Mus Rules — Complete Guide

Mus is played by four players in two partnerships with a 40-card Spanish deck, four cards each. After the mus phase (exchanging cards when everyone agrees) come four betting rounds: grande, chica, pares and juego. Each round you may pass, bet two stones (envido), see a bet, fold, or declare órdago — accepting an órdago puts the whole game on that round. The first partnership to 40 points wins the game.

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Deck, players and the deal

The Spanish 40-card deck is used: coins, cups, swords and clubs with ranks 7 down to 4, the 3 and 2, the ace, and the face cards sota (10), caballo (11) and rey (12). Suits never matter — only the values.

In the common "eight kings" variant the 3 counts as a king and the 2 counts as an ace, so the grande order from highest to lowest is: king/3, caballo, sota, 7, 6, 5, 4, ace/2.

Each player receives four cards. The "mano" player speaks first and, on any tie, the mano's partnership wins the round.

The mus phase: changing cards

Before betting, each player in turn says "mus" (I want new cards) or "no hay mus" (we play these). Only when all four agree is there a discard.

Everyone may then discard any number of cards (none up to all four) and draws back the same amount, after which the vote repeats — until someone says "no hay mus".

If the stock runs out, the discards are shuffled back in. This version caps the mus cycle at five rounds so a table can never stall.

The four rounds, in order

Every hand is played over the same four rounds, always in this order:

RoundWhat winsIf nobody bets
GrandeThe highest card (king/3 best)1 stone to the better partnership
ChicaThe lowest card (ace/2 best)1 stone to the better partnership
ParesDuples > medias > simple pairsThe winning side's pair values
Juego31 is best, then 32, 40, 37…3 stones for a 31, 2 for any other juego

If nobody holds 31 or more, the fourth round becomes "punto": the highest total under 30 wins, worth 1 stone.

Before the pares and juego rounds each player truthfully declares whether they hold any; only those who declared may bet in that round.

Pares: duples, medias and simple pairs

Duples (two pairs, including four of a kind) are worth 3 stones, medias (three of a kind) 2, and a simple pair 1. Any duples beat any medias, and any medias beat any simple pair.

Ties are broken by the higher pair first and then the lower one; medias compare their trio, and simple pairs compare the pair itself — the fourth card never counts.

CombinationExampleStones
Duples (two pairs or four of a kind)7-7-K-K or K-K-3-33
Medias (three of a kind)7-7-7-ace2
Pares (one pair)K-K-4-61

Juego and punto

Face cards (king, caballo, sota) and the 3 count 10; the ace and 2 count 1; the rest count their face value. A total of 31 or more is a "juego".

The best juego is 31, followed by 32, 40, 37, 36, 35, 34 and finally 33 (38 and 39 are impossible). A 31 is worth 3 stones, any other juego 2.

TotalOrderStones
31Best3
322nd2
403rd2
374th2
36 / 35 / 34 / 335th to 8th2

Betting: envido, quiero, no quiero and órdago

In every round you may pass ("paso") or bet two stones ("envido"). The opposing team must answer: "quiero" (see it — decided at the showdown), "no quiero" (fold) or raise in steps of two with no limit.

When a team folds it loses only what had been staked before the last raise; folding against a first bet costs just 1 stone.

An "órdago" is the all-in: if the opponents accept, the hands are shown immediately and the winning partnership takes the whole game; if they refuse, they concede the stake so far and the hand continues.

The count and winning

The game is played to 40 points. Rounds are settled in order and the game can end mid-settlement the moment a side reaches 40.

All chips in this game are virtual and exist only to play: the game is free and chips can never be exchanged for real money.

Quick tips for beginners

A sure king and caballo pay off in grande; an ace and a 4 make chica yours.

Don't discard everything — keep the base of a 31 if you already hold two ten-point cards.

Folding a first bet costs only 1 stone: sometimes it is the cheap play.

The órdago is a padlock: use it with a 31 or duples, or when trailing with real strength.

Remember the 3 is a king: four "kings" really exist (K-K-3-3 is a duples).

Frequently asked questions

How many cards are used in Mus?

A 40-card Spanish deck (no 8s or 9s); each player is dealt exactly four cards per hand.

How many players play Mus?

Four, in two fixed partnerships (alternate seats). Missing players are filled automatically by AI.

Is the 3 higher than the king in Mus?

No — in the common variant the 3 counts as another king, so king and 3 tie at the top, and the 2 counts as another ace.

What is the "mus"?

The pre-bet phase: if all four players agree, everyone may discard any number of cards and draw replacements, then the vote repeats.

What is each round worth?

Unbet, grande and chica score 1 stone; pares pays the winning side's pair values (1, 2 or 3 per hand); juego pays 3 for a 31 and 2 for any other juego. Bets are added on top.

What does "órdago" mean?

The all-in bet: if accepted, the hands are shown at once and the winning partnership wins the entire game (40 points). If refused, the refuser only loses the stake so far.

What happens if my timer runs out?

Each decision gets 30 seconds; after that the system plays an automatic action so the table keeps moving.

How do I invite friends?

Create a private table and share its five-character code — your friends join your table directly with it.

Can I really play Mus online free?

Yes — at mus.yeeqia.com you play free in the browser, no download or sign-up needed, with virtual chips only and never real money.

Does it work on mobile?

Yes — the site is mobile-first and runs in any modern browser on Android or iPhone.