Chorizo, Báciga

• Introduction
• Players and Cards
• The Deal
• Card Combinations
• The Play - Captures - Escobas
• Scoring
• Winning the Game
• Variations
  • Báciga

Introduction

Chorizo is variant of the Spanish game Escoba that is popular in Uruguay. The relationship of Chorizo to ordinary Escoba is similar to the relationship of the Ligurian game Cirulla to Italian Scopone: there are several bonuses for declaring combinations of cards in a player's hand at the start of a sub-deal and extra scores for capturing or saving certain special cards, and some versions also feature wild cards.

Some Uruguayan players just call this game Escoba. There is a variant in which two of the card combinations, Tres de Nove (for three cards adding up to 9) and Dos de Miseria (for three cards adding up to 7 or less), are replaced by a single combination Báciga (for three cards adding up to 9 or less), in which case the whole game is often known as Báciga .

This page is mostly based on a contribution from Mateo Molina.

Players and Cards

Chorizo is a game for two, three or four players - four can play individually or in partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other, though in Uruguay four people would often prefer to play Truco, so the two- and three-player versions may be more widespread.

Traditionally, a 40 card Spanish deck is used. This has suits of Coins, Cups, Clubs and Swords, the cards of each suit being 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Sota (Jack), Caballo (Horse) and Rey (King). For the purpose of capturing:

• the numbers 1 to 7 have their face values
• the Sota (jack) counts as 8
• the Caballo (horse) counts as 9
• the Rey (king) counts as 10

This can be extremely confusing for new players, because for historical reasons the picture cards of a Spanish deck normally have numbers printed on them that are different from their capture values in this game.

• The Sota is labelled 10, although it counts as 8 for capturing.
• The Caballo is labelled 11, although it counts as 9.
• The Rey is labelled 12, although it counts as 10.

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen by some random method, such as cutting the cards. The dealer shuffles and the dealer's left hand opponent cuts.

Three cards are dealt face down to each player (counterclockwise, beginning with the player to dealer's right), and then four additional cards are dealt face-up to the table, laid out separately so that they are all visible. For clarity we will call this procedure the opening deal. The remaining cards are placed in a face down stack by the dealer ready to be dealt later.

After all players have played their three cards, the same dealer picks up the undealt stack of cards and deals a new batch of three cards to each player, but no more cards to the table, and the play continues. The player designated as the dealer continues with further sub-deals whenever the players run out of cards to play until all the cards of the pack have been dealt and played. There will be six sub-deals (including the opening deal) if there are two players, four if there are three players, and three if there are four players. After all the cards are have been played and the hand scored, the turn to deal passes to the right.

Card Combinations

After any sub-deal, certain three-card combinations held in the hand of a player can be declared for extra points. These declarations are made by the holder of the cards at their turn immediately before playing the first of their three cards. Declarations are not compulsory, but if the cards are not declared before the first of them is played, the combination is no longer valid and cannot be scored. It is illegal to declare a combination that you do not have, and if a player accidentally does this the opposing players (or team) score the value of the combination.

The combinations that can be declared are:

Flor (Flower, Flush): 3 points

Three cards of the same suit. An example would be the 7, 3, and 12 of coins. There are countless other examples.

Escalera (Staircase, Straight or Run of 3): 3 points

Three cards of consecutive ranks, which can be of any suits. (3 points). Note that because the game is played without 8s or 9s, 7 is adjacent to 10 and a combination like 7, 10, 11, or 6, 7, 10 counts as an Escalera. 3, 4 and 5 of any suits is another example.

Tres de Nueve (Nine for 3): 3 points

Any combination of cards that adds up to 9, for example two 4s and a 1, or 1+3+5.

Dos de Miseria (Misery for 2): 2 points

Any combination of cards that adds up to seven or less, for example two 2s and a 1.

Chorizo (Sausage, Three of a kind): 20 points

Any combination of three cards of the same rank, for example three 7s. Note that, because the game is normally played to a target of 21 points, a player who declares a Chorizo is almost guaranteed to win.

It is possible to declare and score for several combinations at once with the same three cards. For example a player who was dealt the 1, 2 and 3 of batons would declare a Flor, an Escalera and a Dos de Miseria, for 8 points in total. Another example: a set of three 3's in a player's hand scores 23 points for Chorizo and Tres de nueve.

The Play

The player to dealer's right plays first, and the turn to play passes anticlockwise, until all the cards have been played.

