BOO-RAY OR BOURÉ
This is another game that combines the features of Draw Poker and the playing of tricks as in Pinochle. The game is most popular in Louisiana and in areas where French-Canadians live.
Requirements
- Two to seven players, each playing for himself.
- A regular 52-card pack. The cards rank: ace (high), king, queen, jack, ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two (low).
- Players ante an agreed amount into the pot. There is no further betting, but a losing player may be subject to additional losses.
Object of the Game. To win the most tricks and thus the pot.
The Deal. Five cards are dealt to each player in Draw Poker fashion, starting with the player in Draw Poker fashion, starting with the player at the dealer’s left and continuing in a clockwise direction. Then the dealer turns the next card face up in the center of the table. This card denotes the trump suit.
After looking at his hand and the trump card, each player starting with the leader and moving in clockwise rotation may throw in his hand and drop out of the game, or may stay in and have a chance to win the pot but also be subject to additional losses. Each active player in turn to dealer’s left may then discard and draw one to four cards, as in Draw Poker Variations . Or he may stand pat.
The Play. Once the draw is completed, the player at dealer’s left leads and the cards are played out in tricks (one card from each player in turn). The leader must lead his highest trump if he has the ace, king, or queen. To each trick a player in turn must follow suit, if able, “play over” (play a higher card than any previously played), if able, and play a trump if unable to follow suit; but a player unable to follow suit need not over-trump, and if unable to follow suit or trump, a player may play any card. A trick is won by the highest card of the suit led unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins. The winner of a trick leads to the next trick and may lead any card in his hand, except that if he holds the ace, king, or queen of trumps he must lead his highest trump.
Scoring. The player who wins the most tricks takes the pot. If two players win two tricks each, or if five players win one trick each, they divide the pot equally. A player who fails to win a trick must pay an amount equal to the pot ante which, however, is added to the next pot and not to the current pot.
Three –Card Boo-Ray
This game, for seven to ten players, is played like Boure, except for the following:
- Three cards are dealt face down to each player, plus several blind hands. (Four to six is the usual number of blind hands dealt.)
- After the trump card has been turned face up from the remaining stock, play begins. There is no exchange of cards as in Boure. The winning of the hand and the penalty for no-tricks is the same.
- A player with a poor hand may either drop out or take one of the extra blind hands, which he then must play poker .