Complete guide for new players
Buraco is a popular Brazilian card game played in teams of 2. The objective is to score points by melding cards into sequences and sets (called Canastas) and going out with a clean hand.
Essential tips
- Each team starts with 11 cards; there are two 'dead hands' (mortos) face-down on the table
- A Canasta is a set of 7 or more cards of the same rank, or 7+ cards in sequence of the same suit
- Clean Canasta (no wild cards): worth more points. Dirty Canasta (with Jokers/Twos): worth fewer points
- When a player empties their hand, their team picks up the dead hand and play continues
- The round ends when a player goes out (empties hand after picking up the dead hand) — called 'Buraco'
- Points: Canasta values + card values in melds - card values still in hand
🔑 The secret the best players use
Going out with a 'clean Buraco' (emptying hand with no wild cards left) gives massive bonus points. Always plan your exit strategy around leaving wild cards out of your final hand.
Practice on BoardGame Battles — Free
BoardGame Battles has Buraco with AI at 3 difficulty levels — perfect for practicing these techniques before facing real players online. Available on Web, Android and iOS. No download required.
▶ Play Buraco Free Now