Last Updated on November 21, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Cuarenta is Ecuador’s signature card game. It’s fast, loud, strategic, and famously full of playful bravado. Popular in the Andean regions this lively game takes its name from the Spanish word for 40, which is both the number of cards in the deck and the points needed to win. Quick rounds, clever captures, and energetic table talk make Cuarenta a beloved social pastime across generations.

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How to Play Cuarenta (Complete Guide)

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Players

Cuarenta is played with either 2 players or 4 players.

• With 4 players, teammates sit across from each other.
• One partner keeps score while the other collects captured cards.

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The Deck

Cuarenta uses a 40-card deck, created by removing all 8s, 9s, and 10s from a standard 52-card deck.

• Ace = low
• Number cards 2–7
• Face cards: J, Q, K

The removed 8s, 9s, and 10s are kept aside and used as scoring markers throughout the game.

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Choosing a Dealer

To begin:

1. Shuffle the deck.
2. Deal cards face up around the table.
3. The first player to receive a diamond becomes the first dealer.

After each completed hand (2 deals with 4 players, 4 deals with 2 players), the deal rotates clockwise.

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The Deal

• The dealer gives each player 5 cards in one batch, starting left and dealing clockwise.
• After all players have played their cards, another set of 5 cards each is dealt from the remaining stock.
  • 4 players: 2 deals per hand
  • 2 players: 4 deals per hand

Any leftover cards from the deal form a face-down stack for the next round of dealing.

Special Announcements After the Deal

Immediately after receiving cards:

1. Four of a Kind

If a player receives four cards of the same rank, they show them immediately—their team wins the entire game outright.

2. Ronda

If a player receives three cards of the same rank, they announce “Ronda” and their team scores 4 points.

• The rank is kept secret.
• The next player (on the ronda player’s left) should remember that rank—capturing one of those cards later with a caída earns a large bonus.

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Gameplay Overview

The player to the dealer’s left begins. Turns proceed clockwise.
On your turn:

1. Play one card face up to the table.
2. If possible, capture cards according to the capture rules.
3. Captured cards are stacked face down in your team’s pile.

If your card cannot capture anything, it simply stays on the table.

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Capturing Cards

A played card can capture in three ways:

1. Matching

A card captures another card of the same rank.
Example: Play a Queen → capture any Queen on the table.

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2. Addition

Number cards (A–7) can capture combinations of cards that add up to the played card’s value.
Face cards cannot be used for addition.

Examples:

• Play a 5 → capture 2 + 3
• Play a 7 → capture A + 2 + 4

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3. Sequence

After capturing by matching or addition, you may take:

• The next higher card in rank
• And any unbroken sequence following it

Rank order:
A – 2 – 3 – 4 – 5 – 6 – 7 – J – Q – K

Example:
Table shows 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, J
Play a 2 → capture 2 (match) + 3 + 4 + 5 (sequence)

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Player Choice

If your card could capture in multiple ways, you must choose only one capture option.
Example:
Table: A, 2, 3, 4
Play a 4 → can capture A+3 or capture 4, but not both.

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Penalty for Missing a Sequence

If you make a valid matching/addition capture but forget to take available sequence cards, the opposing team may claim the missed sequence.

However, opponents cannot take cards if you miss a matching/addition capture entirely.

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Caída

A caída happens when you capture the previous player’s just-played card by matching.

• Worth 2 points
• Must be the immediate next play
• Addition-based captures do not count as caída

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Limpia

If you clear the table of all cards, your team scores 2 points.

If this happens using a caída, you earn 4 total points (2 caída + 2 limpia).

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New Deals

If more cards remain in the deck after everyone has played their 5 cards, a new set of 5 is dealt. Any leftover cards on the table stay there and can be captured next round.

Matching the dealer’s final card from the previous deal does not count as a caída.

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End of the Hand

Once all 40 cards have been played:

• Any cards left on the table count for nobody.
• Each team counts their captured cards.

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Scoring

Card Count Points

• 20 cards → 6 points
• More than 20 cards → +1 point per extra card, rounded to the next even number
  • 21–22 cards → 8 points
  • 23–24 cards → 10 points
• Fewer than 20 cards → team with more cards gets 2 points
• If tied under 20 → non-dealers score 2 points
• First team to 40 points wins

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Special Scoring

Caída of a Ronda card

If you capture a card that belonged to an opponent’s ronda (and you remember the rank and event):

• Your team scores 10 points (announced at end of hand)

Limitations

• Teams at 30+ points cannot score for ronda or ronda caída.
• Teams at 38 points cannot score for limpia.
• Teams at 36 points may still earn 4 points for caída + limpia and win.

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Traditional Scoring with 8s, 9s, 10s

These unused cards act as score markers:

• Each face-up card = 2 points
• A face-down card (perro) = 10 points

When you reach 38, you return all scoring cards to the center as a visual marker.

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Strategy Tips for Cuarenta

• Avoid leaving the table open. An empty table often leads to caída y limpia for the next player.
• Break pairs early so opponents can’t caída your matching cards.
• Use face cards wisely. They don’t add to anything, making them safer plays.
• Count cards and track what’s been played.
• Watch your opponents’ hesitation patterns. Skilled players read timing cues.
• Don’t make easy addition setups for opponents.
• Save cards that might caída the player on your right.

Cuarenta rewards memory, anticipation, and bold plays—don’t hesitate to taunt or misdirect!

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Conclusion

Cuarenta is more than a card game, it’s a lively Ecuadorian tradition filled with witty banter, clever captures, dramatic flourishes, and fast-moving strategy. Whether you’re playing casually with friends or competing with seasoned locals, the mix of addition, matching, and sequencing creates endless tactical depth. Master caída, watch the table closely, and enjoy one of South America’s most entertaining card games.

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Cuarenta Rules – FAQ