Buraco

Buraco Rulebook

Table of Contents

Definitions
Preliminaries
- Art. 1: The Deck
Preparation of the Game
Playing the Game
Irregularities and Penalties

Definitions

Burraco clean (burraco pulito): a set, without joker or 2 (pinella), of seven or more cards in a sequence or a combination.

Burraco semi-clean (burraco semipulito): a sequence containing a joker or a 2 (pinella) that precedes or follows at least seven cards.

Burraco dirty (burraco sporco): a combination of seven cards including the joker or the 2, or a sequence of seven or more cards in which the joker or the 2 is included.

Combination: a set of three or more equal cards. A combination of eight cards including a joker or a 2 is also allowed.

Closing (chiusura): having used up all the cards in one's hand.

Excess cards (carte eccedenti): cards that are incompatible with the games in which they have been placed or to which they have been attached, whether voluntarily or involuntarily. This applies also to a single card.

Exposed cards (carte esposte): cards that, drawn from the hand or accidentally dropped, are shown in such a way that they can be seen by the partner, or that have been declared. Cards shown by a player who wrongly believes the deal is over are also considered exposed. This applies also to a single card.

Ghost card (carta fantasma): a card found by accident in an open or pre-existing meld, or that accompanies the discard. This applies also to a single card.

Played cards (carte giocate): cards released from a player's hand during their playing time. This applies also to a single card.

Penalised cards (carte penalizzate): cards played improperly, which must be placed face up at the side of the table and discarded according to the rules, or counted negatively.

Partner: the player with whom one forms the partnership or team.

Permanent freezing (congelamento definitivo): a meld is permanently frozen when no further cards can be added to it until the end of the deal.

Temporary freezing (congelamento temporaneo): freezing is temporary when the frozen meld is made valid again at the next turn of the player who committed the infraction. In the meantime, the partner may not attach cards to it.

Declaration (dichiarazione): a clear statement by the player indicating where the cards they are about to play will go.

Making play (fare gioco): drawing or picking up, attaching cards, opening combinations or sequences, and discarding.

Player on turn (giocatore di turno): the player who is playing, or whose turn it is to make play.

Irregularity (irregolarità): an infringement of the rules of play set out in the Code.

Throw (lancio): the action of a player who throws cards in order to attach them or to open new melds. To throw one or more cards means to release them from the hand before they have been placed on the table.

Attach (legare): adding cards to an existing meld. If a player, when attaching, places or throws the cards towards that meld but leaves a gap, those cards, if not preceded by a clear declaration, are considered valid but temporarily freeze the meld. This applies also to a single card.

Matte (wild cards): all jokers and all 2s (pinelle).

Deck (mazzo di carte): 104 cards (two Anglo-French packs of 54 cards each, four jokers included, counted as the two decks together).

Dealer (mazziere): the player who deals the cards.

Shuffle (mescolatura): the action of changing the order of the cards several times. Only the dealer (first) and the player who must make the piles (second) may shuffle; the other players may not. It is not allowed to shuffle by lifting and re-stacking the deck one or more times. Where a player cannot shuffle because of a proven impediment, and with the authorisation of the tournament director, the player may delegate their partner. The only permitted shuffles are the ones shown in the Code; it is allowed to slide the last card out and insert it in the middle of the deck.

Discard pile (monte degli scarti): the set of face-up cards formed by the first card and the subsequent discards.

Draw (pescare): to lift the first face-down card of the stock (tallone).

Piles (pozzi): two piles of eleven face-down cards each, made up of the twenty-two face-down cards taken from the bottom of the stock.

Pick up (raccogliere): to lift the cards of the discard pile.

Penalty points (risarcimento): points awarded by the arbiter to a damaged partnership.

Repair (sanare): to correct a game that was played wrongly by the guilty player.

Discarding according to the rules (scartare secondo norma): to discard from the highest card to the lowest in value, and where cards have equal value, according to the rank of the suits: hearts (cuori), diamonds (quadri), clubs (fiori), spades (picche).

Discard (scarto): the card that concludes each player's turn and contributes to forming the discard pile.

Suit (seme): the symbols that distinguish the cards: hearts (cuori), diamonds (quadri), clubs (fiori), spades (picche).

Sequence (sequenza): an ordered set of three or more cards of the same suit.

Stalemate (stallo): a prolonged situation in which the four players only exchange cards in hand, without ever drawing, opening new melds or attaching cards to existing melds.

Hint (suggerimento): any verbal or gestural action, implicit or explicit, addressed to the partner, potentially capable of producing an unfair advantage.

Cut (tagliare): the mandatory action of the dealer, who cuts the deck by lifting about half of it.

Stock (tallone): the face-down cards placed in the centre of the table after the deal and the making of the two piles.

