re: Bourre

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Even KQJ10 with no tricks yet in.

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the holder of that hand would play the K when able to flush the A, then lay down when they get the lead back

same difference, you just can’t lay cards till you get the lead, and if there’s an A you’ll lose the lead to it

the best part of bourre is when the dealer only has one in to him, a big pot, and a shitty trump hand. Decision time LOL

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Can’t open with Trump card unless you are trump tight.

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2-2-1 is a split, pot rides.
2-1-1-1 is a two trick winner.

Hell, we had games if you fricked up dealing the cards, you burn and pass the deal. We had tough crowd that was blood, money hungry.

Rule #1 - don't play with Cajuns unless you also speak french

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Im gonna have to disagree with you on that. The other players must play their lowest trump, in order to possibly keep themselves from bourreing and also to aid in trying to bourre someone else.

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This is the way I've always played. You play the lowest trump in your hand if someone leads out A,K,Q in hopes of taking one trump to not bourre. To play your highest trump in that instance is sheer stupidity.

you don't have to give up your highest trumps when some A,Q, K

BOURRÉ
BOO-RAY • CAJUN TRICK-TAKING GAMBLING GAME

Cinch is required — not optional. Agree on ante and pot limit before the first deal.

1. PLAYERS, CARDS & OBJECT

2–7 players (7 is a full table — not 8; the deck will not support the
draw). Standard 52-card deck, no jokers. Rank high to low: A K Q J
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2. Aces high in every suit. Object: stay in and take the most of the five tricks to win the pot. Stay in and take zero tricks and you are bourré — you match the whole pot.

2. ANTE & DEAL
Everyone who owes an ante puts the same amount in the pot. Dealer may set the ante after the first hand. Shuffle. Player to dealer’s right cuts. Deal five cards face down to each player, one at a time, clockwise. Then deal one extra card FACE UP. That suit is TRUMP. The upcard belongs to the dealer, so the dealer has SIX cards.

If the dealer stays in, they discard down to five like everyone else and may keep or throw the upcard. Replacements come from the stub. If the upcard is the Ace of trump, the dealer must stay in (the Ace always takes a trick).

Deal passes left after each hand.

3. PLAY OR PASS • THE DRAW

Starting left of the dealer, each player says IN or OUT. Others look at five cards; the dealer looks at six. OUT (pass/fold): lose only the ante. Stack cards face down. Sit out the hand.

IN (play): you may discard any number of cards (0–5) and draw replacements from the stub. With 7 players many tables cap the draw at 3 so the stub does not run out. If everybody passes, redeal.

If only one player stays, that player takes the pot without playing the cards. Do not announce in/out or how many you will throw before it is
your turn. Penalty is often loss of next deal.

4. PLAYING TRICKS

First active player left of the dealer leads any legal card. Winner of each trick leads the next. Five tricks. Keep won tricks face up so reneging is visible.

FOLLOW SUIT if you have the led suit — even if your card cannot beat what is out, and even if the trick is already trumped. If void in the led suit you MUST trump if you hold a trump.

PLAY TO WIN / HEAD THE TRICK: if you can play a card that beats the current winner (higher of the led suit, or a higher trump), you must play one that heads it. If you cannot follow and cannot trump, play any off card. An off card cannot win. Highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, highest card of the led suit wins.

CINCH EXAMPLES

You lead and hold Ace, King, Queen of trump: drop all three at once. That is three sure tricks and the pot. Ace of trump already played.

You win a trick and still hold King, Queen, Jack of trump: lead all three.

You have taken two tricks and still hold the Ace of trump. Lead the Ace next. It cannot lose.

5. CINCH — REQUIRED, NOT OPTIONAL

A cinch is three sure tricks no matter how the rest of the cards fall. When
you have a cinch you must cash it. You do not get to hold high trump back.

On lead with a cinch: you MUST lead your highest remaining trump. A-K-Q of trump on your lead: play all three at once and take those tricks immediately.

Ace of trump already out and you hold K-Q-J of trump on lead: lead all
three. Same idea for any run of top remaining trumps that cinches the
pot.

If you have taken a trick and what is left in your hand is now unbeatable (example: you have 1 trick plus Ace-King of trump), you must cash the sure winners now.

If you win the first three tricks you have the pot — lead trump to trick
four if you still have one.

When forced to play “highest trump,” an adjacent card in sequence is
accepted (King from A-K).

You may not “play nice” to keep another player from going bourré. Force the win.

6. THE POT, TIES & BOURRÉ

Most tricks wins the entire pot. Three tricks always wins. Two can win if the other three tricks are split one apiece.

TIE for most tricks: nobody takes it. The pot stays and carries to the next deal.

BOURRÉ: any player who stayed IN and took ZERO tricks must MATCH THE ENTIRE CURRENT POT into the next pot. That is how pots explode.
A player who went bourré usually does not ante again on the following deal. Players who tied for most tricks often skip the next ante as well. Everyone else antes as usual. Many tables set a POT LIMIT so one night cannot wipe a player out. When the pot is over the limit, the winner takes only the limit and a bourré pays only the limit.

7. RENEGE (MISPLAY)
A renege is failing to follow suit, failing to trump when void, failing to head the trick when able, or failing to cash a cinch.

Penalty is the same as going bourré: match the pot. If you catch the error before the next player plays, most houses let you take the card back and play the legal one.

Used to play $0.10 antes with Mammaw and Pappaw. They have both been with the Lord for several years now, but I still have little IOU’s from them in my Crown Royal Bourre bag. This good thread I haven’t thought about it in years.