Buraco is a Rummy-family card game for two players, played with 108 cards (two standard decks plus 4 jokers). Each player is dealt 11 cards. On every turn you draw 2 cards, lay down any number of sets of 3+ cards of the same rank, then discard 1. As soon as the stock pile runs out, the deal is settled: meld points minus remaining hand points, and the higher total wins.
Play now — it's freeBuraco uses 108 cards: two full 52-card decks (3 through Ace in all four suits) plus 4 jokers. Because the deck is doubled, every card exists twice — which is central to building sets.
Two players face off, and each is dealt 11 cards at the start of the deal.
Get valuable sets onto the table before the stock runs out, and keep your hand light. At settlement your score is the total of your melded sets minus the total of whatever remains in your hand — so every card left in hand is a liability and every set you lay down is an asset.
Every turn follows the same three steps:
| Step | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1. Draw | Take 2 cards from the stock pile |
| 2. Meld | Lay down or extend any number of sets (no limit per turn) |
| 3. Discard | Throw exactly 1 card onto the discard pile to end your turn |
The discard pile cannot be picked up in this version — it is display only; your only source of cards is the stock.
If the stock runs out during a turn, the deal ends immediately and the game moves straight to settlement.
A set is 3 or more cards of the same rank (three 7s, four Queens, and so on). This version plays sets only — rank-matching, not sequences.
Wild cards are the 2s and the jokers; they substitute for any missing card in a set. Two limits apply: a set may contain at most 2 wild cards, and every set must include at least 1 natural (non-wild) card — a set of wilds alone is not valid.
On any turn you may also add cards to sets you laid down earlier to grow them — each set stays with its owner; you cannot add to your opponent's sets.
Each card has a point value, applied twice: as points for your melds and as a penalty for your leftover hand:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Joker | 30 |
| 2 | 20 |
| Ace (A) | 15 |
| Jack (J) | 10 |
| Queen (Q) | 10 |
| King (K) | 10 |
| 3 through 10 | Face value (7 = 7, 10 = 10, etc.) |
When the stock runs out, scoring happens immediately: each player adds up the points of their melded cards, then subtracts the points of the cards still in hand. The result is the final score.
The higher score wins. If the totals are equal, the deal is a draw.
Big, expensive melds pay off only if you lay them down: a joker left in hand costs you 30 points, and wilds stranded in hand are a heavy penalty that is hard to recover.
After the deal the stock holds 86 cards and each turn consumes 2 — deals are short, so don't sit on your melds.
Never keep jokers and 2s in hand until settlement; their 30 and 20 points are subtracted in full.
Use the double deck: the rank you already hold two or more copies of is your fastest route to a valid set.
Every set needs at least one natural card and at most two wilds — balance laying down quickly against saving wilds for the set that matters.
Watch your own laid-down sets; adding one card to a live set of yours is cheaper than building a set from scratch.
108 cards: two full 52-card decks plus 4 jokers.
Two players, head to head — each with their own hand and their own melds.
11 cards each at the start of the deal.
The 2s and the jokers. They substitute for any missing card, with a maximum of 2 wilds per set and at least 1 natural card required.
3–10 at face value; Jack, Queen and King 10 each; Ace 15; 2 is 20; Joker is 30.
When the stock runs out: each player's score = melded points − remaining hand points; the higher score wins, and ties are possible.
Not in this version — the discard pile is display only. Your only source of cards is the stock (2 cards per turn).
Not in this version: a set is 3+ cards of the same rank; sequences are not part of the game here.
Yes — you can play Buraco online free at buraco.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required.