Le Petit Bouffon - A Game of Nain Jaune

This 18th century French game may be the oldest card game of its type that is still played today! It was formally called Lindor, and originated as a game of hocs (stops) in which both chance and strategy play a part.

This mini version of Le Bouffon D'Or is called Le Petit Bouffon (The Little Jester) and salutes Mardi Gras, where the color scheme reflects the festive season and the suit of spades has become fleurs.

Nain Jaune (Yellow Dwarf) is a card shedding game that involves a stake board, a deck of 52 playing cards, and multicolored jetons (tokens) in varied shapes. The goal is to build a sequence of cards, ranking Ace (low) to King (high). There are five honor cards which are pictured on the board, and playing them earns you the jetons waiting there! But don't let those cards remain in your hand; if someone goes out before you can play them, they can be costly! The game is played in hands, a hand ending when a player has successfully shed all their cards. The game ends when a player runs out of jetons to pay to the board or other players.

There are two sets of rules included in this game; the original 1760 version where suits are important and play is more intricate, and the more enduring 1790 version that is still played today as a family game.

Similar historic card games are those such as Michigan, a casino type game from the 1920's, Pope Joan a Victorian family game, and Newmarket from the 1880's.

Le Petit Bouffon differs from the larger version of the game in that the stake board is made of five separate cards, as it was in the original game of Nain Jaune. It is thusly more compact, and can easily accommodate up to eight players with the addition of your own tokens.

This game includes: - A deck of 52 cards in festive Mardi Gras colors - Five "Honor" cards, that serve as the stake board - Rules for both variations of the game

*This game will need for you to supply your own jetons. Poker chips are very suitable, as well as coins or any other items that can be easily discernible as three different denominations. Each player should have at maximum the following amount: - 20 1 point jetons - 10 5 point jetons - 5 10 point jetons

The game is easy to learn and is suitable for family play, ages 7 and up! A game can take a half hour or more to play, depending on version, amount of jetons, and decided number of hands, so how long you keep the fun rolling is up to you! Laissez bon temps rouler!

For more history and background on this game, visit: Blank Page | Les Vieux Jours