Playing time (tempo di gioco): the time available to a player to make play, from drawing or picking up to discarding.

Last meld played (ultimo gioco effettuato): the set of cards forming the combination or sequence that was last opened, or the last card attached, even when that card is part of a series of cards attached together. For example, if the sequence 5♥ 6♥ 7♥ is extended by attaching 8♥, 9♥ and 10♥, the last card attached is 10♥. When two or more cards are attached to a combination, the last card attached is the one of higher rank.

Card values (valore delle carte): the point value of the individual cards.

Hand (ventaglio): the set of cards held by each player, open and clearly visible.

Preliminaries

Art. 1: The Deck

Burraco is played with two Anglo-French decks of 54 cards each (four jokers included).

Suit rank. The suits in descending order are: hearts (cuori), diamonds (quadri), clubs (fiori), spades (picche).

Card rank. The cards of each suit in descending order are: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3 and, as the particular wild cards, 2. The joker is the card of highest rank regardless of its colour.

N.B. Jokers and 2s are cards with a special value.

Card values.

Card	Points
Joker	30
2 (pinella)	20
Ace	15
K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8	10
7, 6, 5, 4, 3	5

Preparation of the Game

Art. 3: Preparation and Conduct of Play

(Only the card-draw for the first dealer is transcribed. Seating and table allocation in tournaments are not transcribed.)

Before the game begins, each player reveals one card from the two decks spread in a fan on the table. The player who reveals the highest card has the right to keep the score, to choose the seat at the table, and to be served by the player of the opposing partnership who revealed the lowest card. Where two cards have the same value, the rank of the suits decides. If two players reveal cards of the same value and suit (including jokers), they must reveal another card to establish the seat order, keeping the priority they have already acquired over the other players.

Before the start of each turn, the players must check the deck of cards and, if there is any discrepancy, ask for it to be replaced.

Art. 4: Shuffling, Dealing and Forming the Piles

The dealer and the player who must form the piles are the only players who may shuffle the cards. The other players may not shuffle them. Breaking this rule carries a caution (ammonizione).

The dealer shuffles the cards first; they are then definitively shuffled by the player who must form the piles.

When shuffling is finished, the dealer must cut the deck by lifting approximately half of it. If the dealer lifts a clearly excessive or insufficient number of cards and the player who receives them notices, the dealer must lift them again. If the receiving player does not notice, the missing cards are added both to the deal and to the piles. The dealer then gives the cards to the player who must form the piles.

With the remaining cards, the dealer begins the deal of 11 cards, placing them one at a time in front of each player in clockwise order. If the deal is wrong, a new shuffle, cut, deal and formation of the piles is required. If cards are missing for the deal, they are taken from the top of the cards that the dealer holds or has placed on the table.

When the deal is finished, the dealer verifies the exact number and places the stock (tallone) in an orientation that may not be changed for the whole deal. This carries a caution.

At the same time, the player to the right of the dealer, using the cards received and starting from the last one, forms two piles of 11 cards each, alternating one card at a time. If cards are missing for the piles, they are taken from the bottom of the cards with which the dealer is dealing or has dealt.

The two piles are re-assembled by stacking them, so that the pile completed last is the second one to be played and is placed underneath the other. The piles formed and counted in this way must be placed under the score sheet; failure to do so carries a caution for all players.

After the 11 cards are dealt, the players must count them without looking at them. If the count is wrong, a new deal and formation of the piles is required.

If one of the four players skips the role of dealer and the table confirms it, that player must deal the cards at the moment the fact is noticed.

At the arbiter's signal, the dealer verifies the exact deal and turns over the first card of the stock. Only then may the players look at their cards. The player on turn then starts with the draw or pick-up.

In subsequent deals, the players must always count their cards without looking at them until the dealer, after checking the exact deal, turns over the first card of the stock.

If an incorrect deal is noticed during the deal, or a card is seen during the deal or the forming of the piles, the deal is reshuffled, cut, dealt and the piles formed again.

Once play has begun, any anomaly found in the deal cannot be corrected until the end of the deal, and the result stands.

If, once play has begun, a pile from the previous deal is found, the deal is completed and the result stands; the surplus pile remains unused.

At the start of the turn, the two partnerships must declare which member of each partnership keeps the melds that are open for all the deals in the turn.

Cards must be held open in a fan or always laid on the table in a fan; failure to do so carries a caution. Within their own playing time, a player may ask all the other players at the table for their number.

Art. 5: Irregularities of the Deck

If one or more cards in the deck are excess or missing, and this is noticed:

Before play begins: the deck is replaced.
During a deal: if play has begun with a draw or pick-up by the player on turn, the deal continues until a result is reached, which is then validated. The deck is replaced immediately afterwards.
After a result has been recorded: if a deal has been played regularly to its conclusion and the irregularity is noticed afterwards, the result stands and the deck is replaced.

