Episode 96

Dobrodošli, prijatelji!

We hope you’re in the mood for some fun and friendly competition.

In this lesson, we’re learn some words relating to games we enjoy at home with our families and social circle.

Tony D will be keeping points and Uncle Mike might be a sore loser!

Lesson - Games

games - igre

peers, company, social circle - društvo board games - društvene igre

card games - kartaške igre

Are you playing? - Igraš?

my turn/your turn - moj red/tvoj red point - bod/bodova

winner - pobjednik

loser - gubitnik

Sorry - Čovječe ne ljuti se

Countries and Cities - Države i gradovi

Super Slatko Report

Keeping on the topic of games, DJ Moe’s Super Slatko Report will be about the card game, Briškola. The rivalries can be fierce or friendly, but the game is really intriguing. Pull up a chair and learn about this special pastime enjoyed through out many parts of Croatia.

So let’s learn about Briškula.

This card game as we maybe familiar with it, is known as Briškula, which is played all over Croatia and neighboring countries and can also be found in Italy known as Briscola. The deck of cards is made up of 40 cards as opposed to the 52 that most of us are used to and game operate with different suits. The deck of cards itself is known as Triestine cards, Briškula Karte. Even the suits are a little different. We are probably more familiar with Hearts, Diamonds, the Club and Spade. In Briškula we see Coins, Cups, Batons and Swords. Or in Hrvatski you have Dinare, copa, baštoni, and špade.

The object of the game is to accumulate more points from the cards than the other player. But more cards doesn’t always mean a win, as ,there is a point value that comes into play too. There are hands where cards are dealt and there are hardly any points to play for or none at all.

To make things extra fun later once we have it all the rules down, 4 players could play in teams of two. This is where trickery gets rolled in known as mota. During a hand, players on the same team can work out signals only they would know to use against the opposing team, and vice versa. They may even use fake signals to throw off the other team and keep the game interesting and where Cheating is encouraged and welcome, stay on your toes.

But I will stick to a classic one vs. one situation so we can understand the game and its rules.

Game starts off with 3 cards to each player and the deck sitting face down on a flat surface. Flip the top card from the deck so that it’s face up, this is now the trump suit for this whole series of games that will follow. The game from here on out is played by one player putting down one card that becomes the 2nd strongest card in the hand. Depending on the point value of the cards in play. The card the other player puts down will either be to win or not give the other player any points or the least amount of points that would add up to a win for the other player. If no card is of the trump suit of the game or the secondary trump suit of the hand the card of higher value would win that hand.

The point values of the cards will dictate that game play. Here’s how the card points break down.

A=11

3=10

K=4

Horseman=3 (in palace of a queen)

J=2

2,4,5,6&7 have no value but can play to your advantage.

In this 1 on 1 situation, there are a total of 120 points available, so in the end, when points are tallied, if you one player gets past 61 points, they would obviously be the winner.

I would recommend you to check out a YouTube video or two, to see the feel of the game, as there are lots of strategies that one could use to their advantage.

I hope this peaked your interest enough to check this game out for yourself. I know I will be working on this one as it looks fun to learn and strategize against other players.

Thanks Uncle Mike and Tony D for helping me out with this one.

And that’s it for the super slatko report.