Puluc
Puluc Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
1. The composition of the game.
Field: 11x1 (9x1)
Chips: 5 black, 5 white
Dice: D2 - 4 pcs.
[Diagram R.1: initial placement of the chips on the field.]
2. Introduction.
2.1. The rules are presented with the document author's additions, variants and interpretation (in the text marked as I.L. (Latin ipse legi) - "I collected it myself"), and highlighted with a green block.
2.2. Puluc, Boolik, Buul is a game played by the Kekchi and Mopan people in Guatemala and Belize Central America. Since the Kekchi and Mopan people are descendants of the Maya, many researchers are inclined to assume that Puluc is a game that has come down to us from the Maya.
Before the conquistadors conquered, gambling using beans or reeds as playing dice was quite popular and widespread in Mesoamerica. And although, despite the large number of ethno-historical documents, an exact description of how to play these games has not yet been found.
In addition to gambling, it was also a ceremonial game, which was played by men on the night before planting kukruzy, so that the corn grains were fed with joy and fun and gave a rich harvest before leaving the "dark earth".
Also, this game belongs to the family of combat races, players' chips rushing across the field towards each other, capturing and knocking out rivals.
At the moment there are several options for the rules of this game. The first version was published by the researcher of the board games R.C.Bell in 1960 and is based on the description of K.Sapper, taken from the German 1906 collection of articles on the anthropologist Franz Boas. The second option is based on the description of the linguist Lieve Verbeeck, who studies Maya and witnessed the modern version of this game that is still played by the Mopan and Kekchi ethnic groups in Southern Belize. Also, in addition to the main version, Lieve Verbeeck described four additional versions of this game, which can take place sequentially one after the other and differ in different ways of movement on the playing field and different attacks, these options symbolize different animals and their habits.
3. The goal of the game.
Capture all the opponent's chips or create a situation in which he can not make further moves.
4. Gameplay.
4.1. The field usually consists of 11 tracks, each extreme of which is used as a starting point for the chips and is called a house, thus, the working route where the chips run are 9 tracks. In some embodiments, the field can be extended, but it is not clear whether it should consist of an odd or even number of tracks. If you rely on the basic version, consisting of 11 tracks, then the increase in the number of tracks should be odd. but the number of chips remains unchanged.
4.2. The field is located vertically between the players, however, if you prefer, you can place it between the players and horizontally, this does not change the mechanics and dynamics of the game.
4.3. The player's chips are in the "house" to his left. The initial placement is shown in R.1.
4.4. Player chips move from left to right (R.1).
4.5. The player who throws the most points starts the game. Then the players take turns depending on the number of points dropped.
4.6. D2 rolls and score.
4.6.1. One stick with a flat (light) side up - 1 point;
4.6.2. Two sticks with a flat (light) side up - 2 points;
4.6.3. Three sticks with a flat (light) side up - 3 points;
4.6.4. Four sticks with the flat (light) side up - 4 points;
4.6.5. All sticks are semicircular (dark) side up - 5 points.
4.7. Moving chips across the field.
4.7.1. In one move, the player can either move one of his chips, or introduce a new one into the game.
4.7.2. You cannot walk on a path that is already occupied by "your" chip, that is, several of your chips cannot be on the same track (unless they are in the turret, see below).
4.7.3. You can, without limitation, jump over your own and other people's chips or turrets.
4.7.4. If a player cannot make another move due to the fact that all suitable tracks are occupied with their own chips, the move is skipped.
4.7.5. In the game, at the same time can be any number of chips.
4.7.6. A player bringing the chip to the opposite edge of the field (where the opponent's "house" is located) can make one of the options for withdrawing chips from the field, which should be agreed at the beginning of the game:
4.7.6.1. A chip reaching the opposite edge of the field comes out of the board and returns to the start in his "home". The exact number of points for the withdrawal of chips is not necessary (as an option - it is necessary), it is enough that the number of points dropped is more than the number of remaining tracks.
4.7.6.2. Having reached the opponent's "home", the chip starts moving back across the field to its "home" and leaves the field on the same principle as in clause 4.7.6.1.
4.7.7. Chips from the field are returned to their "home" for further participation in the game.
4.8. Capture and release chips.
4.8.1. If the opponent's chip is on the track where your chip has arrived, then you place your chip on top of the opponent's chip, thereby grabbing it and creating a turret. Then you move your chip along with the opponent's chip, so the opponent's chip is blocked and held captive.
4.8.2. It is permissible to consistently capture several chips or turrets of an opponent. Capture can be carried out as one of your chips, and the turret, which currently belongs to you.
4.8.3. If in the turret, currently belonging to you, there is your chip captured by an opponent earlier, then the next move, when you move the turret, you must release your captured chip. To do this, moving the turret to the dropped number of points, you move only that part of the turret that is above your captured chip, so you release your chip. Chips of the opponent that remain under your freed chip remain captured and blocked.