N.B.: If the deck contains one or more excess cards (for example, a third king of hearts), these may not be part of the same combination. If a combination already contains two of them, the third king of hearts is considered a penalised card (Art. 25).

Playing the Game

Art. 7: Procedure

At the arbiter's signal, the dealer may turn over the first card of the stock, after the players have counted the cards received without looking at them; failure to count them requires a new deal.

The game begins with the draw or pick-up by the player on turn.

Any anomaly found before the game begins requires a new deal.

Once the player on turn has drawn or picked up, any anomaly can no longer be corrected; the draw or pick-up corrects every earlier irregularity.

In subsequent deals, the dealer must still turn over the card of the stock only after verifying the correct deal of the 11 cards, which the players must count face down; failure to do so requires a new deal.

A player's playing time therefore consists of the following actions:

Drawing from the stock or picking up from the discard pile. If a card is lifted from the stock, even without seeing it, or from the discard pile, the choice to draw or pick up becomes final.
Opening melds or attaching cards.
Discarding. After the discard, no further action is possible.

Melds are opened as follows:

Combinations: Art. 12.
Sequences: Art. 11.

Any melds opened, of at least three cards, that overlap existing melds which cannot contain them, are considered valid and no penalty is applied.

Art. 8: Drawing from the Stock

The player on turn takes the first card from the stock. If the player lifts it, even partly, without having seen it, the draw is compulsory.

If, while drawing, two cards are taken (lifted and not slid), the first belongs to the player, who may continue their play normally. The second card is returned to the stock and, whether or not it has been seen, is shown by the arbiter to the next opponent, who on their turn may choose to take it or to pick up from the discard pile.

If, during the game, one or more cards are found face up inside the stock, they must be covered again, leaving them in the same position, and play continues normally.

When few cards remain in the stock, only the player on turn may inspect it, moving the cards without changing their order and without lifting them. If the stock is inspected by a player who is not on turn, this is considered an improper hint, and the opponent on turn decides which action (draw or pick-up) the player who received the hint must make.

Art. 9: Picking Up from the Discard Pile

Drawing the cards of the discard pile towards oneself, without lifting them, counts as an inspection; it does not oblige the player to pick up. However, if the back of a card is lifted even partly, the player is obliged to pick up.

If a player who draws the cards towards themselves makes play:

By attaching them to an existing meld, or by using only cards already in their possession, they incur the penalty of Art. 30 (failure to draw or pick up). Example: the player draws the discard pile towards themselves and takes from the hand a valid sequence or combination, placing it on the table. The arbiter called to the table invites the player to pick up or draw, and then discard. The sequence or combination is temporarily frozen.
By adding cards in their possession to form a valid meld with one or more cards of the discard pile without lifting at least one of them, they are sanctioned with temporary freezing of the meld, must pick up any unused cards of the discard pile, and are invited to discard. Example: the player draws towards themselves a discard pile made up of 3 of spades, 5 of hearts and 10 of diamonds, and takes two 5s from the hand, placing them on top of the 5 of hearts. The arbiter called to the table temporarily freezes the combination of 5s, has the player pick up the 3 of spades and the 10 of diamonds, and invites them to discard.
By opening a meld using one or more cards from the discard pile, lifting them (so that the pick-up is made), the meld may be completed with the cards in their possession, after covering or bringing the remaining cards into the hand; failure to do so carries a caution.

If, when picking up the cards of the discard pile, a player leaves only one, that card automatically becomes the discard.

If, when picking up the cards of the discard pile, a player leaves more than one, the highest-ranking card becomes the discard, the others return to the hand, and no other action is permitted to that player as the only penalty.

If the discard pile consists of only one card, that card may not be discarded immediately, unless the player shows (on the opponent's request) that they hold another identical card. If the player incurs this infraction, they must take back the improperly discarded card and discard another card in their possession, using, if necessary, one of the cards of the last meld played. The remaining cards, if they do not form a valid meld, are considered exposed cards (Art. 24).

If the player picks up the only card from the discard pile and uses it incorrectly, thereby making it a penalised card (Art. 25), that card may not be discarded immediately, but only at the next turn.

Art. 10: Jokers and 2s (Wild Cards)

The jokers and the 2s (pinelle) are wild cards (matte).

A 2 (pinella) of the same suit as an open sequence may also stand for the natural 2, and in that case a wild card may then be attached to it.

