Mus: the Spanish card game explained
Mus is Spain's most beloved card game: four players, two teams, secret facial signals and all-in bets. A short guide to how it works.
Mus is the card game Spain plays in pairs: four players, a 40-card Spanish deck, and a feature no other game has — partners legally signal their hands to each other with coded facial gestures, at the risk of being caught by the rivals. First documented in 1754 in the Basque Country, its name comes from the Basque word musu (lips, face), and its most famous bet, the órdago (all-in, from Basque hor dago, «there it is»), has entered everyday Spanish.
Each hand is played over four rounds: highest cards (Grande), lowest cards (Chica), pairs (Pares) and card-point total (Juego, where 31 is the perfect score). Teams bet stones on each round, count them in groups of five called amarracos, and the first pair to 40 wins the game. World championships are played between national federations across Europe and Latin America.
Our full guide — history, complete rules, the official signals and the vocabulary — is available in Spanish: Reglas del mus. To play it properly you need a traditional 40-card Spanish deck from our playing cards collection.
Playing Cards
Gemini Casino Phthalo Green – Playing Cards
Icon Black – Playing Cards
Premier Edition Restricted Red – Playing Cards
Premier Edition Jet Black Private Reserve – Playing Cards
One Piece – Robin – Playing Cards
One Piece – Chopper – Playing Cards
Lounge Edition Terminal Turquoise – Playing Cards
Lounge Edition Taxiway Yellow – Playing Cards
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