Ecuadorian Cuarenta (Forty): how to play

Cuarenta (Forty) is Ecuador’s most iconic card game, played with a 40-card pack, either individually or in pairs. Players aim to reach 40 points by capturing cards from the table, with special moves such as the caída (drop) and the limpia (sweep) earning 2 extra points each.

Why is it called that?

For two reasons: you play with 40 cards, and you win by reaching 40 points. It has nothing to do with cantar las cuarenta (declaring forty) in Tute (a Spanish trick-taking game), though it’s a fun coincidence.

How to play

• Each player receives five cards.
• Take turns playing one card. If its number matches a card on the table, you capture it. You can also capture cards whose values add up to the same number, or runs of consecutive cards.
• Caída: if your opponent has just played a card and you immediately capture it with a matching card, you score 2 points.
• Limpia: if you clear the table, you score another 2 points.

The card count

When the pack runs out, everyone counts the cards they have captured. Anyone who exceeds a certain number scores extra points. So even if you haven’t made many drops, you can still come from behind.

A close relative

If it reminds you of Escoba (Broom) or Casita Robada (Stealing the Little House), that’s no coincidence: they are all capture games, and they share that thrill of taking every card on the table.