In sequences, a joker or a 2 may be replaced only by the card for which it stands, and must remain in the melds and in the position in which it was placed, including during the player's own playing time. Only if a player opens a new sequence of three or more cards (releasing them all together on the table or one at a time) with two wild cards present, one of which may stand for the natural 2, and the two have been inverted, is the meld considered disordered, and the wild cards may be exchanged.

Example: in a sequence of spades formed by joker-3-4-2-6, joker and 2 of spades may be exchanged.

In a sequence of three or more cards in which the 3 is present together with two wild cards, one of which may stand for the natural 2, the wild cards may be exchanged, as disorder, only if they are placed below the 3 and have been inverted.

Example: in a sequence of spades formed by 7-6-5-4-3-joker, if the player adds the 2 of spades under the joker, the meld is considered valid and the two wild cards may be exchanged.

Example 1: On the table is the meld 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ 6♠. The player on turn moves the 2♠ above the 6♠ and adds 8♠. The 2♠ may then no longer be moved from that position unless replaced by the 7♠, including during the player's own turn.

Example 2: On the table is 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ 5♠ 6♠. The player on turn moves the 2♠ above the 6♠, but without adding 8♠ returns it to its position as the natural 2, and adds a joker as 8♠. The play is regular.

Free wild cards must always be placed in the lowest position, close to the player, except where that position is occupied by an ace; in that case it is placed higher.

Combinations of 2s and jokers may not be opened.

Art. 11: Sequences

A sequence is an ordered set of three or more cards of the same suit, placed so that the highest card is nearest the stock.

If a set of cards is disordered but still forms a valid meld, it may be put in order at any time during the deal without any penalty.

Sequences may consist of a maximum of thirteen cards plus one wild card (fourteen cards in total): A – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – J – Q – K – (2) or (joker). The ace may be placed before the 2 or after the K.

Art. 12: Combinations

Combinations may consist of three or more cards, up to a maximum of eight plus one wild card (nine cards in total).

Art. 13: Burraco

A burraco is a sequence or combination of at least seven cards.

Clean burraco (burraco pulito). A burraco is clean when it contains no wild card, except where the 2 (pinella) stands for the natural 2. It is marked by placing the last two uncovered cards crosswise. For scoring it is worth 200 points.

Semi-clean burraco (burraco semipulito). A burraco is semi-clean when:

a sequence contains a wild card that precedes or follows at least seven cards; or
a combination is made up of eight cards including the wild card.

It is marked by placing the second-to-last uncovered card crosswise. For scoring it is worth 150 points.

Dirty burraco (burraco sporco). A burraco is dirty when it contains a wild card that is not the natural 2. It is marked by placing the last uncovered card crosswise. For scoring it is worth 100 points.

Art. 14: Discarding Wild Cards

A wild card may be discarded at any time during the game, except for the final closing.

Art. 15: Timeout

When the arbiter calls a timeout, the final round begins with the player who was served first in that deal and ends with the dealer. If the player served first has already drawn or picked up, the final round always begins with them, but on the following round (even if they played without drawing or picking up).

If the arbiter has announced the timeout and the round has been regularly completed without a closing, no partnership is credited with the 100 points of the closing bonus.

If the timeout is announced during the deal, before the player on turn has drawn or picked up, a complete round is played. If the timeout is announced during the counting of points, the filling in of the score sheet, or before the dealer has begun to deal, the game ends.

Art. 16: Stalemate

The arbiter called to the table, without taking into account what happened before their arrival, invites the player on turn to play. If the four players, in the arbiter's presence, only exchange cards (without opening new melds or attaching cards), the arbiter declares a stalemate and interrupts the deal.

Art. 17: Closing (Types and Bonus)

A closing means having used up all the cards in one's hand.

With a bonus of 100 points if: one partnership has gone out ("a pozzo" – has taken its pile), has made at least one burraco, and one of the two members has played all their cards, discarding one of them.

Without the 100-point bonus if:

the cards of the stock are used up: the last two cards of the stock cannot be played; the deal then closes with the discard of the player who drew the third-to-last card (it is not possible to continue using the cards of the discard pile);
after the announcement of the timeout no partnership has closed.

Art. 18: Scoring

Points are counted according to the following table.

Item	Points
Positive points
Clean burraco (burraco pulito)	200
Semi-clean burraco (burraco semipulito)	150
Dirty burraco (burraco sporco)	100
Closing	100, plus any arbiter's bonus
Open melds	the sum of the values of the cards that make them up
Negative points
Pile not taken (pozzo non preso)	100
Pile taken but not played (pozzo preso e non giocato)	the sum of the values of the cards of the pile
Cards left in hand	the sum of the values of the cards left in hand

If both partnerships have not taken the pile, it is not counted.

In the scoring phase, the opponent may check the accuracy of the count by arranging the cards in vertical or horizontal lines (every 100 points).

