6 Classic Cajun Card Games – Louisiana’s Favorite Form Of Gambling

When family and friends gather often in Louisiana, someone is bound to break out with a deck of cards. Whether they play for a penny or quarters, card games have always been Louisiana's favorite form of gambling. One thing you'll find out quickly: never take those old-school Cajuns and Creoles for granted during a card game. They'll take your money in a New York minute!

Ol, Maw Maw, and Paw Paw can play some cards! Just about every Louisiana town has a few local card games going on the weekends. Local card games sometimes occur at the VFW or at someone's house. Playing cards have long been the perfect way to interact socially with family, neighbors, and friends.

The rules are important, even though they vary from Parish to Parish. It's best not to sit down if you can't play. You don't want to rile those Frenchmen up. Here are the rules of six of the most beloved Cajun card games so you can get a little practice before you go to the next gathering on the Bayou.

1.) Bourré (Boo-Ray)
It is a trick-taking game that originated in France in the 1800s and has been a part of Cajun culture in Louisiana since the early 1800s. Similar to Chess and Euchre.

2.) Pedro (Pee - dro)
It is a four-player game where partners sit across from each other and are dealt nine cards in three rounds. Only five cards have value, and simular to Spades, players bid on how many points their team can earn based on their cards.

3.) Poque (Pok)

Poque is similar to early draw poker but has multiple stages of play and a lot of trick-trash-taking. First is the Pot collection. Players collect the pot based on the cards or combinations they have. Second they is the Betting. Players bet on who has the best cards, similar to poker. Third, this is where the trash-talking and trickery take place.

Players take turns playing cards on the table, and the one with the best card wins... the trick. Players designate one suit as the trump suit, allowing players who don't have the suit led to play a trump card instead, which beats any cards of that suit. The winner of each trick places the cards face down in a pile before playing the first card in the next trick.

4.) Louisiana Stud
It is a poker-based game in which players compete against the dealer to make the best five-card hand using their two cards and three community cards. After receiving their first two cards, players must decide whether to raise or fold.

5.) Cajun Stud
A five-card poker game with bonus wagers and easy betting patterns played with 52 with a standard 52-card deck. The object of the Game is to get a five-card poker hand with a pair or better. You make an initial ANTE bet to receive two hole cards. The player can raise 1 or 3 anti-bet or folds.

6.) Bataille (Ba-Tel) (also known as 'Battle' or 'War')
Each player turns up a card simultaneously, and the player with the higher card takes both cards and puts them, face down, on the bottom of his stack.

If the cards are the same, it's time to Bataille! Each player turns up one card face down and one card face up. The player with the higher cards takes both piles (six cards). If the turned-up cards are the same again, each player places another card face down and turns another card face up. The player with the higher card takes all 10 cards, etc.