How to Play Buraco: Complete Rules for the Brazilian Card Game

What is Buraco?

Buraco is a Brazilian card game that evolved from the Argentine Canasta and is now one of the most popular card games in Brazil. It is played in teams of two (2v2) with the goal of forming canastas — groups of 7 or more cards of the same rank — and accumulating more points than the opposing team.

What sets Buraco apart from Canasta is two signature mechanics: the feet (closed stockpiles that can be claimed at the right moment) and the rule that a player can only close the hand when their partner has also picked up their stockpile.

Materials and players

• 4 players in 2 fixed teams (partners sit opposite each other).
• 2 full 52-card decks plus both jokers — 108 cards total.
• A match typically goes to 3,000 points accumulated across multiple hands.

The deal and the feet

At the start of each hand:

1. 11 cards are dealt to each of the 4 players.
2. Two closed stockpiles of 11 cards each are set aside — these are the feet (pés). Each team is assigned one foot.
3. One card is placed face-up to start the discard pile.
4. All remaining cards form the draw pile.

The feet are the most strategically important element in Buraco. Picking up your team's foot at exactly the right moment — when you have the most cards already played on the table — is the key tactical decision of the game.

How a turn works

On your turn, you must do three things in order:

1. Draw: take 2 cards from the draw pile (in most variants; some allow taking 1 card from the discard pile if it can be immediately played).
2. Play (optional): lay down canastas or add cards to existing canastas on the table.
3. Discard: place 1 card face-up on the discard pile to end your turn.

Canastas: clean and dirty

A canasta is a set of 7 or more cards of the same rank. There are two types:

• Clean canasta: made entirely of natural cards (no wildcards). Earns a +500 point bonus.
• Dirty canasta: contains at least one wildcard. Earns a +300 point bonus.

To close a hand, your team must have at least 2 completed canastas between the two partners. Clean canastas are worth more — a key strategic goal is to convert dirty canastas into clean ones by replacing wildcards with natural cards.

Wildcards

Buraco has two types of wildcards that can substitute for any natural card in a canasta:

• Joker: worth 50 points.
• 2 (any suit): worth 20 points.

⚠️ Wildcards are double-edged: they help you form canastas quickly, but any wildcards left in your hand at the end of the hand are subtracted from your score. Getting rid of wildcards before the hand closes is crucial.

Picking up the feet

Picking up the foot is the most exciting moment in Buraco. A player can claim their team's foot stockpile when they play their last card from their hand as a discard that can be immediately used in an existing canasta on the table.

When both conditions are met simultaneously, the player picks up all 11 cards from the stockpile and continues playing. This dramatically expands your hand and gives your team a major advantage.

Timing is everything: don't rush to pick up the foot. Pick it up when you already have many canastas on the table, so the 11 new cards give you maximum flexibility.

How to close the hand

The hand ends when one player plays all of their cards (including their final discard), provided:

• Their team's foot has already been picked up (both feet must be claimed before closing).
• The team has at least 2 completed canastas on the table.

If the draw pile runs out before anyone closes, the discard pile is used. If that also runs out, the hand ends in a draw — points are still tallied, but neither team earns the closing bonus.

Scoring

At the end of each hand, each team scores:

• Card values in completed canastas: Ace = 15 pts, Face cards (J/Q/K) = 10 pts, 7–9 = 5 pts, 2–6 = 5 pts, Joker = 50 pts, 2 as wildcard = 20 pts.
• Clean canasta bonus: +500 per canasta.
• Dirty canasta bonus: +300 per canasta.
• Closing bonus: +100 for the team that closed the hand.
• Minus: the value of any cards remaining in hand (wildcards especially hurt).

The match continues until one team reaches or exceeds 3,000 points.

Strategy tips

Time your foot pickup carefully

Picking up the foot is not always better sooner. The best time is when you've already played most of your hand cards into canastas — so the 11 new cards give you the maximum possible advantage. Picking it up too early leaves you with too many loose cards to manage.

Communicate implicitly with your partner

You can't talk to your partner, but you communicate through the cards you play and discard. If you see your partner building toward a specific rank, don't discard those cards — they might be exactly what they need.

Control your wildcards

Use jokers and 2s to quickly complete dirty canastas, but actively work to replace them with natural cards before the hand closes. A joker stuck in hand costs 50 points — that's a huge swing.

Watch the discard pile

The top card of the discard pile is visible to everyone. Avoid discarding cards your opponents clearly need. If you see them building a canasta with 6s, don't give them a 6 unless you have no choice.

Plan your closing sequence

Don't close the hand the instant you can. First make sure all your wildcards are played, all your clean canastas are locked in, and your partner has picked up their portion of the foot. A well-timed close is worth more than a rushed one.