Burraco with 6 players: basic rules

The most common Burraco formats are: singles, pairs and teams, but there is also an alternative variant that involves 6 players. Burraco with 6 players is very entertaining and exciting, and is the perfect version if you want to involve more people in the card game.

The basic rules of 6-player Burraco have been set out by the Italian Burraco Federation (Fibur) and do not differ much from the classic version. To understand the basic rules of Burraco with six players it is necessary to know the classic game, even though in this variant it is possible to plan many more strategies and find a great many combinations.

How to play Burraco with six players

To play Burraco with six players you need three decks of French cards, and the game is always played in pairs, which in this particular case will be three instead of the usual two. The game unfolds following the rules of the classic version with a few small differences in the closing and in the creation of the pozzetti.

To play 6-player Burraco, three French card decks are placed on the table and players position themselves according to the highest card drawn from the deck. Partners seat themselves around the table, one facing the other, and the dealer begins to shuffle the cards.

Each player is dealt 11 cards and the player to the right of the dealer forms three pozzetti of 11 cards each, arranging them in a cross formation on one side of the table; in traditional Burraco there are only two pozzetti. After dealing the cards, the first card of the deck is turned face up and the game begins following the traditional rules of pairs Burraco.

One player in the pair keeps their three-of-a-kinds, Burraco or other combinations in front of them, and the pozzetto can only be accessed once one of the two players in the pair has exhausted their cards. The game ends when one of the two players in the pair has run out of cards for the second time and has achieved at least one Burraco.

The most interesting aspects of 6-player Burraco

Burraco with six players is much longer and more exciting than the classic version, not only because you have to analyse and observe the strategies of two other pairs, but also because it is possible to simultaneously block the game of all the participants.

One of the most interesting features is the use of three card decks: identical cards will appear three times instead of two. Given the high number of players, the draw deck could run out, and as a consequence the game ends when the third-to-last card is drawn.

Another very interesting aspect is that between a player and their partner there are as many as two opponents, making it harder to help your partner during the game compared to the traditional version.

6-player Burraco is an excellent opportunity to socialise and share a passion for the game, and if you are a close-knit group, it is also possible to enter professional tournaments.