Brus (card game)

Swedish-speaking peoples used to live on the Estonian islands until 1944 and, in 1855, were recorded by Russwurm as playing Brus. Although the description of the rules is scanty, the matadors are those typical of the Brus family of games: K♥, 8♠ and J♣. The Sevens are called friare and the aim is to win five tricks, presumably from a total of nine.[3]

Much more detail is known of the Danish variant of Brus which was part of West Jutland's rural culture in the first half of the 19th century.[4] For example, it is described as one of two games[lower-alpha 2] played around Christmas time by the older folk in Skanderup in the Danish county of Ribe. It was not played for money; instead the score was chalked up, presumably on a slate or the table. The top trumps were the Spidt (Jack of Clubs), Brus (King of Hearts) and Gal Hund (Eight of Spades). The men would play cards all evening while drinking schnapps and beer and reminiscing about the Napoleonic Wars.[5]

The rules of the Danish game are described in various sources from 1853 to 1973. It is a 36-card, 4-player game, with the same matadors as those in the Estonian game. Players received 3 hand cards and played for the best of nine tricks.[3]

There is evidence that the game is still be being taught and played in Denmark.[6][lower-alpha 3] Unsurprisingly, its mechanics are very similar to its German Schleswig cousin, Bruus, played south of the border in German west Jutland.

A 36-card, Danish-pattern pack is used. Cards rank as follows:[3]

• J♣ - Spids
• K♥ - Brus
• 8♠ - Galhund or Gale Hund
• Nines
• Aces
• Jacks
• Sixes

The Beggar King

The top three cards - Spids, Brus and Galhund - are the matadors. The Nines, Aces, Jacks and Sixes are called 'trick cards' and, at each rank, beat each other in suit order: ♣ ♠ ♥ and ♦. The Sevens have a special role: they are unbeatable when led to a trick, except by a Seven of a higher suit or by the K♣ – the Stodderkonge[lower-alpha 4] or Beggar King – otherwise the Sevens are worthless and cannot beat anything.[3] If the Beggar King is played, it can only be beaten by the K♠, nicknamed Kristian Andersen. Apart from these circumstances, neither King had any value. This was also true of the remaining cards: the other Kings, the Queens, Tens and Eights (except the Galhund). The worthless cards are 'windmills' and can never win a trick unless all four cards are windmills, in which case the led card wins.[3]

Four players form two teams of two for the session with partners sitting opposite one another. Three may also play, each playing for himself or herself.[3]

Players cut for the deal, lowest card deals first. Three cards are dealt clockwise to each player in one batch, starting with the dealer. The rest are placed face down on the table to form the talon.[3]

Forehand (left of dealer) leads to the first trick; the winner of a trick leads to the next. There is no requirement to follow suit, trump or head the trick. Players may always play any card. As in other games in the family, two or three cards of the same rank may be led and all must be beaten to win the double- or triple-trick thus arising. For example, Galhund and two other Eights can only be beaten by Spids or Brus and any two 'trick cards'. When the trick is taken, players replenish their cards in order starting with the trick winner.[7][3]

If a player has the Galhund or Brus, he may say "I'll chance it" as he plays the card. He may only do so, however, if a higher matador is still in play and not held by him, if the talon is not exhausted, if there is another player still to play to the trick and if winning the bonus would not result in winning the rubber. The chancer scores a point unless his matador is 'smacked' by a higher card played by an opponent in which case the opposing side score two points. If the 8♠ is chanced and smacked by the K♥, but beaten in turn by the J♣, it is an 'oversmack' and worth 3 points, unless the K♥ was also chanced in which case it is worth 4 points. If a card is found to be unlawfully chanced, it is automatically smacked.[3]

Traditional scoring system in Brus

In addition to the bonuses for chancing and smacking, the team that wins the most tricks in each deal scores a point. Two points are scored for winning the first 5 tricks i.e. winning 5–0. [3]

To keep score, players draw a so-called 'comb', a horizontal line with vertical lines drawn across it at right angles. Each team has one half of the comb and points are scored by erasing or striking out the lines on the team's side of the comb. The first side to erase or cross off all its lines wins. Game is usually 9 points.[3]