A turn consists of playing one card face up to the table, which may capture one or more table cards. In the event of a capture, both the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stored face down in front of the player (or a member of the team) that made the capture, like a trick. If there is no capture the played card remains face up on the table. In either case the turn then passes to the next player.

Once all the players have played all three of their cards, any cards that are face up on the table remain there and the dealer deals three new cards to each player (but no more to the table). The play continues as before from the player to dealer's right. This procedure is repeated until the pack is exhausted. When everyone has played their last three cards, any cards remaining face up on the table are taken by the last player or team that made a capture. This does not count as an escoba - see below. The points scored by both sides are then totalled and the pack is reshuffled and passed to the next dealer for a new round of play, beginning as before with the opening deal.

The capture

The capturing rules are as follows:

• The card played captures any one set of cards which, together with the played card, add up to 15. For example if the table cards are A, 3, 4, 7 and you play a 4, it captures either the 4 and the 7 or the Ace, 3 and 7 at your choice.
• There is no obligation to play a card which makes a capture - it is legal (and sometimes better play) simply to add a card to the table; however if the played card does make a capture, the captured cards must be taken even if the player would prefer to leave them on the table.

Escobas (sweeps)

An escoba occurs when you play a card which captures all the table cards, leaving the table empty. This is worth an extra point to the team that makes the capture. Traditionally, the capturing card is placed face up in the trick-pile of the capturing side, so that the number of escobas made by each side can easily be seen when the scoring is done at the end of the play.

If the values of the four cards that were dealt face-up on the table in the opening deal add up to exactly 15, the dealer immediately captures these four cards before any cards are played. This counts as an escoba, and the player to dealer's right then plays the first card to an empty table. If the cards in the initial four card layout add up to 30, the lucky dealer takes them and scores two escobas.

Scoring

The following points are available to be won on each deal:

• Cartas (the cards). Whichever player or team takes most cards wins 1 point.
• Oros (the coins). Whichever player or team takes most cards of the coins suit wins 1 point.
• Siete de oros / Siete de velo (seven of coins). Whichever player or team takes the 7 of coins scores 1 point at the end of the play.
• Dos de basto / Carimbo: (two of clubs). The player or team that takes this card scores 4 points at the end of the play.
• La Setenta (the prime). A prime consists of a set of cards, one of each suit, selected from the cards taken by the player or team. The player or team with the best prime scores 1 point. Usually a prime has four cards, but if a player or team has taken no cards in some suit, a prime of three or even two cards is also possible. To decide who has the best prime the values of the cards in it are added. For this purpose cards 1 to 7 count face value and pictures count as zero. Most often the best prime will be the one with most sevens, but not always - for example 7-6-6-5 (worth 24) beats 7-7-7-2 (worth 23). In a three-player game it is even possible to win the prime with nothing better than a six - for example 6-6-6-5 (23) beats both 7-7-7-1 (22) and 7-6-5-3 (21). A prime in which the most valuable card is a six is known as a sesenta.
  As in Spanish Escoba, there are many different local rules in Uruguay on how the prime is scored - see variations below.

In addition to the points mentioned above, you or your team also win 1 point for each escoba, as indicated by the cards stored face up in the piles of captured cards.

When scoring cartas, oros or setenta a tie for most cards, most points or most valuable prime is possible. If there is a tie between the teams in a partnership game or between all players in an individual game, no one scores the point. In an individual 3- or 4-player game if there is a tie but not all players are involved in the tie, then the players with the most cards or coins or best prime score 1 point each and the others do not score.

Winning the game

The first player or team to have 21 or more points at the end of a hand wins. If more than one player or team reaches 21 in the same hand whoever has with more points wins. If there is a tie for most points at 21 or more, further hands are played until the winner is determined.

Variations

There are many slightly different versions of this game played in different parts of Uruguay. The above description is based on a version played in Flores. Some other versions reported by Mateo Molina as played in Montevideo and some from the classic book El Juego es Cosa Seria by Juan Capagorry (Montevideo, 1979) are as follows.

Special Cards

The details of the individual cards that score points at the end of play for the player or team that won them vary a lot.

Everyone agrees that the seven of coins (Siete de oros / Siete de velo) is worth 1 point.

Some players do not recognise the two of clubs (Dos de basto / Carimbo) as a scoring card.

In some places one or more of following additional special cards are scored by the player or team that takes them.

