Samba
Number of Players
4 players in pairs (partners sit opposite each other)
The Pack
7 decks - including 2 jokers with each deck
Rank of Cards
A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2
Values of Cards
- Jokers: 50
- Aces & 2s: 20
- King through 8: 10
- 7 through 4: 5
- Black 3s: -100 - if caught in hand
- Red 3s: see Scoring
The Draw, Shuffle, and Cut
Shuffle all cards together. Each person cuts, if first had of game, to determine who plays first.
The Deal
Each player takes a portion of the shuffled pack and deals him/herself two stacks of 15 cards – if the portion of the deck taken equals 30 cards, player scores 100 points. One stack is your foot and should be placed to the side. The other is the hand and is passed to the player on your left. That becomes the player’s hand to play the round.
Object of Play
To play all your cards (both your hand and foot), scoring as many points as possible by laying down your cards in sets of 3 and building books of 7 cards.
Wild Cards
Jokers and all 2s may be used to complete books from 4 to 6 and 8 to A. When played there must be more natural cards than wild cards. Wild cards may not be played as part of a samba or book of 7s.
Special Cards
Threes (3s): - Red 3s – played to the board, earning points (see scoring) and grants a card draw to replace the 3. - Black 3s – are never played to the board and cost the team with any left in their hand 100 points each.
The Play
Each game consists of 4 rounds of play. Each round requires a different number of points to lay down. Only one partner must meld the required amount of points. The 2nd partner only needs to play 1 card on what their partner melded. If they can’t play on them, they must play the required number of meld points. The meld requirements for each hand are as follows:
- 1st – 50 points
- 2nd - 90 points
- 3rd - 120 points
- 4th - 150 points
Note: Since both partners don’t have to meld the full points per hand, the 1st partner to lay down can help their partner by playing whatever they can, giving their partner more opportunities to play a card on what they played. In each hand you must get 1 Samba (run A K Q J 10 9 8 - same suit), 1 book of 7s, 1 book of wilds, 5 clean books (no wild cards), and 1 dirty book (wilds).
To determine who goes first, each player cuts the deck to reveal a card, high card goes first. If you cut a joker, re-cut. If two players tie for high card, they cut again. Take the cards given to you by the player on your right and arrange them as your hand.
To begin your turn you draw 4 cards, from any pile you want. Once there are at least 8 cards in the discard pile, a player may chose to take the top card off the pile, along with the next 7 cards. You have to be able to play the top card with 2 cards from your hand. When taking these cards pick up the discard pile, turn it over, take the top card (now on the bottom of the stack you are holding) place it down along with the cards you will be playing it with. Then without looking take the next 7 cards from the bottom of the stack, keeping them face down. Set them to the side, then finish your turn. Once you have discarded you may pick up the 7 extra cards and place them in your hand.
If you are the first person able to meld the required points for your team, you may place your meld onto the table in front of you. Any numbers or runs (sambas) that you start must contain at least 3 cards. If you are the second person to lay down, you are only required to play one card on anything your partner put down on the table. If you can't play on anything your partner played, and you can lay down the required number of points for the current hand's meld, you may do so. When you are done playing all of the cards you can play, you discard one card to the pile in the center of the table. If you did lay down the required meld or played on your partner's meld you can now pick up your foot and add it to your hand. Play passes to the left.
Play continues until one partnership has completed its required books (see above) and discards their last card - a discard is required. Each team counts the cards remaining in their hand and subtracts the points from their card count. Any black 3s that are held when someone goes out counts as 100 points and must be subtracted. Then count books and card scores. See scoring.
Scoring
Scoring happens at the end of each of the 4 rounds, in two phases:
1. Base (book) score: - 30 Cards Exact cut - 100 pts - Going Out - 2000 points (team that went out, if anyone) - Red 3s (individual) - 100 points each* - Red 3s (book) - 1000 points* - Samba - 2000 pts each - Book of 7s - 2000 pts each - Book of Wilds - 2000 pts each - Clean Books (no wilds) - 500 each - Dirty Books (wilds) - 300 each 2. Card points - count every card, except the red 3s that were played, including the completed books. This score will be added to the base score to get your hand total.
*Note: If a team manages to get 7 red 3s they have created a book and will get 1000 points for the book. If they get additional red 3s they get 100 points for each one.
Winning the Game
The partnership with the highest total score after all four rounds have been scored wins.
Variation
One variation is to change partners after each hand. In this case you would cut for first player each hand. Also the winner is the individual with the highest score after all rounds have been scored wins.