4.8.4. Your chips or turrets that you have freed are free and can move on on their own.
4.8.5. When there are several of your chips in the turret, the release should start from the top one.
4.8.6. In one move, from the turret, you can only release one of his chip.
4.8.7. You can free and capture chips or turrets as many times as you like without restrictions.
4.8.8. If you remove the turret from the field, the opponent's chips in it are considered knocked out and they do not enter the game anymore, your turret chips return to the starting position in their "home" and continue to participate in the game.
4.8.9. You cannot capture chips that are in the opponent's "house".
4.9. Option rules.
4.9.1. After the opponent's chips are captured, you change the direction of movement and begin to move the turret created back to your "home" (starting position).
4.9.2. Movement on the field occurs in two directions at once, that is, single chips move to the opponent's "house", and turrets move to your "house". And the opponent is trying to catch up with your turret, grab it and lead to his "home".
4.9.3. To remove chips from the field, in this case, you need to throw out the exact number of points, that is, you need to throw one point more than the remaining tracks for passing.
4.9.4. If you get more points than you need for a withdrawal, then the chip stays in place, and you must be like another chip.
4.9.5. The remaining rules of the game remain unchanged.
4.9.6. These types of interceptions, reminiscent of "pulling", make the game more intense and interesting.
4.10. Win.
4.10.1. The player captured all the opponent's chips.
4.10.2. The player captured and blocked all opponent's chips and the latter cannot make a turn in turn.
5. A variant of the rules of the game, described by Lieve Verbeeck, played by the Mopan and Kekchi ethnic groups in South Belize.
5.1. The number of players and tools.
5.1.1. Puluc is played by teams of an even number of players over six years old.
5.1.2. The playing field is marked with twenty grains of corn. The grains are located on a straight line, at a distance of about 5 cm from each other, the playing space ("tracks", "stripes") is placed between the grains. The playing field is called "road" (bej), in which players move chips up and down from their starting positions ("houses"). Depending on the number of players, more than 10 or 16 people, the field length can be increased by five or ten grains.
5.1.3. Each player has five chips. Chips are usually made from scrap materials (branches, leaves, etc.) and are unique for each player, their size is usually from 4 to 10 cm.
5.1.4. Chips move across the field depending on the number of points dropped on the dice. D2-shaped dice are four corn kernels with flat sides, so they can fall either to one side or to the other. For grains used as bones, a core is selected from one side (this is called k'oyik u päsäk'al a ixi'imi - "to choose the heart of the corn") and the excavation is rubbed with charcoal or used soot from a burning branch (these actions are called jo 'ochtik tel butz' - "rub with charcoal", or bonik tel butz '- "touch with charcoal").
5.1.5. The colored side of the bones is called "whose bul" or "face of the bones", and the empty side is called "u yit a bul" - the "bottom of the bones". The value of the throws is determined by the amount of corn kernels that have fallen black with the side up ("ka wila 'bon a javaaana -" look how much is on your back ").
5.1.5.1. One grain dark side up - 1 point;
5.1.5.2. Two grains with the dark side up - 2 points;
5.1.5.3. Three grains with the dark side up - 3 points;
5.1.5.4. Four grains with the dark side up - 4 points;
5.1.5.5. All grains fell light side up - 5 points.
5.1.5.6. Bones rush from the hand to the ground.
While the player prepares his throw by squeezing the grains (bul) in his hand, the others watch his actions with alarm, while whispering "tun kaxäl" - "they are falling".
5.2. Gameplay.
5.2.1. Each player is given two shots in one turn. The player moves his chip after the second throw, and does so in random order according to the number of points of each throw. This is an important point, as it provides more opportunities to capture opponent's chips. For example, if there were two points in the first throw, five points in the second, and the opponent's chip is five moves away, then you can make the first move based on the results of the second throw (on five tracks) and capture the opponent's chip, with the results of the first throw, you are moving with the captured opponent's chip to your home on two lanes with the second move.
5.2.2. The game field is horizontally between the players, the starting fields ("houses") are on the left side of the player, and the chips move from left to right. Thus, players' chips enter the field from opposite sides and move towards each other.
5.2.3. When the chip reaches the opposite edge of the field (the "home" of the opponent), without entering the opponent's "home", it starts moving back to its starting position (to its "home").
5.2.4. If the chip reaches its "home", then it is displayed from the board in the "house", in order to continue the game again. The exact number of points for the withdrawal of chips is not necessary, it is enough that the number of points dropped is more than the number of remaining tracks (the "house" is not counted).
5.2.5. The first players of both teams make a shot to determine who will start the game. The team that scored the most points starts the game. After the first player entered his chip on the field, the rest of the team, starting from left to right and making two throws, introduce one of their chips on the field. After all of the team have made their moves, the next team gets the right of the next moves.
5.2.6. Each player on the field can only have one free (having the ability to move and not captured) chip. If the chip safely bypasses the entire field and returns to its "home", it is again placed on the starting position.
