revealed to determine the trump suit and the remaining stock is placed on top so that the suit still shows.
Card Ranking and Points
The ranking is Ace (high), 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7, and 6 (low). The aces are worth 11 points, 10s are worth 10, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 and jacks are worth 2 points. All other cards have no point value.
GAMEPLAY
The game starts with the player left of the dealer and passes clockwise around the table.
The first player will lead a trick by playing any card or a set of cards (2 or 3) of the same suit.
Following players do not need to follow suit but must play the same number of cards to the trick.
A single card is beaten by any higher-ranked card of the same suit or by any trump if the led card is not a trump. To beat a set of cards you must beat each card of the set individually with one of your cards played to the trick.
The player to win a trick collects all the cards that were played to it to their score pile. No player may look back at their score pile after the cards have been added. It is up to each individual to keep a mental count of their score to claim victory.
All players will then refresh their hand back to 3 cards from the stockpile, pulling one card at a time in clockwise order starting from the winner of the trick. If there are not enough cards remaining to refill all player’s hands then no cards are drawn, and players finish the game with the remaining cards in their hands.
The next trick is led by the winner of the previous one.
END OF THE ROUND
At any point during the game, a player may stop it and claim to have 31 or more points. Once a claim is made the round ends and the player who claimed a win must now prove it by showing their score pile. If they were correct they collect the ante, and a new round is started with everyone paying an equal number of stakes once again. If they were incorrect, they get nothing, the pot remains, and the next round is started but the player who claimed incorrectly must double the pot. Either way, the player to claim victory whether correct or incorrect becomes the new dealer.
If no player claims victory before cards run out, then no player wins. The pot remains and the previous dealer will deal again.
SPECIAL SETS
3 combinations can be played with. These special sets of cards when played to the trick allow a player to take the lead of the next trick even if they do not win the previous trick. These include from highest ranked to lowest: Bura (high), Aces, and Young Lady (low).
For Bura, you must play any 3 trumps to the trick. For Aces, 3 aces must be played to the trick, and for Young Lady any 3 cards of the same suit that is not the trump suit.
If multiple people play the same combination the player to play their set first takes the lead. A player who plays a Bura ends the round and wins the pot. If multiple players have Buras, then the trick is played with all Buras being played out. The Bura that wins the trick wins the pot.
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