Any player that knows how to play canasta and knows canasta terms will also be really familiar with burraco terms. This is because the same are used since burraco is a game variation of canasta. The only real differences are noticed in the fact that some canasta terms are never going to be seen in burraco games while some burraco terms are going to be noticed only in burraco games while also including most canasta terms. Below you will find a short burraco glossary that includes the most common terms that you are likely to meet.

Base – 4 cards that all have the exact same rank.

Canasta – One meld of at least 7 cards arranged in either a run or a set.

Concealed – A hand that the opponent has no clue what it contains. If you Go out Concealed it means that you went out without the opponent knowing anything about the hand, usually in one turn by melding all the cards and then picking up the pot pile.

Initial Meld – The first meld that you are making. Sometimes it can be associated with an Intial Meld Requirement (sometimes Minimum Requirement) that says you need to have a meld of a minimum given point value in order to lay down the cards on the table.

Natural Canasta – One canasta that does not include any wild card. Opposed to Dirty Canasta, which also includes jokers.

Natural Card – Any card that is not a wild card.

Pot Pile – An extra set of cards that need to be picked up and played by the player that first finishes his/her cards in a team. Only one pot hand needs to be picked up in one team.

Wild-card – A joker or a 2. Wild-cards can be used in melds in order to replace any card. A 2 is not considered or scored as a joker if it is placed in its numeric value meld.

This Burraco Glossary is not complete in the sense that there might be slang terms that you are going to meet in some regions. Keep in mind that you have the right to know what a term means. You can ask the other players or the dealer in the event that you did not understand something. If you want to play, do not forget to read the download burraco games page – you need to know how to do it.