5.2.7. If a player with his chip hits the track (strip) occupied by an opponent, he grabs the opponent's chip by placing his chip on top and begins to move along with the opponent's chip back to his "home".
5.2.8. The rival who lost his chip as a result of being captured, in turn, with the next move introduces a new chip to the field, if he has one.
5.2.9. Whenever a player grabs an opponent's chip, he moves back to his "home", however, the stacked chips (towers) remain vulnerable to further capture, and there is no guarantee that the opponent will not intercept the whole pile and start moving it to his "home". If a stack consisting of its own and captured chips reaches the final goal (that is, "home") and is removed from the board, then the opponent's chips are considered destroyed and are no longer entered into the game, and their own chips and team member chips are returned to their owners, who can bring them back into the game.
5.2.10. The number of captures is not limited, stacks (towers) of chips can also be captured not only by a single chip, but also by other stacks.
5.2.11. On a single track (band), which is occupied by a team member chip, there may also be chips of other team members, this does not change the game and does not affect it in any way.
5.2.12. There are no extra dice rolls in the game. Each player, as already mentioned in one move, rolls the dice twice. And if one of the shots leads to the capture of the opponent's chips, then another shot, in this case, obliges the player to move with the captured opponent's chip back to the "house".
5.2.13. If one of the rolls of the dice allows the player to enter the "house" and leave the field, then the number of points of the other throw can be used to re-enter the chips on the playing field.
5.2.14. No player misses a move or loses the results of his throws, even if he has no chips on the field or in reserve. The player continues to roll the dice while helping his teammates. However, in the Guatemalan version of the game, the actions are completely different, if the player captures or blocks all the chips, he cannot roll the dice and skip his turn until the fate of his blocked chips is decided.
5.2.15. The game ends when the team does not have chips to enter the playing field. The winner is the team that captures the most chips of the opposing team.
5.3. Variants of the game.
5.3.1. A game can consist of five levels (variants), which are played one after another in a certain order. These options differ from each other in the way they move or capture and block chips. The first four levels symbolize the local animals and their methods of catching prey.
5.3.1.1. The first game "tiny ant" (aj sayil), follows the rules described above, that is, it is considered the main game.
5.3.1.2. The second game Eagle (aj t'iwil) is the fastest option. After a player has captured an opponent's chip, his chip (or turret), along with the captured chip, leaves the playing field and does not return to it.
5.3.1.3. The third scorpion game (aj sina'anil).
5.3.1.3.1. A player's chip (or turret) to capture an opponent's chips can move across the field both forward and backward.
5.3.1.3.2. The chip (or turret) that captured the opponent's chip moves to the exit to its "home".
5.3.1.3.3. A chip (or turret) after a capture and a safe exit from the field may return to the starting position for re-entry into the game. The captured opponent's chip is no longer involved in the game.
5.3.1.4. The fourth game "army of ants" (aj sakalil).
5.3.1.4.1. The chip (or turret) after the opponent's chips are captured, continues to move to the opponent's "home" and after leaving the field returns to the starting position to his "home".
5.3.1.4.2. The exact number of points for the withdrawal of chips is not necessary, it is enough that the number of points dropped is more than the number of remaining tracks.
5.3.1.4.3. Captured opponent's chips are considered knocked out and no longer enter the game.
5.3.1.5. Fifth game "fire" (k'aak'il).
5.3.1.5.1. In the middle of the field a small circle is drawn with coal. The author, unfortunately, did not indicate how many lanes (tracks) of the playing field can cover the "circle of fire". I think that the size of the circle depends on the willingness and agreement of the players. It is likely that the "circle of fire" covers from one to three middle lanes (tracks).
5.3.1.5.2. If a player's chip (or turret) falls into the "circle of fire", then it "burns" along with the captured chips and does not return to the game.
5.3.1.5.3. If a player's chip (or turret) captures the opponent's chip to the "circle of fire", it starts moving back to its "home".
5.3.1.5.4. A chip (or turret) after a capture and a safe exit from the field may return to the starting position for re-entry into the game. The captured opponent's chip is no longer involved in the game.
5.3.1.5.5. The author does not indicate what happens if the token (or turret) captures the opponent's token after the "circle of fire". Therefore, I propose two options for further actions that need to be agreed upon before the game.
5.3.1.5.5.1. After the opponent's chips are captured, the player's chip (or turret) continues to move to the opponent's house and returns from the field to its starting position. The exact number of points for the withdrawal of chips is not necessary. Captured opponent chips are no longer returned to the game.
5.3.1.5.5.2. After the opponent's chips are captured, the player's chip (or turret) starts moving back to his "home" and returns from the field to the starting position. The exact number of points for the withdrawal of chips is not necessary. Captured opponent chips are no longer returned to the game. If a chip with a captured opponent's chip on the way back enters the "circle of fire", it also burns along with the captured chips.
5.3.2. After each variation of the game, the teams calculate how many chips the opponents have knocked out. Although in the end, the outcome is not as important as the process of the game.