LOTERIA OR “LOTTERY”TIA WRAY

4-7-15

FYS

WHAT IS IT?

MEXICAN GAME OF CHANCE, SIMILAR TO BINGO, BUT USES A DECK OF CARDS. EVERY IMAGE HAS A NAME AND A NUMBER, BUT THE NUMBER IS USUALLY IGNORED DURING THE GAME. EACH PLAYER HAS A BOARD, THAT THEY CHOOSE TO PLAY WITH, RANDOMLY CREATED 4X4 GRID OF PICTURES WITH CORRESPONDING NAME AND NUMBER. EACH PLAYER PRESENTS A CARD WITH DIFFERENT SELECTION OF IMAGES, THE DECK IS COMPOSED OF 54 DIFFERENT IMAGES.

HOW TO PLAY:

TO START THE GAME, THE CALLER RANDOMLY SELECTS A CARD FROM THE DECK AND ANNOUNCES IT TO THE PLAYERS BY ITS NAME, SOMETIMES USING A RIDDLE INSTEAD OF READING THE CARD NAME. THE PLAYERS WITH A MATCHING PICTOGRAM ON THEIR BOARD MARK IT OFF WITH A CHIP OR OTHER KIND OF MARKER, MANY USE SMALL ROCKS, CROWN CORKS, OR PINTO BEANS AS MARKERS. THE FIRST PLAYER WITH FOUR CHIPS IN A HORIZONTAL, VERTICAL, OR DIAGONAL ROW, SQUARED PATTERN, ANY OTHER PATTERN, OR FILL THE BOARD WINS. OR MONEY CAN BE USED, EACH PLAYER PURCHASES THE PIECES AND THE FIRST PLAYER TO COMPLETE THEIR BOARD TAKES ALL THE OTHER PLAYERS MONEY.

WHERE DID IT ORIGINATED?

THE GAME ORIGINATED IN ITALY IN THE 15TH CENTURY AND WAS BROUGHT TO NEW SPAIN IN 1769. IN THE BEGINNING LOTERIA WAS A HOBBY OF THE UPPER CLASSES, BUT EVENTUALLY IT BECAME A TRADITION IN MEXICAN FAIRS.