Note: Version 2.6 has additional features not shown on this page. Be sure read "What's New" after reading this page.
 
 
How to play Cuarenta
 
 
The 
Screen		 [Playing Screen] 
 
The 
Deck		 The deck is a standard deck with the eights, nines and tens removed, leaving 40 cards.  The sequence of the cards is:  A, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, J, Q, K 
 
The 
Deal		 Each player is dealt 5 cards.  After the hand is played, another hand of 5 cards is dealt to each player until all 40 cards have been dealt (4 hands). Then, the player who has captured the most cards scores points based on the number of cards captured.  The deal then alternates to the other player. This continues until one player gets 40 points. 
 
Initial 
Scores		 After you have been dealt your 5 cards, and before you play any of your cards . . .   
[screen showing ronda button] If you have 3 or 4 cards of the same rank, you may score a "Ronda." Tap on the Ronda button to claim your score. Three cards of  the same rank score two points, four the same ("doble ronda") score four points. 
 
 
The 
Play		 On your turn, tap on one of the cards in your hand to play it. If you are able to capture cards from the table (explained below), tap on those cards too, and then tap on the Play button. If you are unable to capture, you can place your card on the table by tapping the Play button or by just tapping on the table.  

When it is the Pilot's turn to play, it will highlight the card it is about to play and any cards it will capture. It will then wait for you to tap the screen to continue the game. 
Capturing 
Cards		 There are three ways to capture cards:   
  1. Matching:  If  your card is the same rank as a card on the table, you capture that card.
  2. Addition: If your card is a number card (7 or less), it can capture a pair of cards whose values add up to your card.  Jacks, queens and kings cannot be used to capture or be captured by addition.
  3. Sequence: After capturing cards by matching or addition, you may then take a card from the table which is the next higher in rank than card you played from your hand. You may capture additional  cards which follow in an unbroken sequence. (Remember: the sequence is A,2,3,4,5,6,7,J,Q,K.)  If you do not take all the cards from the table to which you are entitled, you forfeit them to the Pilot.
Caída
If you capture the card just played by the previous player by matching it is called a "Caída" (Spanish for a Fall")  and scores 2 points.  However, after a fresh deal of 5 cards, if you match the last card played from the previous deal, you cannot claim a Caída.
 
Limpia
If you capture all the cards on the table it is called a ''Limpia" ("Clean up" in Spanish). A Limpia scores 2 points. It sometimes happens that a player puts down a card on an empty table and the next player then matches it for a Caída. This also clears the table for a Limpia. However, you will only score the Caída for 2 points. You will not score 4 points for the both the Limpia and the Caída. 
 
New 
Deal		 After each player has played their 5 cards, another round of 5 cards is dealt to each player. Any cards remaining on the table are left on the table and are still available for capture. Remember: it does not count as a Caída if the first player after a new deal captures the last card played by the opponent at the end of the previous deal.
End 
of 
Deck		 After all 40 cards have been played (which takes 4 deals), any uncaptured cards are left on the table, and do not score for either player. 
 
Scoring The player who captured the most cards during a round scores additional points based on the number of cards they captured.  
  • A player with 20 cards scores 6 points. You also score an additional point for each card over 20. This total is always rounded up to the next even number. So a player who captured  21 or 22 cards scores 8 points; 23 cards or 24 cards score 10 points.
  • If both players take 20 cards, then only the non-dealing player (the one who played first in each hand) scores 6 points.
  • If neither player captures as many as 20 cards, the player who captured the most cards scores 2 points.
  • If both players tie with less than 20 cards, the non-dealer gets the 2 points.
  • The first player to reach 40 points wins the game.
 
What's 
New?		 4/3/98  Version 2.6  
 
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