(The match-point and victory-point tables for tournaments are not transcribed. They belong to tournament administration.)

Irregularities and Penalties

Procedure

If an irregularity, or a presumed one, is committed during play, the players must call the arbiter.

The partner of the player who committed an irregularity, or presumed one, may call the arbiter or point out the error only after that player's discard.

If a player does not agree with the arbiter's ruling, they may request the opinion of a second arbiter of equal or higher rank, whose judgment is final.

Loss of the right to a penalty. The right to penalise an irregularity lapses once play has continued, meaning once the opponent has drawn or picked up. If the players, faced with an irregularity, choose not to call the arbiter to the table, their conduct cannot be recognised afterwards.

Example: The player on turn makes play by opening three jacks without having drawn or picked up first. The table agrees that the guilty player must draw or pick up and discard, temporarily freezing the three jacks. The partner of the guilty player attaches a jack to the temporarily frozen meld. The arbiter called to the table for this infraction can only make the jack valid, since the temporary freezing was not imposed by the arbiter and is therefore fully valid.

Art. 21: Irregularities

Game irregularities must be reported to the arbiter, who applies the penalties set out in the Code.

It is forbidden to:

ask one's partner for any information about the course of play, even during one's own turn;
move one's cards during the partner's turn;
call the arbiter before the partner has discarded.

Failing this, the arbiter cautions the guilty partnership.

Art. 22: Hints

A hint, whether verbal or gestural, implicit or explicit, is penalised by the arbiter.

The player who received the hint must perform the action opposite to the one suggested.

If the hint concerns the placing of a wild card, the player who received it may not add it to that meld for the whole deal; if they had already done so, the wild card is considered an exposed card (Art. 24).

Reminding one's partner that it is (or is not) their turn is considered a hint. In that case the arbiter intervenes and invites the player who received the hint to draw or pick up and then discard.

If a player has taken the pile with the discard and the partner reminds them that they must play, the arbiter intervenes and invites the player who received the hint to discard.

It is not a hint to point out that a meld of seven cards is a burraco, or that a meld of six cards wrongly marked as a burraco is not a burraco; any player may point this out at any stage of the game.

Art. 23: Piles

The piles, stacked, must be placed under the score sheet after a further count by the player who formed them.

If, while the piles are being delivered, one or more cards are accidentally exposed, no penalty applies and play continues normally.

The pile must always be counted and delivered by a player of the opposing partnership, failing which both partnerships are cautioned. The player who delivers the first pile must count it and check the exact number of remaining cards. If cards are missing or in excess, they are restored by taking them from the bottom of the stock or placing them back at the bottom of the stock. The second pile, when delivered (again by an opponent), is counted again; if cards are in excess or missing, it is not restored.

If the arbiter notices the irregularity, even by chance (for example, a player takes the pile alone without having it delivered by one of the opponents, even with their consent), the arbiter cautions both partnerships.

When the first pile is delivered and the count is wrong, if even one card is seen by the player who receives it, play continues.

When taking the pile, the cards must all be brought into the hand, even one at a time without altering playing time, and only afterwards arranged and played.

If the piles fall on the table, the cards are gathered and the arbiter has them shuffled again.

If, after the deal, a pile from the previous deal is left on the table by inattention, no correction is possible once the game has regularly begun; the deal is completed and the result stands (the surplus pile remains unused). If the previous deal's pile is used, play is valid and the second partnership must in any case use the second pile (the first remains unused).

Piles seen out of turn. A player who takes the pile with the discard may inspect it only after their partner has discarded. If they see it before, the arbiter cautions the partnership. It is not permitted to remind the partner who is about to play to draw or pick up, nor to draw their attention to it; if this occurs, the partnership is penalised under Art. 30 (failure to draw).

Wrong pile taken because the partner has already taken it. If a player takes the pile live (in diretta) when it no longer belongs to them because the partner has already taken it, and the error is noticed at once (whether or not it was seen), Art. 35 (closing without discarding) applies. If the player plays one or more cards, including the discard, and the error is pointed out before the opponent's draw or pick-up, the arbiter intervenes by interrupting the game and temporarily freezing the open melds or the melds to which cards were attached. The opponent's draw or pick-up repairs the erroneous pile-taking, and all melds made with it are valid, including any closing. If the pile is taken with the discard but has already been taken by the partner, and the error is noticed at once, the closing is assessed (with a burraco present the closing is valid; otherwise Art. 33, closing without a burraco, applies). The opponent's draw or pick-up repairs the infraction; if the error is noticed before the game returns to the guilty player, that player on their turn must draw or pick up and discard. If the error is noticed after the guilty player has already drawn or picked up, the pile is played regularly, including any closing. In both cases the partnership that does not have the pile and closes by taking the pile, even live, receives 100 points of closing bonus, plus any burraco made. If they have no burraco, they receive 100 points of closing plus a further 100 points of bonus as arbiter's points.

