SUGAL...GAMBLING...PiNoY

BARAHA (PLAYING CARDS)

"We call it pleasure, we call it fun, but they usually knew it as SUGAL..." 

Filipinos are not equally divided by rich or poor, by handsome or ugly, by short or tall, by mestizo or kayumanggi. We differ in every aspect of life, of movement. 

We tend to visualize fun as happiness to get rid of stress and those pathetic problems. We are looking for a small ventilation to relieve the dilemmas we are experiencing. Paranoid.

I am a gambler, I am doing it just for fun, just to kill time, just to eliminate stress. But I, myself, didn't know anything about it's history. Literally, I knew it as a game involving money. There are plenty to bet yet there are plenty to choose where are you going to gamble your cash.

So I made a bit of research about it. I tried to look for a bit of meaning for it. For me to find out what are the rules governing "sugal" and what can I get from it.

According to some historians, dice was the first paraphernalia of gambling. Some said that Zeus, Hades, and Poseidon used dice to divide heaven, hell, and the sea. Old people like cavemen believed to playing dice as well. 

40,000 years ago, this dice was once known as "Astragali" made out of sheep or dog's ankle bone. Drawings from cave walls depicts that there are two stone blocks were thrown in the air and men in circles were playing it. It is believed that Romans, Greeks and even Gods and Goddesses gamble for some reasons.

During the 14th century, King Henry VIII outlawed gambling since he noticed that his soldiers spent more time in gambling rather than taking care of the castle. Because of what he did, even his wife Anne Boleyn didn't survive the rage of illegal gambling.

As I noticed, even our ancestors can't find a way to bet their money on gambling. Making it outlaw forced people to retain its awesome power, by making it illegal.

In the new world, native Americans believed to use gambling to predict futures. The revolutionary war bankrolled the lottery for instance. In fact, Washington bought the first ticket for a federal lottery in 1793. Soon enough during the war, lotteries and other gambling strategies were wipe out by bombs and machines.

Gamblers were hungry for new games to play with. While the early casinos offered few choices for new games, we Filipinos found new way in restoring its fun. 

One of those famous card game here in the Philippines is Tong-its. Who would have not known this card game that is played even in a burial ceremony. The history of this card game remains unknown and unidentified. Some historians believed that this game was carried and introduced by Chinese missionaries knowing that Chinese are good with card games. Speculations told that this game was introduced by Spaniards since they rule the country for more than 300 years. No one knows, but a lot of thanks and regards for that person who invented this game, that until now, we are playing.

The name derives from its aim, to give a "tong" or share whenever you won or hit the pot money. Most of the time, the hitter gave most of the tong. 

 This game is played using the standard 52 cards called as a deck. The objective of the game is to empty your cards on hand or at least to minimize the total count of your scores on hand. Forming card sets like a 3 piece straight flush or 3 piece set called as "trio". 

Three-of-a-kind: three equally ranked cards (7♣ - 7♦ - 7♠)
Four-of-a-kind: four cards of the same rank/number, also called “Secret” (J♣ - J♦ - J♠ - J♥)
Straight Flush: at least three sequential cards of the same suit (3♠ - 4♠ - 5♠) (8♦ - 9♦ - 10♦ - J♦ - Q♦)

Straight flush composed of 5 or more cards is also called a "Sagasa" or “Escalera.Dumping one card whenever you pick up on the central stuck or you get the card dump by your opponent that is called a "chow". The person who emptied the cards on hand will say "tong-its" or has the least count at the end of the game is the winner.

One can call a draw whenever he wanted to challenge the other players. Most of the time, the player who think that he has the least count do this action. Sometimes, bluffing is one way to threaten the opponent as wall, one will call a draw even he has a big count on hand.

Player without a "house" also know as melds was automatically "burned" and has no power to call a draw. Calling on draw depends on what players set for rules. Players who doesn't have melds can call for a draw if the player has a secret or a four-of-a-kind on hand, but for this one, player holding this kind on hand will never call a draw, unless the player has a mend on the table.

"Sapaw" is called when you dropped one or more cards to the opponents meld to create another combination or to minimize the counting of the cards on hand. 

The original play counts with two consecutive wins to get the pot. The initial winner will be called as "hitter" or the one who assemble the cards with the 13 cards on his hands. He will be the first one to dump a card.

Winning the pot also has accompanying additional payment. They may add payment for Aces or Kings depending on the rules set by the players. A is called Ace counted as 1 while J=Jack, Q=Queen, K=King, are counted as 10 at the end of the game. 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9 are counted as it is.

Most of the historians believed that "Pusoy" or Russian Poker originated in the Philippines. But how would that happened? One thing that started a debate is the originality of this card game. Some say that Russians copied this game for once. They patterned theirs to ours changing the name of it.

