How to Play Basra
How to Play Basra
Basra is a lively Middle Eastern fishing game for 2–4 players, and all you need is a normal deck of cards; you can get a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. Players take turns “fishing” cards from the table by matching ranks or adding number values together. This guide uses one common beginner version; family and regional house rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Detail | Beginner rule |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 players, or 4 players in two teams |
| Cards | One standard 52-card deck |
| First player | The player to the dealer’s right |
| Main skill | Capturing cards from the floor |
| Typical target | 101 points |
What you are trying to do
Your goal is to collect valuable cards and clear the floor at the right moment. The floor is the group of face-up cards in the middle of the table. You capture cards by playing a card of the same rank, or by playing a number card whose value equals the total of one or more number cards on the floor. For example, a 9 can take a 4 and a 5.
A successful clear is called a Basra. In this common version, a Basra earns a 10-point bonus, so planning a clear can matter as much as collecting special cards.
What you need
Use a normal 52-card deck with no jokers. You also need a flat playing surface and something for keeping score, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app. In a four-player game, make two teams of partners. Partners sit opposite one another and share one capture pile and one score.
Card values are simple: an ace counts as 1, cards 2 through 10 count at their printed numbers, and queens and kings have no number value. Queens capture only queens, and kings capture only kings. Suits usually do not matter, except that the 7 of diamonds is a special card.
Set it up
Choose a dealer and shuffle the deck. Deal four cards to each player, beginning with the player on the dealer’s right and moving around the table. Then place four cards face up in the middle to form the floor. If a jack or the 7 of diamonds appears among those starting cards, put that card back into the undealt deck and replace it with another card. This keeps the opening floor from being cleared immediately by a special card.
Place the remaining deck aside. Players keep their hands hidden from one another. The player to the dealer’s right takes the first turn, and play continues in the same direction around the table.
How to play
- Play one card. On your turn, place one card from your hand face up. Look for captures before deciding where it goes.
- Match a rank. A card captures a floor card of the same rank. A 6 takes a 6, a queen takes a queen, and a king takes a king. If several cards of that rank are on the floor, you may take all of them with one matching card.
- Add number values. A number card can capture a group of number cards whose values add up to it. An ace counts as 1. For instance, a 7 can take an ace and a 6, while a 10 can take a 2, 3, and 5. You choose the group that works; you do not have to use every possible combination.
- Make combined captures. If your played card matches a card and also equals the value of a separate group, you can take both the matching card and the group. Your played card goes into your capture pile along with everything it captures.
- Use a jack carefully. A jack captures every card on the floor, including number cards, queens, and kings. Clearing the floor with a jack is not a Basra and does not earn the 10-point bonus. If the floor is empty, a jack simply stays there.
- Use the 7 of diamonds. The 7 of diamonds also captures every card on the floor. It counts as a Basra only when the floor contains number cards totaling 10 or less and no queens or kings. Otherwise, it clears the floor without the bonus.
- Leave a card when it cannot capture. If the card you play does not make a capture, it remains face up on the floor. There is no requirement to capture when a capture is available, but once you choose a card that makes a capture, you must take the cards it captures.
- Mark a Basra. If your card clears every card from the floor and it is not a non-qualifying jack play, place that played card face up in your capture pile. The visible card reminds everyone to add the 10-point Basra bonus later.
- Deal another hand. When everyone has played all four cards, the dealer deals four more cards to each player. Do not add more cards to the floor. Continue until the whole deck has been played.
How you win
When the last card has been played, any cards still on the floor go to the player or team that made the most recent capture. This final pickup is not a Basra. Sort each capture pile and count the points for the hand:
- Each ace is worth 1 point.
- Each jack is worth 1 point.
- The 2 of clubs is worth 2 points.
- The 10 of diamonds is worth 3 points.
- The player or team with at least 27 of the 52 captured cards earns 30 points for the card majority. If both sides have 26, hold the 30-point majority award in abeyance and add it to the majority award in the next hand; the team that takes more cards in that next hand earns 60 points.
- Each marked Basra is worth 10 points.
Add the hand’s points to the running score. Dealership passes to the right for the next hand. The first player or team to reach 101 points wins. If both sides reach the target in the same hand, the higher total wins; if they are tied, play another hand to break the tie.
Easy first-game tips
Keep your capture pile tidy so special cards are easy to count. Before playing a number card, scan the floor for both matching ranks and useful sums. Do not rush to remove every card: leaving a tempting total can make your next turn stronger, but it can also give the next player an easy capture.
Watch the jacks and the 7 of diamonds. A jack can rescue you from a crowded floor, while the 7 of diamonds may score a Basra if you prepare a small, all-number total. Remember which aces, jacks, the 2 of clubs, and the 10 of diamonds have already appeared. Finally, in a four-player game, discuss strategy only through your plays; partners should not reveal their cards.
Quick questions
Can a queen capture a 10 and an ace?
No. Queens have no number value, so a queen captures only one or more queens on the floor.
Does a jack clearing the floor score a Basra?
No. In this version, a jack takes everything but earns no 10-point Basra bonus.