This selects José Carrillo-Muniz’s family version with a six-card mayor. Keep the four-card alternative separate.

← On a small screen, scroll the diagram horizontally. →

The mayor has six cards and each of the two opponents has three. Shared stock covers an exposed trump; the mayor plays two cards per trick, opponents one each. Fans and piles are schematic; the rules specify card counts.
The mayor has six cards and each of the two opponents has three. Shared stock covers an exposed trump; the mayor plays two cards per trick, opponents one each. Fans and piles are schematic; the rules specify card counts.

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Preparation

Three players use 40 cards: remove 8, 9, 10 from a standard pack. Rank A–3–K–Q–J–7–6–5–4–2; values A=11, 3=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2, others zero. Queen represents the Spanish horse.

Choose the first mayor randomly. Deal anticlockwise: three each to opponents, six to mayor. Place remaining stock over a face-up trump indicator. Opponents may see each other’s cards.

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Play

Mayor’s right leads. Opponents play one card each, mayor two on their turn; when mayor leads, the first sets suit. Any cards are legal. Highest trump, otherwise highest led-suit card, captures all four and leads next.

Draw anticlockwise from the winner: mayor two, opponents one each. Indicator is last. Finish hands without replenishment.

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Keeping office

After ten tricks, count 120 points. Mayor retains office on 60 or more; otherwise their right neighbour becomes mayor. Thus 60–60 keeps the mayor. Treat one deal as a complete game here.

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A four-card trick

Spades are trump. Isaac leads A♥, Lena adds 3♥, and the mayor plays 2♠ and K♣. The mayor captures 11 + 10 + 0 + 4 = 25 points. The two is weak against higher spades, but as the only trump here it captures all the valuable cards.

Replace 2♠ with 2♦ and Isaac wins with his ace. The mayor cannot select a convenient winning suit after looking at the completed trick: the original lead, and any trump cards, decide the comparison.

For a scoring check, give the mayor a total of 58. Their opponents must have 62. A result adding up to 119 or 121 needs checking before the next dealer is appointed. Separate the question of who wins a trick from how much that trick is worth.

← On a small screen, scroll the diagram horizontally. →

Opponents have played. Trick: A♥, 3♥. Hand fragment: 2♠, K♣. Isaac led A♥ and Lena added 3♥. The mayor must now play two cards. Mayor captures. Captured cards: A♥, 3♥, 2♠, K♣. The mayor plays 2♠ and K♣. The only trump takes 11+10+0+4=25 points. Spades trump. The mayor plays two cards to one trick and captures all four for 25 points with the trump two.
Spades trump. The mayor plays two cards to one trick and captures all four for 25 points with the trump two.

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Background and agreements

The game is documented in Puerto Rico as a Brisca relative. The primary author records a family teaching tradition; a precise invention date is not established.

Exchanging the trump indicator is optional. Leave it disabled for the first game. The four-card variant changes hand size, trick count and winning threshold; merely dealing four instead of six does not produce a complete alternative.

Common questions

Why are there four cards in a trick?+

Each opponent contributes one; the mayor contributes two.

Must I follow suit?+

No.

Does a tie remove the mayor?+

No: 60–60 is enough to retain office.