Basra rules

Basra is a card-capturing game for two players. On each turn a player plays one card from his hand and may capture cards from the floor (the face-up cards on the table) according to the capture rules.

The aim is to collect points over several hands until a player reaches 121 points after a complete hand. Points come from the majority of captured cards (27 or more), from special cards (Jacks, Aces, the 2 of clubs and the 10 of diamonds), and from a «Basra», which is clearing the floor completely.

• Exactly two players, each playing for himself (no teams).
• The first dealer is picked at random by the server, then the dealer alternates every hand.
• The non-dealer starts the play.
• There is no PASS: each player plays one card on every turn.

A standard 52-card deck is used (Standard52).

1. The dealer deals 4 cards to each player and 4 face-up cards to the floor.
2. If a Jack (J) or the 7 of diamonds (7♦) appears among the initial floor cards, they are returned to the deck and replaced; this repeats until the four initial floor cards contain no J or 7♦.
3. The non-dealer starts.
4. When both hands are empty and the deck is not, 4 new cards are dealt to each player with no new floor cards, and this continues until the deck is exhausted.

ERAM CARDS implementation note: a Jack or 7♦ played onto an empty floor captures nothing and is left on the floor.

After a hand card is chosen the server generates the legal capture plans:

1. Same rank: the played card captures all floor cards of its rank.
2. Sum: a numeric card or Ace may capture a group (or groups) of floor cards whose values add up to the played card's value.
3. Combined in one play: the same play may capture same-rank cards and several non-overlapping sum groups. Example: playing a 10 takes the floor 10 and also 4 + 6.
4. One floor card cannot be used twice in overlapping groups.
5. If different conflicting (overlapping) partitions exist, the server gives a capture_plan_id to each legal partition; the player chooses only the ID, never arbitrary cards.
6. Capturing is compulsory: if the chosen card has a legal capture it may not be trailed (left on the floor) without capturing; a legal plan must be carried out. The player may choose a different card from his hand instead.
7. A card with no legal capture is trailed onto the floor.
8. Q and K capture by the same rank only; the J and 7♦ sweep the floor and so take Q and K as well.

An attempt to capture an arbitrary illegal set of cards is refused with no change to the game state.

ERAM CARDS implementation notes: the plans are the inclusion-maximal collections of disjoint groups, same-rank cards are always part of a plan, up to 12 plans are offered and all are shown to the player. With exactly one plan no choice is needed; with several plans one must be chosen.

• The Jack (J) sweeps the whole floor and does not give a Basra bonus merely for sweeping.
• The 7 of diamonds (7♦) sweeps the whole floor.
• The 7♦ gives a Basra +10 if the number of cards on the floor is 10 or fewer before the play and there is no Q or K among them.
• The test is the card count, not the sum of numeric values. (Some traditional sources describe a version based on a numeric total of 10 or less; that is not the rule used here.)

Normal Basra

If a card other than a J or the 7♦ is played and its legal capture clears the floor completely, it is a Basra worth +10. (A Basra on the very last play of a hand counts if the capture cleared the floor.)

Leftovers at the end

After the last play the cards still on the floor go to the last player who captured; they join his captured cards, so they count for the 27-card majority and for his scoring cards. Receiving them is not a Basra and gives no +10.

If a hand ends with nobody having captured anything and cards remain on the floor, those cards stay unassigned (no last capturer).

The points of each hand are computed when it ends:

26 / 26 tie

• If each player captures 26 cards, nobody scores the majority in this hand and the 30 is carried to the next hand.
• Each repeated 26/26 tie adds 30 more to the carry.
• When the tie is broken, the player with 27 or more takes the current hand's majority (30) plus the accumulated carry, and the carry then resets to zero.

• The target of 121 points is checked after a complete hand.
• If only one player has reached 121 or more, he wins.
• If both players have reached 121 or more, the higher total wins.
• If they are exactly tied at 121 or more, another hand is played; there is no coin flip. (The extra hand is an ordinary hand with the dealer alternating.)

• An Ace counts as 1 when adding; Q and K have no number and cannot be added.
• Capturing is compulsory: if a card has a legal capture you cannot trail it; choose another card if you prefer.
• Remember that the Jack sweeps the floor but gives no Basra, while the 7♦ gives a Basra if the floor has 10 cards or fewer with no Q/K among them.
• Note that the cards left on the floor at the end go to the last player who captured.
• The 30-point majority needs 27 cards; a 26/26 tie carries it to the next hand.
• The special cards: J and A are worth 1 each, 2♣ is worth 2, 10♦ is worth 3.

• Floor — the face-up cards on the table.
• Capture — taking cards from the floor with a hand card.
• Trail — placing a card on the floor without capturing.
• Capture plan — a legal partition of what a play takes; the player chooses it by its ID only.
• Basra — clearing the floor by a capture; +10.
• Sweep — taking the whole floor with a Jack or the 7 of diamonds.
• Majority — 27 or more captured cards; +30.
• Carry — the 30 deferred after a 26/26 tie.

How many players?

Two, each for himself. (Other UI concepts with four players are not the rules of this version.)

Can I pass?

No, you play one card on every turn.

Does the Jack give a Basra?

No. The Jack sweeps the floor with no Basra.

When does the 7♦ give a Basra?

When the floor has 10 cards or fewer and no Q or K among them.

What if both players tie 26 / 26?

Nobody scores the majority and 30 is carried to the next hand, accumulating on repeats.