Booray

Booray (also spelled Bourré) Booray combines features of both Bridge and Poker and is thus a good link between these two frequently played games.  This game is also related to an old card game called Écarté.  Booray is popular in Louisiana and with French-speaking Canadians.

What you need to play

• The standard 52-card pack is used.
• Two or three people, it is best played by more (4 to 7 players)

The object of the game Is to win each pot by taking the most tricks.

How to play the game

Rank of Cards. A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 in each suit.

The Ante For each deal, players ante to a pot.  The current dealer decides the amount that he and each other player pays but usually a maximum is placed on the ante in advance.

The Deal Players draw or cut for first deal.  Thereafter, the turn passes to the player on the left.  Only the dealer shuffles and the player on his right cuts.  Five cards are dealt to each player, one at a time, face down, beginning with the player on the left. The dealer then turns up the next card, which is designated the trump suit, and then he announces this suit.

The Draw After looking at his cards, any player may drop out of the hand and forfeit his ante by placing all five cards face down.  Otherwise, a player may stay in and has a chance to win the pot, or he may sustain additional losses. Each active player, beginning on the dealer’s left, now discards one to four cards and receives replacements from the deck, or stands pat.  (In some games, a player is not allowed to draw more than three cards, in other games the limit is five cards - a new hand.)

The Play When the draw is completed, the player on the dealer’s left leads and the cards are played out in tricks (one card from each player in turn).  The leader must lead his highest trump if he has the ace, king, or queen.  To each trick, a player in turn must: 1) Follow suit, if possible. 2) Play a higher card than any previously played, if possible. 3) Play a trump, if unable to follow suit. 4) Play any card, if unable to follow suit or trump. Although a player who cannot follow suit must trump, he need not overtrump.  A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins.  The winner of a trick leads next.  He may lead any card unless he holds the ace, king or queen of trumps, in which case one of these three cards must be led.

The Scoring The player who wins the most tricks wins the pot.  If two players win two tricks each, or if five players win one trick each, they divide the pot equally.  A player who stays in the game but fails to win a trick must contribute an amount equal to the next pot.  This is added to the next pot and not to the current pot.