How to win at Burraco: 10 tips and strategies

In Burraco the cards arrive at random, but games are won by whoever plays them better. Here are ten tips, from the simplest to the craftiest. If you don't know the game yet, start with the Burraco rules.

1. Take the pozzetto as soon as you can

Whoever doesn't take the pozzetto loses 100 points, and without the pozzetto you can't close. In the first turns meld whatever you can early on: the fewer cards in your hand, the sooner you reach the 11 new cards.

2. A clean burraco is worth double

A clean burraco is worth 200 points, a dirty one 100. If a meld already has 5 or 6 natural cards, wait a round before adding a wild card: the missing card often turns up.

3. Use jokers and pinelle wisely

Wild cards help unblock melds and close, but they are heavy: if they stay in your hand at the end of the round the joker costs 30 points and the pinella 20. Keep one for the decisive moments, no more.

4. Take the discard pile when it gives you melds right away

A big pile gives you lots of cards and lots of points, but it fills your hand. It's worth it when those cards let you meld new groups straight away or reach a burraco; if your opponent is close to closing, the extra cards risk turning into lost points.

5. Watch what the others discard

Discards say a lot: someone throwing away hearts probably isn't building a run of hearts. And what an opponent picks up tells you what they need.

6. Don't feed your opponents

Before discarding, check the melds your opponents have laid down: a card that fits one of their runs or sets is a gift. The safest discards are cards that don't fit anything on the table.

7. Count the cards that have come out

You play with two decks: every card exists twice. If both 9s of spades are already on the table or in the discards, there's no point waiting for them; and a card whose two copies have both come out becomes a safe discard.

8. Empty your hand when the other side is about to close

At the end of the round cards in hand count as negative. If your opponent has taken the pozzetto and has a burraco, they can close at any moment: meld everything you can and get rid of the heaviest cards first.

9. Close when you're ahead, play on when you're behind

Closing is worth 100 points and ends the round. If you're in the lead, closing early takes away the others' time to catch up. If you're behind, it's sometimes better to wait and build another burraco before closing.

10. In pairs you play as a team

In Burraco for pairs the melds belong to the team: add your cards to your partner's melds to turn them into a burraco, and watch what they lay down to work out what they're looking for. Remember, though, that the player right after you, who can take your discard, is an opponent.