House Of DecksGame rules
Envite Canario
Win rounds to earn stones, stones become chicos, and the first team to complete the chicos they need wins the game.
Deck
Spanish 40-card deck
Players
4 to 12 players, in two equal-size teams (2 to 6 each)
Teams and dealing
Players split into two equal teams before starting; each team has a captain (whoever joined that team first) who decides on envites on the team's behalf.
Each round, 3 cards are dealt to each player. The next card from the deck is turned face up: this is "la Vira", which sets the trump suit (cards of that suit are "chilasco").
Special cards
The 2 of the trump suit is the "malilla", the single highest trump card.
The bigger each team is, the more fixed "matador" cards get added above the malilla - always the same physical cards regardless of what the Vira turns out to be. From 3v3 up: the 3 of Clubs, the Knight of Clubs, and the Jack of Coins ("Perica"). From 4v4 up, add the 5 of Coins. From 5v5 up, add the 2 of Coins. From 6v6 up, add the Ace of Coins - each one ranked above the ones before it.
The envite
Before the round's first card is played, either captain may call an envite instead of passing, challenging the other team to play for more than the usual 2 stones.
The other captain answers: accept (the round now plays for the new value), raise (propose an even higher value), or fold (the team that raised immediately takes whatever value was last accepted, without the round being played out).
The ladder keeps escalating until someone accepts or folds, or until it hits the top rung ("chico fuera"), where winning the round is worth an entire chico.
Playing a trick
Whoever leads may play any card. Everyone else must follow suit if they can.
If the leader plays a trump card, everyone holding trump must play trump too - except the round's single highest card (the strongest matador, or the malilla if there are no matadores), which its holder may keep back even if it's their only trump.
The strongest card by the round's ranking wins the trick; up to 3 tricks are played, and whichever team wins 2 takes the round.
Stones, chicos, and tumbo
Winning a round with no envite called is worth 2 stones for the winning team; with an accepted envite, it's worth whatever was agreed.
Once a team reaches a set number of stones (depends on the ruleset), they score a chico and both teams reset to 0 stones.
Close to completing a chico, a team enters "tumbo" - no envites can be called that round. If the team in tumbo wins the round, they take a whole chico outright; if they lose it, the other team gains a stone penalty instead of the round's normal value.
The first team to complete the chicos they need wins the game.
Tips and strategy
A bid is information
An early bid does more than raise the stakes: it tells the other team you have something. Bluff bids work, but only if your team also bids with real hands sometimes; bid only when you have nothing and it shows by the third round.
Folding is not losing: it is paying the previously accepted value instead of risking more. With no trumps and no matadores, folding early and cheap keeps you in the game.
The escalation caps out at "chico fuera". Reaching it turns an ordinary round into the decisive one - do not take the bidding there without at least a matador or the malilla.
Playing as a team
The captain decides the bids, but the information comes from the whole table. Watch which suit your partners lead: leading a suit usually means that is where they are strong.
If your partner has already won the trick, do not reinforce it with a high card. Saving the malilla or a matador for the next trick is worth far more than winning the same trick twice.
You only need 2 of the 3 tricks. Conceding the first to keep your strength for the next two is a perfectly valid play and very common at experienced tables.
Matadores and tumbo
Matadores are fixed and do not depend on the Vira, and the more players per team the more of them are in play. At 5-a-side or above, the malilla stops being the dominant card it is at small tables.
You may hold back the highest card of the round even if it is your only trump. It is the one exception to the obligation to play trumps and it is worth keeping in mind.
When the opposing team is in tumbo, no bids can be made and the round is worth a whole chico if they win it. That is the time to play defensively and place your trumps where they genuinely matter.
Frequently asked questions
How many players does Envite Canario need?
From 4 to 12, always in two teams of equal size (2-a-side up to 6-a-side). The number of players per team determines how many matadores come into play.
What are the malilla and the matadores?
The malilla is the 2 of the Vira’s suit, the highest trump at small tables. Matadores are fixed cards that rank above it and do not depend on the trump suit: from 3-a-side the 3 of Clubs, the Knight of Clubs and the Perica (Jack of Coins), with the 5 of Coins, the 2 of Coins and the Ace of Coins joining at larger tables.
What happens if I fold a bid?
The team that raised immediately takes the previously accepted value, and the round is never played. It is how you cut your losses when you know the hand is not there.
What is tumbo?
A state a team enters when close to completing a chico. During tumbo no bids can be made; if the team in tumbo wins the round they take a whole chico, and if they lose it the other team scores a stone penalty.
Which variants are included?
General and Gran Canaria, chosen by the host before the game starts. They change how many stones a chico takes and the details of tumbo.
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