Most of the Chinese people associated "Pusoy" as their own as well, they tend to call it Chinese Poker. 

No matter where this game originated, I am also thankful that this card pastime was invented.

This card entertainment has been played in the Asian community for so many years. I can still remember that my Dad used to play this together with my uncles or even my Grandpops. This diversion gain its popularity because of it's mind blowing and brain draining strategies for you to win.

To begin with, this game of cards have 4 main players. Each one can compete to each other or even have 1 to be called as "Bangka" or the mastermind. He will be the one to shuffle the cards and distribute it evenly to its opponent. "Tendida"  is called for the tapped card dealt by the giver. Ace, 5, 9, and King always starts with the Bangka. Distributing the cards will always start on the right hand corner of the Tendida.


So long if the game have no Bangka. The player who defeated the cards of the 3 will be the one to allocate the deck. 


There are 10 sets for you to furnished your cards:

1. Royal Straight Flush:  Just like in a poker, this kind of arrangement contains five  cards in sequence, all the same suit or signs. Remember that Diamonds are the strongest signs followed by Hearts, Spades, and Clubs. The arrangement might be different, it may start into any number completing the 5 consecutive counting.

2. "Quads" or Four-of-a-Kind (Quadro): a poker hand containing all four cards of one rank. Quads with higher ranking cards defeat lower ranking ones. 

3. Full House: contains three matching cards partnered by a pair or two same degree cards. Q♣ Q♦ Q♠ 9♥ 9♣ this variant may be called as "Full Queen" or "Queens of Full".

4. Flush: all five cards are in the same suits but not in sequence. Between two Flush cards, remember that the Ace has the highest position on deck, if your cards have an ace follow by another high card, this will defeat the other flush without an Ace. For example, if one player has Q♣ 10♣ 7♣ 6♣ 4♣ on his hand, as you may notice Q=Queen is the high card this is called "Queen High Flush", if the other opponent have this card Q♦ 9♦ 7♦ 4♦ A♦ , this set of cards win because of the Ace inserted at the lay followed by the Q=Queen called "Ace High Flush".

5. Straight: this one contains five cards of sequential in counting in at least two or more different signs or suits. There would come a time that one will be having 10 cards in sequential, the highest counting should be at the bottom followed by the second highest counted cards in the body or the middle. Q♣ J♠ 10♠ 9♥ 8♥ this is an example of a straight card, this is called as "Queen High Straight".

 6. "Trio" or Three-of-a-Kind: set containing three cards of the same rank followed by two different rank of cards. Higher valued "Trio" cards defeat lower valued ones. Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ 7♠ 4♣ defeats J♠ J♣ J♦ A♦ K♣. Sometimes, players put a side bet for "trio". The player who will gain the highest "Trio" will win the pot money.

 7. Six Pairs: in this kind of set, 6 pairs of different ranks valued the most. A term "Control" will usually heard for the player aiming for the win in the head of the set of cards. The player will put the highest pair at the top of the set putting the second highest at the bottom. The sequential pattern should be practice. Remember that the highest pair should be at the lowest part and the second highest pair should be at the middle.

 A♠ A♣ 6♦

7♠ 7♥ 3♦ 5♠ 5♣  

4♣ 4♦ 3♠ J♠ J♦

 8. Five Pairs: this is just like Six pairs, but the only difference is that theres only 5 pairs of different ranks that valued the most. Same agenda will be used to form this kind of hand set.

A♠ A♣ 6♦

7♠ 7♥ 3♦ 5♠ 5♣  

4♣ 4♦ 2♠ J♠ J♦

 9. Two Pairs: cards on hand that contains two cards at the same rank with two cards with the same rank as well together with one spare card. 10♠ 10♣ 8♥ 8♣ 4♠ defeats 9♠ 9♣ 4♠ 4♥ 8♥ because of the High 10 Pairs. There would come a time that the "kicker" or spare card matters. Like 9♣ K♦ K♠ 9♥ 5♥ defeats K♣ 9♦ 9♠ K♥ 3♥.

  
10. One Pair: contains two cards at one rank together with three cards of different signs or spare cards. 4♥ 4♠ K♠ 10♦ 5♠ is a good example. Same idea with two pairs.

  
11. High Card or "Butaw": a set of five cards not meeting the above requirements. The signs even the number didn't match the principle explained above.

There you go. (Credits for the pictures who owned it.)


In playing Pusoy, there are settings to be followed, the"HEAD" consist of 3 cards, the "MIDDLE" consist of 5 cards, and the "BACK" or the bottom part. The arrangem,ent of each settings above also followed the hierarchy of the cards. 


The highest should be at the bottom part up to the head part. The player who defeated all of his opponent wins the game.


... TO BE CONTINUED