Wrong pile taken by making an erroneous meld. If a player takes the pile live and makes an erroneous meld, playing one or more cards including the discard, and the error is pointed out before the opponent's draw or pick-up, the arbiter intervenes by temporarily freezing the open melds or melds to which cards were attached, and has the cards of the erroneous meld discarded according to the rules. The opponent's draw or pick-up repairs the erroneous pile-taking, and all melds made with it are valid, including any closing; the erroneous meld is permanently frozen and its points are counted negatively. If a player takes the pile with the discard, making an erroneous meld, and the error is noticed before the game returns to the guilty player, the guilty player on their turn must draw or pick up and discard; the erroneous meld is permanently frozen and its points counted negatively. If the error is noticed after the guilty player has already drawn or picked up, the pile is played regularly, including any closing; the erroneous meld is permanently frozen and its points counted negatively.

Art. 24: Exposed Cards

Cards drawn from the hand or accidentally dropped (even before the game has begun), and exposed in such a way that they can be seen by the partner, or when a player declares a card in their possession, are exposed cards. Cards seen only by the opponents are not considered exposed.

Exposed cards must be played during the guilty player's useful playing time, attaching them to existing melds or opening new ones. If this is not possible, or the player does not wish to play them, they are penalised cards (Art. 25) and discarded at the end of the melds.

Unequivocally drawing the partner's attention to such cards, or suggesting to them how to play exposed cards, interrupts the game and results in those cards being discarded.

The guilty player may not add exposed cards to any open melds or melds modified by the partner; if they do, these cards are penalised cards (Art. 25).

Cards shown by a player who wrongly believes the deal is over are also considered exposed.

This applies also to a single card.

Art. 25: Penalised Cards

Penalised cards are cards played improperly. They must be placed face up at the side of the table and discarded according to the rules, or counted negatively.

Excess cards played in a combination or sequence:

Error noticed at once: play is interrupted and the excess cards are discarded according to the rules.
Error noticed after the discard and before the next opponent has begun their play (draw or pick-up): the excess cards must be used as the discard on subsequent turns.
Error noticed in later phases: the meld containing the excess cards is permanently frozen and only the excess cards are counted negatively.

In the first two cases, penalised cards to be discarded on subsequent turns do not prevent the guilty player from playing normally.

This applies also to a single card.

N.B.: a third king of hearts in a deck with excess cards (see Art. 5) is a penalised card if the combination already contains two.

Art. 26: Ghost Card

A ghost card is a card found by accident in an open or pre-existing meld, or that accompanies the discard.

Found by accident in an open meld during one's own playing time, before the discard: if the card is not compatible with the meld in which it is found, it is a penalised card (Art. 25) and treated as such.
Found by accident in an open meld during one's own playing time, after the discard and before the opponent's draw: if the card is not compatible only with the meld in which it is found, it is a penalised card (Art. 25) and treated as such.
Found in a pre-existing meld: if the card is in excess of the meld, it is a penalised card (Art. 25). Regardless of which member of the partnership committed the error, it must be discarded by the player on turn after it is found, at the end of their playing time. The meld is permanently frozen and its points are counted as positive, as is any burraco present, regardless of when it was played.
Found because one or more cards were added, and they remain on the meld: the meld is permanently frozen, the cards are counted negatively, and the ghost card is discarded at the end of the player's turn.
Accompanying the discard: the card lying under the discarded card (whatever its value) is considered an exposed card (Art. 24) and is then played or discarded in the following phase of the game.

Example: the discard is the 7♥. The 10♠ is taken back into the hand and treated as an exposed card.

Art. 27: Cards Played Irregularly

If a player opens melds or attaches cards after the discard, the melds opened or those to which cards were attached are temporarily frozen.

If a player opens melds or attaches cards to existing melds before discarding a penalised card, these are temporarily frozen.

If a player attaches one or more cards to a frozen meld (temporarily or permanently) or to an erroneous meld, those cards are considered penalised.

If the guilty player is virtually left without cards in hand because the last meld played (including the last card attached) is temporarily frozen, and on the following round they draw a wild card and therefore cannot close, the frozen meld remains so for another round (unless the same situation arises again).

This applies also to a single card.

Art. 28: Throwing and Passing Cards

To throw cards means to release them from the hand before they have been placed on the table.

Throwing is not permitted.

If a player opens a new meld by throwing, the arbiter validates it, interrupts the game and cautions the partnership.

