BRAVADO

Et en français ...

Cards

52 plus any number of Jokers up to four. Deal them all round as far as they will go, face down and one at a time. It doesn't matter if some players have one more card than others, but those with more should play before those with fewer. DON'T look at the front of your cards, but hold them face down in a stack.

Object

If two play: To win cards in tricks that count exactly 21.

If three or more play, to be the first to play out all your cards.

Play

Dealer's left-hand neighbour starts by playing the top two cards from their stack face up to the table and announcing their total face value. (For example, play 6 and announce "six", then 8 and announce "fourteen".) This starts the trick off. After that, you each in turn play the top card of your stack to the trick and announce the total they make so far. For this purpose -

All numerals count at their face value (including Ace=1). In addition:

a Jack counts exactly the same as the preceding card, if any; otherwise zero. (If the preceding card is a King, Queen or Joker, then so is the Jack.

a Queen counts 0, thus leaving the total unchanged.

a King raises the count to 20 ; and

a Joker resets the count to zero, so you start counting again.

(If playing without Jokers: a King reduces a count of 10 or less to zero, or increases a count of 11 or more to 20.)

Finally, if you play a red card that raises the count to 22 or more, you must subtract its value instead of adding it. (The colour of a Jack is irrelevant - it assumes the same colour as well as the same value of the preceding card.) You may not subtract if you can add without busting.

The series continues until one player either busts, chickens out, or wins the trick by making the total exactly 21.

Busting

If you bring the count to 22 or more you bust. You must then pick up all the cards just played, add them to the bottom of your stack and end your turn. The next in turn to play starts a new trick by playing two cards from the top of their stack.

Chickening out

If the count is 11 or more and you daren't play for fear of busting, you may chicken out. Do this by picking up the cards so far played and adding them face down to the bottom of your stack. You then start a new trick yourself by playing two cards from the top of your stack until you either bust, stop, or make 21 again.

Making 21

If you make exactly 21, you immediately sweep all the cards of the trick off the table and put them to one side out of play (or, if two play, add them to your winnings). You then start a new trick by playing as many cards as you like, until you either bust, stop, or make 21 again.

Optional extra (if agreed)

If you play a card of the same value as the preceding one (e.g. a 7 on a 7 or a Jack on Jack), you may, if you wish, play another card.

Game

Play ceases when one player plays their last card without busting. That player is the winner if three or more are playing, though the others may wish to continue playing for position.

If only two are playing, the winner is the one who captured most cards in tricks worth 21. If equal, or if neither captures any cards, then the first out wins in the usual way.

Optional rule for 5 or more players

If five or more play the game may run too fast and end too soon. One option is to double the pack. If the number of cards doesn't divide by the number of players, those with one card extra play first. Another, which might be preferred even with fewer players, is not to discard twenty-ones from the game. Instead, if you make exactly 21 you pick up the whole row and pass it to the player on your left, who must add it to the bottom of their stack. You then start a new series with as many cards as you like.