Pasur is a fishing card game in which the object is to be the first player/team to reach 62 points. It's one of the most popular card games in Iran. Other names for this card game are: Ch(ah)âr barg (four-cards), Haft khâj (seven-clubs) and Yâzdahtâyi (Eleveny).

Players and cards

A regular 52-card deck is used. Pasur is typically a 2-player game but it can also be played with 3 or 4 players (or more using two packs of cards). Four players can play in partnership, with partners sitting opposite each other. Deal and play are anticlockwise.

Deal

Starting from the player to dealer's right, the dealer deals out four cards at a time to each player face down and four cards to table face up. If a J was on the table, the dealer buries this card in the undealt pack and replaces it with the upcard of the undealt pack. If two Js, three Qs or three Ks were on the table, the dealer must gather the cards, reshuffle and deal once again. The remainder of the deck is temporarily put aside. After everybody played his four cards, another hand of four cards is dealt to each player from the undealt pack, but no more cards are dealt to table after the first deal. When these cards have been played there is another deal, and this continues until all 52 cards have been dealt (this takes six deals for 2-player game and three deals for 4-player game).

Play

Starting from the player to dealer's right, each player in turn must play a card to table face up. This play may result in some cards being captured from the table. In this case, the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stacked face down in front of the player. If played card can't capture any table cards, then it remains on the table to be available for other players. When all the cards have been played in the final deal (i.e. the last hand of each round), the last player who made a capture wins all the remaining table cards.

Card capturing rules

There is no obligation to play a card that makes a capture just because you can. You can play any cards you wish to. However, if you played a card which does make a capture, you must do so.

Sur

If a player could take all table cards without playing a J, then he scores a Sur. Let's say there's only a Q on the table and it's your turn to play. If you have a Q in your hand then you can score a Sur. Another example: there's only a 2 and 3 on table while you have a 6 in your hand.

Notes

Scoring rules

At the end of each round, it's time to count points:

Scoring notes

3-player version

In 3-player version, if two players have the same number of clubs, for example both having five clubs, then the other player is "haft khâj" and gets 7 points.

Please note that you get point for every Sur you have scored more than your opposing players. For example, if you scored a Sur and later another player scored a Sur, that Sur nulls yours and both of you have no Sur. So, at the end, only one of the players/teams can benefit from Sur points.

Tips and tricks

Counting scores

Count your points consecutively. That is, don't start from 0 for each step. Example: you had seven clubs so you get 7 points. You had two Surs then you have 7+10=17 scores so far. Now reviewing cards for the second time... you see an A, so your have now 17+1=18 points and so on.

Hints

Variations