The
Game | Betting System | "Taradinho"
Pontinho is a game of the "Pif-Paf"
family. All participants receive nine cards, dealt in groups
of three, and the melds are the same as Pif's (same # cards,
sequences).
The objective is to go out with no cards
in the hand, melding same # cards or sequences of three
or more cards, at once or in turns. One player may add cards
to other player's games. The players who reach 100 points
"blow" and when all blow (except the one who goes
out), the set is over. The player who "blows"
may pay to continue in the game, with the same score of
the player in last place, this is to say, with the most
points on the table.
This is how you score the game:
The player who goes out does not lose points;
all the others lose the amount they have in their hands,
that is to say:
Joker - 20 points
Aces - 15 points each
Figures (Kings, Queens, Jack ) - 10 points each
10, 9, 8…………2 - the rank of the
card.
The Game
It is played with two decks of cards (104
cards). The places are chosen as follows: the player who
draws the highest card will choose the place. The second
highest will be to the right of the first player and so
on. After the shuffling, the player to the right of the
dealer cuts and then cards are dealt clockwise, in groups
of threes, dealing nine cards to each player. The player
who cut turns a card face up the table to determine the
joker.
For instance: the card turned by the player
who cut was 7 of hearts. The rule says then that 8s of Hearts
will be the wild card this set.
The Jokers can only be laid on the table
in sequences or between two or more cards ("racha"
or "bituca" (split meld). Ex: Ace -Queen; 7-9).
To go out, a player may also use it in melds of three same
# cards or at the end of a sequence.
If a Joker is placed in a meld, for example,
6-Joker -8 of Spades , the player who has the 7 of Spades
may, on his turn, substitute it, as long as he has another
"racha" to lay on the table. He may also use it
to go out.
When a player goes out, all the others
will lose the amount of points they hold in their hands.
So, it is convenient to lay the games and the cards that
may fit the other games on the table.
Melds of three same # cards must always
include three cards from different suits. Those who have
other cards of the same suit , the repeat cards, are allowed
to place them over the first ones. The card from the fourth
suit may not be used in this game and is called "foreigner".
The players who have high number of points,
about to blow, should not lay his combination of cards voluntarily,
as this will not help him/her and may make it easier for
the other opponents to go out. The cards fitting the sequence
on the table may always be laid , before another player
does so. When a player notices that when laying a certain
amount of cards, the cards remaining in his/her hand added
to the total score of the game is not within "blow"
range, he should do it.
Players are only allowed to draw a card
when it is not his/her turn to go out. If one player has
only one card in his hand, he may not draw from the stock.
Discharging is free. If any player discards a Joker, the
following player may only draw it if he can use it as a
regular card.
Betting System
Each player may set a certain amount of
chips (to be determined by the players) in a pot. . Every
time someone blows, the same amount must be set in the pot.
Every time the same player blows, his/her contribution should
double.
The game ends when someone goes out and
all of the others blow simultaneously. In case two players
go out with the same card and the others blow, the game
will go on, and all those interested may contribute again
and continue in the game. Every time someone goes out, if
"pontinho" is not over, the other players has
to pay him/her 10% of his/her initial contribution to the
pot. This chip is called "drop" or "tear".
The player who wins the "pontinho" will collect
all chips from the pot.
TARADINHO
This is a variation of "Pontinho",
also played with two decks of cards. The rules are the same,
with the following differences:
1. any player may draw a discarded card,
even if it is not his/her turn;
2. when a card is drawn out of the player's
turn, the player must meld ;
3. whoever draws out of his/her turn may
not discard, unless he/she goes out;
4. when a discard is good for two or more
players, the right to draw belongs to the player who is
nearest to the left of the player who discharged;
5. When a discarded card is good for two
or more players, the one who needs it to go out has the
priority.
