VATRA
Hey there! I want to tell you about an exciting card game called Vatra, which means Fire. It’s a game that can be played by 3 to 13 players. The main objective of the game is to avoid being the loser and receiving a punishment at the end.
Originally, Vatra is a game played by young boys. But, you can adjust the rules to make it suitable for any age group, as long as everyone agrees on the punishments before starting the game.
SETUP
Let me explain how the game is set up. The number of cards in the deck depends on the number of players. Each player should have a complete set of 4 cards. For example, if you’re playing with 3 players, you can use all the Aces, Kings, and Queens in the deck. But if you have 13 players, you’ll need all 52 cards.
To begin, a dealer is randomly chosen. The dealer shuffles the deck and deals four cards to each player, face-down.
GAMEPLAY
Once the game begins, it’s your turn to make a move. You start by picking one card from your hand to pass it to the player on your left. That player receives the card and checks their own hand for a set of four cards with the same rank. If they have a four of a kind, they can choose any card from their hand to pass to the left as well. This pattern continues around the table.
The excitement builds as players search for that coveted four of a kind in their hand. As soon as a player finds it, they slam their hands down on the table, revealing their cards, and enthusiastically shout “Fire!” This sudden outburst triggers a chain reaction among the other players. They quickly follow suit, slamming their hands down on the table and shouting “Fire!” in unison.
The game is far from over though. There’s a catch – the last player to join in on the fiery frenzy loses the game. So it’s important to be alert and quick to respond when the moment arises.
THE END AND THE CONSEQUENCES
When you play the game, it’s important to know that it doesn’t end until someone loses. And when that happens, they’re in for a punishment. Let me explain how it works.
In a traditional game, the winner of the round (the one who called “fire”) will shuffle the full deck of 52 cards. Then, the loser will have to name any card from the deck, specifying its suit and rank. Pay close attention!
Starting from the top card of the deck, the winner will reveal cards one by one. They’ll keep going until the declared card is finally revealed. But here’s the catch – every card that isn’t the declared card means trouble for the loser!
For every non-declared card that’s revealed, the loser will have to put their hand on the table, palm down, and face the consequences. And what are these consequences, you ask? Well, it depends on the suit of the card that was revealed.
If it’s a spade, the winner gets to deliver a solid hit to the loser’s hand, using their own fist as a hammer. Ouch!
If it’s a club, the winner will rub their knuckles against the loser’s hand twice. Imagine the shape of a cross and that’s what it’ll look like. It might sting a bit!
If it’s a diamond, then things get a bit uncomfortable for the loser. The winner will pinch and twist the back of the loser’s hand. Sounds painful!
And finally, if it’s a heart, the winner gets to show some affection – in a peculiar way. They’ll pet the back of the loser’s hand as if it were a dog. Quite odd!
So, as you can see, there’s a lot at stake in this game. You never know what card will be revealed next, and what kind of punishment it might bring. It’s all part of the excitement and thrill of playing. Good luck!
When we reveal the declared card, that’s when the loser’s punishment ends.
A Special Variation
There’s a cool way to play called the traveling card. It’s a twist on the regular rules. To set it up, we add a special card to the deck, one that’s not used in the game. If we’re playing with a full deck, we’ll need to use a joker as the traveling card.
Dealing the cards is the same as usual, except that the player to the left of the dealer gets an extra card, making it five cards in their hand. Now, everyone looks at their cards, and if someone has the traveling card, they have to show it to everyone. After showing it, they take it back and secretly shuffle their cards.
So, here’s the thing. Only a few things change when you play this type of game. When I get a card, I’ll have 5 cards in my hand before I pass. And when I pass a card to someone, they can say no to the first card I pass them, without even looking at it! Can you believe that? But don’t worry, I’ll just have to find another card to give them, and they have to accept it, no questions asked.
Now, here’s another rule. If I have four cards that are all the same, but I also have a special card called the traveling card, I can’t declare Vatra unless I can pass that traveling card successfully. It’s like a challenge, you know? If I can do it, then I can declare Vatra and win!
So, those are the extra rules you need to know. It might seem a bit confusing at first, but trust me, once you start playing, it’ll all make sense. Good luck!