OMBRE
OMBRE is a Spanish game of considerable antiquity. It was introduced into English by Katherine of Braganza, who married Charles II in 1662, and it immediately became very popular.
Nowadays it is rarely played in Great Britain, but it is popular in Denmark (Which saw the publication of a book about it in 1965) and it is played in Spain under the name of Tresillo and in Latin America as remember. It deserves to be more popular.
NUMBER OF PLAYERS
Ombre is a game only for three players.
CARDS
The game is played with a pack of 40 cards, i.e. the standard pack from which the 10s, 9s, and 8s have been removed. It is not a difficult card game to play, but it is first necessary to master the rather involved and unusual order of the cards.
In plain suits the cards in the red suits rank in the order: King, Queen, Jack, ace, 2,3,4,5,6, 7; those in the black suits rank in the normal order: Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 7,6,5,4,3,2.
In trump suits if a red suit is trumps the order of the cards is: ♠ A (Spadille), 7 (Manille), ♣ A (Basto), a (Punto), K,Q,J, 2,3,4,5,6; if a black suit is trumps the order of the cards is: ♠ A (Spadille), 2 (Manille), ♣ A (Basto), K,Q,J,7,6,5,4,3.
The three top trumps, Spadille, Manille and Basto, are collectively known as matadores. The holder of one need not follow suit with it to a trump lead, but he must play one if a higher Matador is led and his hand contains no other trump card.
To determine the dealer, a card is dealt face upwards to each player in turn, and he who is first to receive a black Ace is dealer. It is here to be noted that, as in all poker games of Spanish origin, in dealing and play the game progresses anti-clockwise.
Nine cards are dealt to each player in threes. The remaining 13 cards are placed face downwards in the centre of the table.
THE PLAY
Each deal is complete in itself. One player (ombre) plays against the other two playing in partnership. The player on the right of the dealer has first option of being ombre. It carries two privileges: he names the trump suit, he may discard from his hand as many cards as he chooses and draw poker fresh cards from the stock.
If the player on the right of the dealer wishes to become ombre he says ‘I play’. His right-hand neighbor may then announce that he wishes to become ombre, and, by so doing, he tacitly agrees that he will play without exchanging any of his cards.
The first player may then reconsider the position, and is entitled to remain ombre if he is willing to play without exchanging any of his cards. If the second player passes, the third player (the dealer )may announce that he wishes to play without discarding. Again, the first player has a right to reconsider and may remain ombre without discarding.
If all three players pass, that is to say if none wishes to play ombre, the deal is abandoned.
If the first player is allowed to play ombre unopposed, he discards as many cards as he chooses from his hand, and draws cards from the stock to replace them.
The second player does the same, and then the dealer. If any cards are left in the stock after the three players have made their exchanges, the dealer is entitled to look at them. If he does he must show them to the other two players: if he does not, the other two may not.