The last five rules of the "strategic decalogue" to win at Burraco in pairs

1. Be quick; 2. Be thrifty; 3. Be excellent observers; 4. Memorize the extreme cards; 5. Be generous with your opponents;

6. Second hand picks (almost) always; 7. The future does not exist; 8. Don't collect in front of those who have 2 or 5 cards; 9. Don't wage war at home; 10. Be fair, careful and loyal.

This is the entire Buraco strategy decalogue that my playmate and I have given ourselves and that has allowed us to win various tournaments and in particular, last year, the first National Championship with prepared cards, 50 deals, where all pairs played the same hands.

Last week, in the first episode of this little journey into the technique of the Burraco game, I have described the first five rules of the "decalogue", I will now go on to illustrate the last five rules which together form our style as a couple. In fact, it is important to remember that Burraco for 4 players is a game for couples and, regardless of any rule, it is good that the couple establish their own idiolect, the strategy that convinces them the most, so that everyone knows what the logic that supports the other. This facilitates understanding within the team.

6. Second hand picks (almost) always. This behavior is suggested by Giorgio Vitale in his excellent book on Burraco, with very convincing arguments and we have made it a cornerstone of our game. Collecting the first two cards on the table clarifies, right from the start, the situation of the first player of the pair entering the game. This rule only applies to the first round, when second-hand's partner is the dealer.

So why should you pick up the first two cards even if you don't need them? Firstly because, if they are not useful to you, they probably close straights or sets of the player after you or your partner; secondly because, otherwise, the opponent after you would draw on three cards; finally, and it is the most important reason, because it is the first opportunity you have to explain your hand to your partner. In fact, we have established that the second hand collects "if he cannot reasonably close in one or two rounds". With this move we therefore achieve various objectives: we tell our partner that we are not closing in a short time; we inform him that we have those two cards in hand and therefore we indirectly give him a good suggestion for his next discard (for example if we have picked up a 3 and a 4, of different suits, he can try to "fold", i.e. send us with his discard, another 3 or another 4, or cards in a scale close to those we have collected); finally we stole some material from our opponents. With this move, the second in hand has put himself in a position to play counterplay and to favor the closure of his partner. He won't always go like this, in fact it may happen that you are forced to swap roles later. In the meantime, however, you have started a good couple game.

7. The future does not exist. Our style of play is aggressive, favoring speed over any other strategy. This rule, which applies above all in the first part of the game, is consistent with our goal of taking the cockpit first or in the shortest time possible. What does "the future does not exist" mean? It means that we, in an average hand, for example with only one mate, never pick up to make a pair, and we never pick up a card that can be used to make a burraco after two or three rounds. It's a questionable choice and sometimes criticized by other consolidated and often winning pairs, because it can penalize in the second phase of the game, when it is necessary to make a burraco and close. To stem this problem, our style changes in the second part of the game: if we fail to play burraco and we only have short stakes, we collect much more and try not to reveal how much we have in hand. This is why we know the extreme cards by heart, to decide, with a quick glance, when a "distant" card can be useful to us. We used this rule to win the Salsomaggiore Championship: at the last round, the fiftieth, we were second in the standings and we were sitting in the North-South line, the same line as the first ones (who were in the lead throughout the tournament). We then played the same cards, yet we won the hand and they lost it. How come? Because South has collected a 7 of diamonds, which could serve to close the gulf of a diamond straight opened by North, but still far behind, i.e. formed by Queen, Jack, 10. After South has collected the 7, North he led on the 10 a joker and the 8 of diamonds, but in doing so he lost the opportunity to go out. South on the other hand led the 7, but didn't make a burraco, because he didn't have the 6 in his hand and didn't go out. In our case, however, my partner didn't pick up the 7 and I, free from all worries, put down three 8s and used the wild card to close. With the cards from the well we made the burraco in another suit (different from the diamonds), we closed and won the hand. Thus, in the last round, after two days of play, we managed to take first place.

8. Don't pick in front of people with 2 or 5 cards. Anyone who plays Burraco knows how dangerous a couple is that takes the pozzetto live, i.e. without a gap. In fact, the live player is in the ideal condition to make a blitz, i.e. take the well, make the burraco and close, without even giving you time to breathe and above all making you pay for everything you have in your hand, as well as the untaken well. Always try to prepare for a live finish and do what you can to prevent your opponents from achieving this goal. At least try not to help them, not to be the one serving the live broadcast on a silver platter. How do you recognize an opponent who is about to close live? Generally those who have 2 or 5 cards want to achieve this goal, normally they have a wild card and a card or a wild card and two pairs and are just waiting to close their circle. So never collect in front of anyone with 2 or 5 cards in hand, unless you are sure of your discard.

9. Don't wage war at home. As is well known, to play a good game it is good that one player goes to the well and the other collects. But what happens when both players in a pair have good cards? We have decided that the first player who opens a three of a kind or a straight in the first hand with a wild card goes to the well, while the other places himself at his "service". Not fighting at home means that the second player cannot close in turn, throw badly and embarrass his partner, unless this is clearly advantageous for the couple. In short, if my partner opens a straight with a joker in the first hand, I in turn must not open other dirty games, I must rather collect the cards on the ground to steal opportunities from the opponents and in an attempt to make clean games to facilitate the closing of the my partner. In fact, in Burraco one does not "die" only of poverty, but also of too much wealth, when there are few games and many crazy ones. It can happen, during the game, that the roles are reversed. It's a privilege of lucky hands and can be useful when the opposing pair are playing nice cards on the player going out.

10. Be fair, careful and loyal. Unfortunately, disloyalty and impropriety are widespread in Burraco. It is a malpractice that must be sanctioned to make the game more serious and competitive. So it is important that you are careful when counting honors and points, positive and negative, but also when compiling the score. You have to check every hand that the score scored is correct, in order not to get into arguments when the memories are now blurred. Above all, avoid falling into the trap of “signs”. In Burraco you can only communicate with cards, comments and signs are not allowed and, in our opinion, they are not even useful, because they distract from the "core business", i.e. from the game. Anyone who resorts to these tricks has very little self-esteem and in any case is a thief and should not be imitated. Make correctness and loyalty your stylistic note, it is a choice that will give you much more satisfaction.