Bura or Seka: How the Two Games Differ

Bura or Seka: the question comes up often, because both are Georgian table card games, in both the ace is worth 11, and in both the magic number 31 appears. But that is where the likeness ends. Bura is a trick-taking game: you lead cards, take tricks, count, and try to be first to collect 31 or 61 points. Seka is a game of stakes and comparison: you get three cards once, and what matters is who bets how much. Below the two are side by side.

Bura is live on tamashebi.cc: open /bura and play three-card, five-card or five-card bura in pairs, against live opponents or bots for practice. Seka cannot be played yet; its page (/seka) already describes the rules, and a Play button will appear there when it opens. In both the only stake is the virtual Domino Coin, never money.

What they share: cards, points, pace

• One deck. Both are played with a 36-card deck (six to ace), though three-card Bura uses only 20 cards: ace, ten, king, queen and jack.
• Ace 11. In both the ace is worth 11 and the ten 10. The pictures are valued differently: in Bura the king is 4, the queen 3 and the jack 2; in Seka all three are worth 10.
• 31. In three-card Bura you need 31 points to win a hand. In Seka 31 is the most three cards of one suit can make: an ace and two ten-pointers.
• A quick pace. In both a hand is over in a few minutes, and both are made for a friendly table.
• The language of stakes. In Bura the stake is raised with "davi" (the doubling call, followed by se, chari, panji, shashi: three to six); in Seka by raising. Either way, on tamashebi.cc it is only ever points or a virtual coin.

The differences

This list gathers in one place everything that separates the two games. The Bura figures are the ones tamashebi.cc's Bura plays with; the Seka ones are the most common Georgian version.

• Aim. Bura: collect 31 (three-card) or 61 (five-card) points by taking tricks. Seka: hold the best three cards, or outlast everyone in the betting.
• Cards in hand. Bura: 3 or 5, refilled from the stock after every trick. Seka: 3, dealt once, no exchanges.
• Deck. Bura: 20 cards (three-card) or 36 (five-card). Seka: 36, sometimes 32.
• Players. Bura: 2, or 4 in pairs (five-card). Seka: 2 to 6, everyone for himself.
• Trump. Bura: yes, shown by the card turned up under the stock. Seka: none.
• Combinations. Bura: a bura (three or five trumps, which wins the hand at once) and a maliutka (a full hand of one non-trump suit). Seka: the seka (three of one rank), two aces at 22, a suit total.
• Length of a hand. Bura: several tricks, usually a few minutes. Seka: a minute or two, sometimes seconds.
• Match. Bura: to 1, 3, 7 or 11 points. Seka: hands are played one by one, each with its own pot.

The same ace in two games

Imagine you hold the ace of hearts, the king of hearts and the ten of clubs. In Seka that is 21 points: the hearts add up and the ten is lost. An above-average hand, and heads-up you might even raise. In Bura, if hearts are trumps, you hold two strong trumps and a ten: the ace and king together are 15 points, but you have not won anything yet. You have to earn them by taking tricks, and the ten, if you lead it, may fall to your opponent's ace of clubs or to a trump. The same three cards are a finished result in Seka and only a chance in Bura.

Stakes in the two games: davi and raising

Both games let you raise the stake, but its role is entirely different. In Bura the stake is what the hand is worth in the match. During the hand you can say "davi", and the hand is worth two points. Your opponent either accepts, declines and loses the hand at its previous value, or raises himself: se (3), chari (4), panji (5), shashi (6). Raises alternate between the sides. And when someone is one point from winning the match, the first such hand is played without raises. In Bura the stake appears mid-hand, when one player trusts his cards or the points he has collected.

In Seka the stake is the game itself. Without it Seka would not exist: comparing three cards would be over in a second. Every player decides each round whether to call, raise or fold, and the pot can go to whoever held the weakest cards, if everyone else dropped out. You cannot win a Bura hand that way: you win it on points, with a bura, or because your opponent declined your davi.

Which is harder

On rules, Seka is simpler: you learn it in five minutes and are playing by the second hand. The difficulty is psychological: when to fold, when to raise, when to say "vachvenot" (the showdown). In any single hand, luck decides a lot.

Bura has more rules: leading several cards of one suit, the all-or-nothing cover, drawing from the stock, and "var" (the claim that you have enough points). And here is what makes Bura truly hard: the table does not show you the points you have collected, so you have to count in your head. If you claim "var" and fall short, you lose the hand. Bura is a game of memory and counting; Seka is a game of nerve and reading people.

Which to choose

• If you love Joker or nardi, where every move counts: Bura. It resembles Joker: trumps, tricks and counting points.
• If you love quick decisions and bluffing: Seka. Hands are short and the tension is high.
• If there are two of you, both work. Four in pairs: five-card Bura. Six, every player for himself: Seka.
• If you are new to card games, start with Seka to get the hang of the rules, then move on to Bura, where skill decides more.

And in the end, you do not have to choose. Plenty of tables play both: Bura early in the evening, with half-hour matches, then Seka as more people arrive and want quick hands. You can learn both sets of rules in one evening, and what you pick up in one game, counting points fast and watching your opponent, serves you in the other.

Frequently asked questions

Are Bura and Seka versions of the same game?

No. Both are Georgian table card games played with the same deck, but Bura is a trick-taking game with trumps, while Seka is a three-card comparison with stakes. They share only some card values and the number 31.

Why does 31 appear in both?

In Bura, 31 is the winning threshold in a three-card hand. In Seka, 31 is the most three cards of one suit can make: an ace at 11 plus two ten-pointers. It is a coincidence, but fans of both games remember it.

Can I play Bura and Seka on tamashebi.cc?

Bura, yes: it is live at /bura in all three versions, against live opponents or bots. Seka is in preparation; we do not announce dates in advance. When it opens, a Play button will appear on the /seka page. In both the only stake is the virtual Domino Coin.

Which one is quicker to learn?

Seka. Its rules fit on one page and everything is clear from the first hand. Bura's rules are simple too, but playing it well, counting points in your head and claiming "var" at the right moment, takes a few evenings.

• Bura online: the game page
• Seka online: the game page
• Bura rules, step by step
• Seka rules: the complete guide
• Joker, Bura or Seka: three games compared

Games on tamashebi.cc are free to play. Some tables use Domino Coin, a virtual in-game coin: it is never money, cannot be bought or cashed out, and means nothing outside the site. The games are for fun and for skill. The site is available in Georgian, English, Russian and Turkish.