Alberosa

Software

Burraco   Italian  and...    International, Royal, Brazilian

(Ver. 03.03.15)

A social phenomenon

They say that it comes from the Uruguay, where it was in fashion in the forties, and that its name
derives from the portuguese word "buraco" that means “sieve”.
To the beginnings of years 80, in the South of Italy, in Puglia, is bursted the phenomenon Burraco.

Burraco is a very beautiful game, with apparent characteristics of simplicity, however with
implications often unforeseeable and absolutely involving.

The Rules in short

Burraco is played with two decks of French playing cards with the Jokers, distributing
eleven cards to each player one by one.
In a table's corner are placed two piles of eleven cards, dealt one by one, called Pots.
Remaining cards, face down, make the Stock.
The top card is turned face up, and placed to the side of the Stock to begin the Discard Pile.

Burraco's purpose is to accumulate the points required to win the game (2005), putting on the table
the greater number is possible of games, which may be:
- Sequences: three or more cards of the same suit in increasing (or decreasing) order.
- Combinations: three or more cards of the same value (of equal suit too).

Peculiarity:
- All the 2's are Wild.
- Wild 2’s and Jokers are Wildcards and may be used to substitute any cards in the games.
- It is possible to substitute a Wildcard (not to take it) with the card that it represents, only
  in Sequences.
- Every game made of seven or more cards, is named Burraco and will be:
   In the Italian Burraco:
      Dirty if with Wildcard that precedes or follows less than seven cards.
      Half-Pure if with Wildcard that precedes or follows at least seven cards.
      Pure if without Wildcard,
      Super-Pure if Combination of eight cards without Wildcard.
      Over The Top if Sequence from Ace to King without Wildcard.
   In the International, Royal and Brazilian Burraco:
      Dirty if with Wildcard.
      Pure if without Wildcard,
   In the Royal and Brazilian Burraco:
      Noble if Sequence from Ace to King without Wildcard.
      Royal if Sequence from Ace to Ace without Wildcard.

Course of game:
- Each player can take a single card from the top of the Stock or can pick-up all of the cards
  in the Discard Pile, then can put on the table any new melds and add cards onto their own melds,
  already on the table, finally discards a card.
- The player who has melded all their cards then takes the eleven cards in a Pot and, if has not yet
  discarded, continues to play.
- The round ends when a player:
   In the Italian Burraco:
   - has taken the Pot,
   - has melded all their cards, having made at least one Burraco (of any type),
   - has discarded their last card.
   In the International Burraco:
   - has taken the Pot,
   - has melded all their cards, having made at least one Pure Burraco,
   - has discarded their last card.
   In the Royal Burraco:
   - has taken the Pot,
   - has melded all their cards, having made at least one Pure Burraco,
   - has discarded or added their last card.
   In the Brazilian Burraco:
   - has taken the Pot (if it has not been inserted into the Stock),
   - has melded all their cards, having made at least one Pure Burraco,
   - has discarded or added their last card.

In order to realize this game I have used the images of the cards of the Company Teodomiro Dal Negro S.p.A. that has authorized their reproduction.

With this version of Burraco you will be able to establish:

- if to play Italian, International, Royal o Brazilian Burraco.
- to play with a game's level Medium or Expert.
- to play with the Joker or not.
- if is possible or not to make a Combination of Wild 2’s.
- the score to get to in the game.
- if is possible or not to give out a game certainly lost.
- the disposition of the cards, in your hand and in your opening, increasing or decreasing.
- the arranging of the cards in your hand by value or by suit.
- to play with or without special effects (sounds, noises and other computer effects).
- the speed of the cards played by the computer (yours will be under your complete control).
- the background of the playing table and the style of the cards.

The computer will take care of saving interrupted games (even mid-play!) and to memorize
who all the players were, their scores and classification.

At this point, the game is in your hands and I can assure you the computer does not cheat!
though it does play rather well...

Download Burraco now and try the demo version which will allow you to try it out.
If you enjoy it, you can purchase it directly by the game.

Please, read carefully the page "Purchase information and prices".