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Official Porrazo Rules
Porrazo is a card game that revolves around capturing cards by matching their values. Here's how to play:
Objective
To be the first player to accumulate the most points by capturing cards.
Setup
The dealer shuffles the deck, and the player to their left cuts. The dealer then deals three cards to each player, keeping the remaining deck face down.
Play starts to the dealer's left and continues clockwise, with each player playing a card and potentially capturing or scoring based on the rules. After these cards are played, the dealer deals another set of three cards to each player from the remaining deck, and play continues with these new cards until the deck is exhausted.
At one point during their dealing turn, the dealer will deal four additional cards face up to the table, in two pairs. This is called the "tendido" (layout) and can be dealt at any time after the initial three-card deal, at the dealer's discretion.
With 2, 4, or 8 players, the deals and tendido use up the entire deck: 8 deals for 2 players and 4 deals for 4 players. With 3 or 5 players, after 5 or 3 deals and the tendido, there will be three leftover cards which are dealt face up to the table before the final three-card hands are played.
Gameplay
Ronda and Rondine:
After each deal, players check their cards. A player with a pair of equal cards announces "ronda," and a player with three equal cards announces "rondine." (In some American versions, "ronda" may be referred to as "rondo" or "randa," and "rondine" as "randine.") Players do not reveal the rank of their cards; this is only seen when the cards are played. The player with the highest ronda or rondine scores points as follows:
Ronda | Rondine |
Kings | 4 |
Queens | 3 |
Jacks | 2 |
10 - 2, Ace | 1 |
A rondine always scores higher than a ronda. For example, if a player has 5-5-5 and another has K-K-8, the rondine scores 3 points while the Kings score nothing. If two players have the same ronda and no higher ronda or rondine, the player closest to the dealer's left scores. In partnership games, the partner of the player with the best ronda or rondine also scores points for any ronda or rondine they hold, even if it is lower than an opponent’s.
If a player with a ronda or rondine forgets to declare it before play begins, they do not score for it. If another player points this out after the cards are played, that opponent scores the points instead.
Playing and Capturing:
On your turn, play a card face up. If the card matches a card already on the table, you capture both and any cards in an unbroken ascending sequence with the matched card. If your card doesn’t match, it remains on the table and may be captured later.
In cases where multiple cards of the same rank are on the table, only one is captured, either by matching or as part of a sequence. For capturing sequences, cards "turn the corner"—an Ace counts as the next card above a King, and a Two as the next card above an Ace.
After the dealer’s last card has been played, any remaining face-up cards stay on the table and can be captured after the next deal. If no more cards are dealt, the last player who captured any cards also captures all remaining face-up cards.
Porrazo, Counter Porrazo, and San Benito:
A "porrazo" occurs when the player before you plays a card without capturing anything, and you then play a card of the same rank. A porrazo scores points, capturing the matched card and any in sequence with it, unless the next player also plays a matching card, resulting in a "counter porrazo." In this case, the counter porrazo captures and scores the cards instead.
If a fourth card of the same rank is played after a counter porrazo, it is a "san benito," which wins the game outright. Scores for porrazo, counter porrazo, and san benito are:
Porrazo | Counter Porrazo | San Benito |
Kings | 4 | 12 |
Queens | 3 | 9 |
Jacks | 2 | 6 |
10 - 2, Ace | 1 | 3 |
Note:
Porrazo, counter porrazo, or san benito must occur within one deal.
Matching the previous card only counts as a porrazo if the previous card did not capture anything.
A porrazo requires matching the exact card, not just capturing it in sequence.
Cards in Place:
Playing an Ace, 2, 3, or 4 in place (without capturing) scores points equal to the card’s value if the number of cards on the table matches the card's value:
Playing an Ace to an empty table scores 1 point.
Playing a Two to a table with one other card (not a 2) scores 2 points.
Playing a Three to a table with two cards scores 3 points.
Playing a Four to a table with three cards scores 4 points.
Players may choose to play a card in place instead of capturing, if it is advantageous. If the card in place does not score, capturing must be made.
Limpia:
"Limpia" (Spanish for "clean") refers to capturing all cards on the table, which must form a continuous sequence. The score for a limpia is based on the last card in the sequence (or the single card if only one is matched), matching the score for a porrazo or ronda of that rank.
Examples:
Table: 4, 5. Playing a 4 captures both, scoring 1 point.
Table: 8, 9, 10, J. Playing an 8 scores 2 points for a limpia.
Table: Q alone. Playing a Queen scores 3 points for a limpia.
A limpia and a porrazo or counter porrazo can occur together.
Tendido:
"Tendido" means "layout." The dealer deals four cards face up to the table in two pairs, which can be arranged in any order within each pair but not between pairs. Scoring is based on the position of Aces, 2s, 3s, and 4s within the layout and any matching sets of cards on the table.
The dealer arranges and scores the tendido before the cards are captured in normal play. Cards in the tendido that match those already on the table remain on the table and are available for capture.
Winning the Game
Players or teams maintain a cumulative score using a peg board or paper. Points are scored for porrazos, limpias, cards in place, rondas, and rondines. After all cards are dealt and played, players count their face-down pile of cards. The player or team with the most cards scores the difference between their total and the next highest total.
The game ends when a player or team reaches 61 points. If this happens during the play of a deal, the game ends at that point. If a player has declared a ronda or rondine that would have won them the game but another player wins by reaching 61 first, the declaration does not count.
Notes/Variations
The score for cards may be calculated as the number of cards in excess of 26 for two-player or two-team games, which reduces the importance of card accumulation.
The Ace may be considered low in some versions, affecting sequences.
Some rules do not require announcing rondas and rondines; points are claimed after the deal.
The tendido may be dealt only after the final three-card deal.
With an odd number of players, leftover cards after the last deal may be dealt to players as four-card hands, potentially allowing four of a kind to score double a rondine.
Porrazo is a fun and easy-to-learn card game that can be enjoyed by players of all ages.
