Welcome to Agram!

Our Goal: Win the game by winning the 6th trick.

Number of Players: 2-5 players

Number of Cards: 35 card deck

Card Ranks: A, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3

Type of Game: Trick Taking

Who Can Play: Adults

Explore the World of Agram

Let me introduce you to Agram, the most popular card game in Niger, a country located in Africa. The game is so beloved in Niger that it has also found its way to Cameroon, which doesn’t even share a border with Niger. In Cameroon, it goes by the name “fapfap.” Fascinating, isn’t it?!

Agram is said to be part of a family of games known as “Spar.” These trick-taking games made their way to West Africa during the Atlantic Slave Trade. A rich history intertwines with the deck of cards you hold in your hands.

Let’s Understand the Game

So, this game involves using a regular deck of 52 cards. We’ll remove the Kings, Queens, Jacks, the Ace of Spades, and the Twos. And hey, did you know that the highest-ranking card is the 10 of Spades?

The dealer will give each player 6 cards, three at a time. Exciting, isn’t it?

It’s Time to Play!

Now, here’s how the game works. The player sitting on the left side of the dealer gets to start the first trick. They can choose any card they like and play it. Then, it’s the turn of the other players, and we’ll move from left to right. If possible, players should try to follow suit. This means playing a card with the same suit as the first one played. But don’t worry, if they don’t have a card of that suit, they can play any card from their hand. However, cards of different suits don’t have any value in the trick.

Each player will take turns playing one card per trick, and the turns will keep moving to the left. After every player has played their card, the one with the highest-valued card of the leading suit wins the trick. They get to keep all the cards from that trick and lead the next one. This continues until all 6 cards have been played. And you know what? The player who wins the last trick is the winner of the whole game! Isn’t that amazing?