Reym, a lost Argentinian game

Newt
Apr 16
6 min read

Updated: May 5

Our purpose is recovery and creation of traditional card games. Sometimes, it is a game that was once popular and is forgotten. Other times - who can say? On the 19th of November 1915, the Buenos Aires Herald (an English language newspaper) there was an expansion of an article of the previous day, mentioning the game of Reym that had been newly created with the aim of giving Argentina a national game.

Here is the text:

“REYM” THE NEW CARD GAME

Enquiries have been received regarding “Reym,” which was described in The Herald yesterday. In reply it is stated that Reym (pronounced “ray-m”) is as original as Bridge was, with Whist as its antecedent. Its inventor produced it for the first time for publication in the Herald, thinking that the Argentine like England, the States and other countries, ought to have a card game of its own.

FOR SIX PLAYERS.

The twos are taken out of the pack, leaving 48 cards, which are dealt out, 8 to each player. Dealer declares the number of tricks he wishes to start with and bidding goes round, the highest bidder following this procedure : we will call him B, next player on his left C, next D and then E, F and G. As each will have an independent score throughout the game, their names are set down in this order along the top of score sheet, the dealers taking their turns according to this order B calls out: “Who has the ten of Hearts?” or any other card he wishes to name. Supposing F is the one to possess it, he says so and becomes B’s partner. B then calls for the two or three of any suit, the one holding it also becoming B’s partner. Say, it is G— then B, F and G are partners versus C, D and E. D changes seats with G, so that each player has an opponent on either side of him.

The player next on B’s left (in the above case, C) plays down the first card, after B has called Trumps, and the game proceeds in the same way as Reym for four players, the only difference being that now there is no dummy. B collects the tricks for his side, and C for his. At the end of the hand the total number of points won by B are put down to him, and a like amount to each of his partners. C’s total earnings are similarly treated.

C is the next dealer, G shuffling and B cutting the cards for him. Bidding goes round. Say, E is highest bidder, he chooses his partners, who might happen to have been his opponents in the previous hand ; but this does not matter, as each player has to work towards the total 500 independently of the others. The penalty of a revoke is 50 points to be deducted from the score of the player at fault only. In the four-handed game the penalty for a revoke should be the same.

Now, given that the previous day's issue is nowhere to be found, to recreate this game some components had to be worked out. We have taken the clue of a target of 500 points to borrow from Australia's national game of 500. What follows is a reconstruction with interpolation, but if someone has a copy of the Buenos Aires Herald of Thursday November 18th, 1915, and wants to tell us more, we will be very grateful indeed.

Of course, you can play it with any standard French Pattern card pack, but if you want to use a pack with an Argentinian flavour, we have a pack based on the design made in 1890 by Goodall for the Buenos Aires Polo Club, so it is just possible that someone played Reym with that pack. You can buy a copy (printed on demand) at Make Playing Cards here.

REYM Card Game

A rediscovered Argentine trick-taking card game from 1915

Introduction

Reym (pronounced "ray-m") is a unique card game originally published in the Buenos Aires Herald in 1915. It was created to give Argentina its own distinctive card game, similar to how Bridge evolved from Whist. The game combines elements of Whist and Bridge with a novel partner-selection mechanism and individual scoring system, creating a dynamic social experience.

Players

6 players

Equipment

Standard 52-card deck with the four 2s removed (48 cards total)
Score pad and pencil

Setup

Players sit in a circle and are designated in clockwise order: B, C, D, E, F, and G
The dealer (initially determined randomly, then rotating clockwise) shuffles the cards
The player to the dealer's right cuts the deck
The dealer distributes 8 cards to each player

Bidding

The dealer declares the minimum number of tricks they wish to win
Bidding continues clockwise, with each player having the option to pass or bid higher
The highest bidder becomes the "caller" (referred to as "B" regardless of their position)

Team Formation

The caller (B) asks for a specific card (e.g., "Who has the ten of Hearts?")
The player holding that card (e.g., F) announces themselves and becomes B's first partner
B then calls for a second card, specifically either a two or three of any suit
The player with that card (e.g., G) becomes B's second partner
This creates two teams of three: Team 1 (B, F, G) vs. Team 2 (C, D, E)
Players rearrange seats so that each player sits between two opponents
This typically involves swapping positions between one player from each team

Trump Declaration

After teams are formed, the caller (B) declares the trump suit.

Gameplay

The player to the caller's left leads the first trick by playing any card
Play proceeds clockwise
Players must follow suit if possible
If unable to follow suit, a player may play any card
The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins
The winner of each trick leads the next
The caller collects tricks for their team, while an opponent collects for the other team

Scoring

Each player maintains an individual score throughout the game
Points are awarded based on the following system:
Base points determined by bid level: 10 points per trick bid
Trump suit multipliers:
- Clubs: 1x (base value)
- Diamonds: 1.5x
- Hearts: 2x
- Spades: 2.5x
- No Trump: 3x
If the bid is successful:
Each member of the winning team receives the full point value of the bid
Overtricks are worth 10 points each
If the bid fails:
Each member of the bidding team loses the full point value of the bid
Penalties:
Revoking (failing to follow suit when able to do so): 50 points deducted from the offending player's score only

Winning the Game

The first player to reach 500 points wins the game
If multiple players reach 500 in the same hand, the player with the highest score wins

Example Scoring

Example 1:

B bids 6 tricks with Hearts as trump
Base value: 6 tricks × 10 points = 60 points
Hearts multiplier: 2x
Total bid value: 120 points
If B's team wins exactly 6 tricks, each member receives 120 points
If B's team wins 7 tricks, each member receives 130 points (120 + 10)
If B's team wins only 5 tricks, each member loses 120 points

Example 2:

E bids 8 tricks with No Trump
Base value: 8 tricks × 10 points = 80 points
No Trump multiplier: 3x
Total bid value: 240 points
If successful, each member of E's team receives 240 points
If unsuccessful, each member loses 240 points

Strategic Considerations

Bidding Strategy: Bid high enough to win the auction but not so high you can't fulfill the contract
Partner Selection: Call for cards that indicate strength in certain suits
Trump Declaration: Choose based on your team's combined strength after partner selection
Card Play: Remember that partners change each hand, so your current opponent may be your next partner

Variations

Simplified Scoring: Award 1 point per trick taken by the bidding team if they make their contract; deduct the bid amount if they fail.
Advanced Contracts: Include special contracts like "Misère" (must lose all tricks) for higher point values.
Four-Player Version: Play with 4 players instead of 6, with the winning bidder calling one partner and playing against the other two players.

Here is a printable version of the rules:

Source Article

This is the source article, from page 25 of the weekly edition of the Buenos Aires Herald, Friday November 19th, 1915.