House Of DecksGame rules
Every house game has its full rules here: how the deal works, how a turn is played, how scoring works and how the game ends. These are the rules this table implements, not a summary - where this version departs from the traditional one, the page says so explicitly at the end.
Many of these games have no official rulebook and are played differently in every household. That is why each page also carries a strategy section and an FAQ covering the questions that actually come up in play.
El Presi
Get rid of your cards before anyone else and become the President.
Standard 52-card deck · 3 to 8 players
El Mentiroso
Get rid of all your cards without getting caught lying.
Standard 52-card deck · 3 to 6 players (ideal)
Dedo Cagado
Don't be the one left holding the Ace of Bastos alone at the end of the game.
Spanish 40-card deck, minus three of the four Aces (only the Ace of Bastos remains) · 2 to 8 players
Cinco Vidas
Be the last player with lives left when everyone else runs out.
Standard 52-card deck · 2 to 8 players
El Cuadrado
Memorize your cards, get rid of the worst ones using the powers, and finish the game with the lowest total score.
Standard 52-card deck · 2 to 6 players
Continental
Lay down your combinations before anyone else in each of the 7 hands and finish the game with the lowest score.
Two standard 52-card decks plus 4 jokers (108 cards total) · 2 to 6 players
Blackjack
Get as close to 21 as you can without going over and beat the house.
Standard 52-card deck · 2 to 7 players
Poker
Make the best 5-card hand (combining yours with the community cards) and take the pot.
Standard 52-card deck · 2 to 7 players
Ronda Robada
Build runs to fill your pile, stealing others' piles along the way: once the deck runs out, whoever has the most wins.
Spanish 40-card deck · 2 to 4 players
Conquista
Be the only player left holding territory on the map.
A map, dice and one territory card per territory · 2 to 6 players
Envite Canario
Win rounds to earn stones, stones become chicos, and the first team to complete the chicos they need wins the game.
Spanish 40-card deck · 4 to 12 players, in two equal-size teams (2 to 6 each)