• Uno de oro/ Culo sucio: One of coins. The player with this card scores 2 points or 3 points at the end of the play (the players must agree the value before the game).
• Doce de oro: Twelve of coins. The player with this card scores 2 points at the end of the play.
• Uno de Espada/ Espadilla: One of swords. The player with this card scores 1 point at the end of play.
• Uno de Basto/ Bastillo: One of batons. The player with this card scores 1 point at the end of play.
• Siete de Espada: Seven of swords. The player with this card scores 1 point at the end of play.

According to Capagorry the 12 of coins is worth only 1 point but the 7 of coins scores 2 points. The ones and the 7 of swords do not score.

Card Combinations

Escoba en mano: This card combination is not universally used in Uruguay like the main five, and differs a bit from other card combinations. Some people play that, if you have three cards in your hand that add up to 15, then you have a Escoba en mano (Broom in hand, Sweep in hand, 15 for 1 point), and it scores 1 point. What makes this combination differ from the rest is that you have to show it to other players and then put it in your trick pile with one card face up, like a normal Escoba. Then you don't play any cards in the current sub-deal: your turn is skipped until the other players have used their cards, and each player is given three new cards. An example of an Escoba en mano could be a 1, a 12, and a 4 of any suits. This can be scored along with any other combination. For example if you had three 5s, you would have a Chorizo and an Escoba en mano, for a total of 21 points.

In the version described by Capagorry, Chorizo scores only 10 points, not 20.

Wild Cards

Some people play the game so that Uno de oro (1 of coins) and Doce de oro (king of coins) are special scoring cards as mentioned above, but some people also give these cards the function of being wild cards (comodín), so they have any capture value between 1 and 10, and also they are seen as having no suit. This power can be used for scoring card combinations or to capture cards. Once these wild cards are used as a specific rank, then they’ll have that rank until all points are scored at the end of the play. This means for example that they keep that assigned rank for scoring the Setenta (which is scored as usual).

Some people use the seven of coins and the twelve of coins as wild cards, instead of the twelve and one.

According to Capagorry the four cards dealt to the table in the initial deal cannot include any wild cards - if any appear, the cards must be gathered up, reshuffled and dealt again by the same dealer.

According to Capagorry the holder of a wild card can change either its rank or its suit but not both. Therefore 3 of swords, 4 of swords, king (12) of coins can be scored as an escalera, counting the king as either a 2 or a 5 of coins, but it is not a flor because the wild card remains a coin. On the other hand, 3-4-12 of coins is both a flor and an escalera for 6 points, and 10-11 of cups with the 12 of coins also scores 6 points for flor and escalera as the wild 12 of coins can be used as a 12 of cups.

Báciga

In normal Chorizo, you wouldn’t score anything if your cards add up to 8, but you would if they add up to 7 or 9. Some people don’t like this, so they don’t play with Tres de nueve and Dos de miseria and instead play with a card combination called Báciga which scores 2 points if your three cards add up to 9 or less.

As usual Báciga can be scored along with other combinations - for example the 1, 3 and 4 of cups score 5 points for 'Báciga y Flor'.

Capagorry recognises an additional combination 'Báciga y Pares': when two of the cards are equal, for example 2+3+3, the score is 3 points instead of 2.

Also, in Capagorry's version of Báciga, if three or all four of the cards initially dealt to the table are the same suit, the dealer (or dealer's team) scores for 'flor en la mesa': 3 points for 3 cards of a suit or 4 points if all four are the same suit.

Setenta and Multa

Setenta: Although the general idea is always that you need a set of cards of different suits, sevens being the best cards, in Uruguay as in Spain there are several different methods of comparing primes.

• At one extreme some play that the setenta is won by the player or team with most sevens, ignoring all other cards.
• At the other extreme Capagorry describes the original Italian system where the card values are 21 for a 7, 18 for a 6, 16 for an ace, 15 for a 5, 14 for a 4, 13 for a 3, 12 for a 2 and 10 for a picture (12, 11 or 10).
• Some require that a player or team must have at least one card in each of the four suits for their setenta to be valid.

Other possible variants can be found on the Escoba page.

Multa: If a player or team has taken all four sevens by the end of the play, they score 3 points or 10 points for that. The number of points scored for Multa should be agreed by all players before playing.

Last Cards

Some play that any the cards left on the table at the end of play do not count for any player or team.