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I am grateful to Eric Aboagye for explaining this game to me.

Spar is the most popular card game in Ghana. Sometimes it is played for money, but often simply for the enjoyment the winner gets from boasting of having played better than the others. It is a trick-taking game without trumps, in which the object is to win the last trick.

Spar is a game for 2, 3 or 4 players, using 36 cards from a standard international 52-card pack. The cards of each suit rank from high to low: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6. I am told it can be played in either direction: clockwise or counter-clockwise.

The first dealer is chosen at random; thereafter the winner of each hand deals the next. The dealer shuffles and deals seven cards to each player. In serious games the cards are dealt one at a time; in informal games they may be dealt by other methods - for example the first seven cards to the first player, the next seven to the next and so on.

The next player after the dealer (i.e. to dealer's right if play is counter-clockwise, or to dealer's left if it is clockwise) leads any card, playing it face up in the middle of the playing area. The other players in turn must play a card of the same suit if they can; those who have no card of the suit led play any card they choose.

When all have played one card, the first trick is complete. Whoever played the highest card of the suit that the first player led is the winner of the trick. The cards played are not gathered in but remain in a face up pile. The winner of the trick leads any card from hand to begin the next trick, playing it face up on top of the pile, and once again the other players must each play a card: this must be the same suit as the card that was led if possible, otherwise any card.

This continues until seven tricks have been played. Whoever wins the seventh and last trick wins the hand and scores:

• 3 points if the winning card is a 6 (NB. this is only possible if the winner of the second to last trick leads a 6 to the last trick and no one else has managed to keep a card of the same suit);
• 2 points if the winning card is a 7;
• 1 point for winning with any other card - 8 or higher.

If the game is played for money, the winner is immediately paid 1, 2 or 3 stakes by each of the other players. If not, each player keeps a cumulative total of points scored during the session.

The winner of the hand deals the next hand, and therefore plays last to the first trick of the next hand. The session continues for as long as the players wish - there is no fixed number of deals or target score that ends the session.

Variations

Alexey Lobashev has passed on a variation of Spar explained to him by Joseph Essilfy from Ghana. The game differs from the version of Spar explained above as follows:

1. It can be played by from 2 to 7 players.
2. The Ace of Spades is removed from the pack, leaving 35 cards..
3. Only five cards are dealt to each player - normally a batch of three cards to each, followed by a batch of two to each.
4. If a player wins the last two tricks with sixes, sevens or one of each, both are scored for: 6 points for two sixes; 5 points for a 6 and a 7 in either order; 4 points for two sevens.
5. The winner adds the amount won to his cumulative score, written on paper. Multiples of three points are preceded by a "c", floowed by the odd one or two points if present. So for example 9 points are written as c9, 14 points are written as c12 2. The game is played until a player wins by reaching an agreed number, such as c30.

A similar game, known simply as "Jeu de Carte" (French for "card game") was described to Alexy Lobashev by Abdullai Atipo and Abderman Tagiru from Benin. It is played as follows:

1. It is played with 31 cards (all the cards from Ace down to Seven except the Ace of Spades).
2. The cards are cut, the cutting player putting the upper part of the deck on the table. The dealer deals from the top of the lower part, five cards to each player, normally in batches of three followed by two. Instead of cutting one can tap with a pointing finger on the top of the deck. In this case, cards are dealt without cutting.
3. Players play their cards in front of them, rather than in a single pile in the centre. A player who is unable to follow suit to a trick plays his card face down.
4. The score is 1 point for winning the last trick, or 2 if it is won with a Seven.
5. The game is played until an agreed number of points is gained, often till 24.
6. When it is played for money, the stakes vary from 100 to 1000 Benin francs, i.e. from about 0.15 cents to 1.50 US dollars.