If a player attaches one or more cards by throwing, the arbiter interrupts the game and cautions the guilty partnership. If there was no clear declaration and the cards do not touch existing melds, they are considered valid but temporarily freeze the game. If they touch two melds, or touch none and create clear doubt, the opponent on turn decides where they are placed. If they fall on a meld that cannot contain them, they are penalised cards (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules.

If the throw of the new meld, or of the attached cards, is the last meld made before a closing, the closing is valid and the arbiter cautions the guilty partnership.

Passing cards to one's partner's hand is not permitted.

If a player opens a new meld by passing cards to the partner's hand, the arbiter validates it, interrupts the game and cautions the partnership. If a player intends to attach one or more cards by passing them to the partner's hand, this must be preceded by a clear declaration. Without such a declaration, the opponent on turn decides where the cards are placed on other existing melds, even splitting them; if no existing meld can take them, they are attached to the only meld that can contain them.

In this case too, the arbiter intervenes, cautions the guilty partnership and interrupts the game. Any request by the partner about where to place cards about to be handed over is sanctioned in the same way.

Example 1: The player passes to the partner the 5 and 6 of spades, to be attached to the sequence 7-8-9 of spades, without declaring it. The opponent on turn decides to add the 6 of spades to the combination of 6s, and the 5 of spades, having no place, becomes a penalised card and is discarded.

Example 2: The player passes to the partner a joker and the J of spades, to attach them to the sequence 7-8-9 of spades, without declaring it. The opponent on turn decides to add the joker to the spades sequence and the J to the combination of Js.

Example 3: The same as Example 2, but the other existing melds already contain a wild card, so the joker cannot be placed on them; the two cards may then only be attached to that meld.

If the passing of the new meld, or of the cards to be attached, to the partner's hand is the last meld made before a closing, the closing is valid and the arbiter cautions the guilty partnership.

Art. 29: Erroneous Melds (Openings and Attached Cards)

If a player releases one or two cards on the table to open a meld and realises that they cannot or do not want to complete it, the cards are penalised cards (Art. 25) and must be discarded according to the rules.

If a player opens sequences or combinations, or adds cards to an existing meld, in an erroneous way, the meld may be repaired with the missing cards or with a wild card. Any excess cards must be discarded according to the rules, interrupting the game.

If an erroneous meld is opened that contains no wild card, it may be repaired by replacing one or two cards; the excess cards are penalised cards (Art. 25).

If an erroneous meld is opened with a wild card present, the player may repair it using only one of the cards in their possession; the excess cards are penalised cards (Art. 25).

If the erroneous melds are noticed by the guilty player or by the opponents, the melds may be repaired by adding the missing cards or by discarding the excess cards.

If the erroneous melds are noticed by the partner of the guilty player before the discard, the erroneous meld, or the meld to which cards were incorrectly attached, cannot be repaired in any way. The meld is permanently frozen and any excess cards are penalised cards, discarded according to the rules.

If a player releases one or more cards on the table to attach them to an existing meld without a clear declaration, and they do not touch the meld, they are considered valid but temporarily freeze the game.

Melds with the wild card placed at the bottom are valid, and not at the player's choice.

In all cases, the error ends all of the player's activity until their next turn.

This applies also to a single card.

Art. 30: Failure to Draw or Pick Up

If a player, on their turn, makes any play without having drawn or picked up first, and the error is noticed by the opponents, the arbiter interrupts the game and obliges the player to draw or pick up and then discard. If the error is noticed by the partner, the arbiter intervenes in the same way, but cautions the guilty partnership for a hint.

Open melds. They are temporarily frozen and become valid only at the next turn.

If the meld made is incomplete, the player may complete it; otherwise the cards are penalised (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules.

If the partner or an opponent closes with the frozen melds, they are counted negatively.

Attached cards. They temporarily freeze the meld to which they were attached. If the partner or an opponent closes with only the attached cards, those cards are counted negatively; the other cards and any existing burraco keep their value.

Suggesting or reminding a player to draw. If this occurs (in the sense of a verbal or behavioural action by the partner), the player who received the improper hint must limit themselves to drawing or picking up and discarding, and the guilty partnership is cautioned.

Art. 31: Drawing or Picking Up Out of Turn

This occurs when a player draws or picks up from the discard pile when it is not their turn, even before the game has begun.

Drawing: the guilty player does not make play. The arbiter shows the card in question to the player who should have played (if from the opposing line), then returns it to the stock. The guilty player, on their turn, is limited to drawing and discarding. If the player has put the card into the hand, the arbiter draws one card at random and returns it to the stock (to draw a card at random, the arbiter takes the guilty player's cards, shuffles them and, without looking, draws one).

Drawing: the guilty player makes play.

