Bourré (Booray) is a trick-taking card game that can be enjoyed by three to eight players.
Win the most tricks in a round to win big in this game!
Find the video tutorial and written explanation for how to play Bourré below.
Bourré Tutorial
Needed
52 card deck; three to eight players; poker chips
Deal
Before the cards are dealt, each player will put an ante of one chip into the middle.
Each player is dealt five cards one card at a time. The last card dealt to the dealer is flipped face up for every player to see. The suit of the flipped up card is the trump suit for the round.
Objective
Bourré is a trick-taking game. The object of the game is to win the most tricks out of all players in a round. A trick is created by players playing a card into the middle. The player with the highest ranking trump card played wins the trick. If no trump card was played, the highest ranking card in the lead suit will win the trick.
Card Rank
Highest to lowest
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Game Play
Starting with the player left of the dealer, each player will decide if they want to be in or out for the round. If a player chooses to be out, they will forfeit their ante, but can avoid a penalty for not winning any tricks in the round. If a player wants to stay in the round, they get to discard any amount of cards from their hand, and the dealer will deal the player back to five cards from the undealt deck.
The player left of the dealer will lead the first trick. Players must play a card in the same suit that was lead, if possible. The player that plays the highest ranking trump suited card wins the trick. If no trump suited card was played, the player with the highest ranking card in the lead suit wins the trick.
The player that wins the trick will lead the next trick. Players continue to play to tricks until all card have been played.
At the end of the round, the player that wins the most tricks wins the middle pot. Any player that played the round, and does not win a trick has gone bourré. A player that goes bourré has to pay to the pot the number of chips in the pot. This chip payment goes towards the next round’s pot. For example, if there are four chips in the pot, a player that goes bourré will pay four chips for the next pot.
The deal moves to the next player, with players making a new ante.
Rules
Players must follow the lead suit, whenever possible. If they cannot follow suit, they must play a trump suit card, if possible. If a player cannot follow suit, or play a trump card, they can play any card. Players must always play to win the trick, whenever possible.
If players tie for the most tricks won in a round, the pot stays in the middle for the next round. The tying players will not have to ante for the next round.
Players that go bourré will only pay the pot amount for the next round and do not have to add an additional ante.
A player that is sure to win three tricks is said to have a cinch. When a player has a cinch and is leading to a trick, the player must play their highest trump card. When a player has cinch and can play a trump to a trick, the player must play their highest trump card.