If the player has opened a meld with the card drawn out of turn, the arbiter returns the card to the stock. The meld opened, if left incomplete, may be completed by adding a card in the player's possession, and is temporarily frozen until the turn after the one in which the guilty player must only draw and discard. If it is not possible to complete the meld, the cards of the incomplete meld are penalised (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules. If the player opens a meld but the card drawn cannot be identified, the melds opened after the out-of-turn draw are returned to the hand, and the arbiter draws one card at random (in the same way as above) and returns it to the stock; the guilty player must re-propose the melds made previously, which are temporarily frozen until the turn after the one in which they must only draw and discard. If this is not possible, because the arbiter has drawn a card belonging to one of the melds and the player does not have a card to replace it, or does not wish to make the meld valid, the cards are penalised (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules.
If the player attaches the card drawn out of turn, it is returned to the stock. Any cards added to the improperly attached card are valid only if the player can replace the card drawn out of turn with a card in their possession; otherwise they are penalised (Art. 25). Other cards attached to the same meld are valid, and the meld is temporarily frozen until the turn after the one in which the guilty player must only draw and discard.

Example: On the table 4♠ 5♠ 6♠. The player attaches 7♠ (drawn out of turn) and adds 8♠, 9♠ and 3♠. The 7♠ is returned to the stock. The 8♠ and 9♠ are valid only if the player can replace the 7♠ with a card in their possession; otherwise they are penalised. The 3♠ is left on the temporarily frozen sequence.

Picking up: the guilty player does not make play. The arbiter returns the cards to the discard pile, and the guilty player, on their turn, is limited to the obligatory pick-up and the discard.

Picking up: the guilty player makes play.

If the player opens one or more melds with the cards improperly picked up, the arbiter returns the cards to the discard pile. Any melds opened, if left incomplete, may be corrected with the cards in the player's possession, and are temporarily frozen until the turn after the one in which the guilty player must only pick up and discard. If they cannot be corrected, the remaining cards are penalised (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules. In every case the guilty player interrupts the game. If the player attaches the improperly picked-up cards to one or more existing melds, the arbiter returns them to the discard pile; any cards added to the improperly attached card are valid only if the player can replace them with cards in their possession. In that case the meld is temporarily frozen until the turn after the one in which the guilty player must only pick up and discard; otherwise they are penalised (Art. 25) and discarded according to the rules. On their actual turn the guilty player is limited to picking up and discarding.
If the pick-up occurs when a player is about to play the pile taken live (in diretta), the arbiter has the card drawn out of turn returned to the stock, showing it to the player on turn (if from the opposing line), or has the cards picked up out of turn returned to the discard pile, obliging the guilty player to discard. On the following turn the player may play normally and any frozen melds become valid.

Art. 32: Playing Out of Turn

If a player opens a meld or attaches one or more cards to an existing meld outside their turn, the arbiter temporarily freezes the new meld, or the meld to which the cards were attached, until the turn after the one in which the guilty player must only draw or pick up and discard.

Art. 33: Closing Without a Burraco

If a player closes when their partnership has not yet made a burraco, the arbiter intervenes as follows:

All the operations that the player performed before the final discard remain valid, except the last meld (combination, sequence, or the addition of cards). The cards that make up the last meld are penalised cards (Art. 25) and are discarded according to the rules. The card that forms the discard remains the discard.

The same procedure also applies in the event of an erroneous taking of the pile, because it had already been taken by the partner.

Art. 34: Closing by Discarding a Wild Card

If a player closes by discarding a wild card, they must take back into their hand the last meld made. The cards that make it up are exposed cards (Art. 24), and the wild card remains as the discard.

Art. 35: Closing Without a Discard

If a closing occurs without a discard, because the player has opened a new meld and has no card left for the discard, one of the cards of the last meld opened must be used as the discard, and the remaining cards are exposed cards (Art. 24).

If a closing without a discard occurs because the player also attaches the discard card, the last meld made is taken back into the hand (its cards are exposed cards, Art. 24), and the improperly attached card becomes the discard.

If a player closes by discarding a wild card, or without a discard, whether or not the burraco is present is not taken into account, and the penalties of Art. 34 and Art. 35 apply.

Art. 36: Failure to Count Points

If, during the counting of points at the end of the deal, a player, before counting their own cards, mixes them with the others by distraction, the arbiter tries to reconstruct the existing melds. If this is impossible, the arbiter assigns to the partnership that committed the infraction an arbiter's score according to the information received.

(Art. 37 to 41 on playing times, the monitoring of tables, substitutions and withdrawal, delays, and interruption of a tournament are tournament administration and are not transcribed. The arbiter's powers, behavioural norms, the table-set-up rules, and the Brazilian and six-player variants are likewise not transcribed.)