Bafo Showdown

"Bater bafo" or "jogo do bafo" is the name given to the game that consists of using your hands to, with a single movement, flip over stickers or cards laid out on the ground. It's not a matter of strength, but of technique. With the correct slap, the air lifts the pile of stickers, guaranteeing victory. It is, in fact, from this gust of wind that the name of the game comes.

How players slap the cards

There are several different techniques for striking breath. Most are related to the position of the hands: making a mound, placing one on top of the other, interlacing the fingers… it depends on each person. There are also those who choose to blow on their hands before striking, as if inserting with the breath the necessary magic to achieve the final objective.

There is no single way of naming these maneuvers, but Leandro Santos de Souza, in an article dedicated to the game, raises some types of "strikes". They are:

– Big Breath – A hit performed with both hands together. – Little Hand – A hit performed with only one hand. – Little Wind – A hit also known as “Dragon's Breath”. In this hit, the palms of each hand must be slapped together near the cards; the wind created by the palms will turn the cards over. – Thumb – A hit performed with the thumb of one hand. In this hit, the player must press the card with their thumb and pull it upwards. – Little Finger – A hit performed with the little finger of one hand. In this hit, the player places their finger under the card and pushes it upwards. – Hammer – A hit performed with a closed fist. – Side – A hit performed with the side of the hand (like a karate chop). – Open Hand – A hit similar to the “little hand” hit, but performed with an open hand and fingers spread.

Rules and ways to play

Two things, however, are strictly forbidden during the game. The first is licking your hand, to try to create some kind of grip on the cards with your own saliva. The other is trying to hold the card with your fingers when turning it over. There is also a whole strategy when arranging the cards in the pile. They can be straight – sealed on the ground – or even in a stairway.

It is possible to play for fun, where none of your cards are at risk, or "for real". In this mode, whoever turns over the card using their own skill has the right to possess it. "Bafo" (a Brazilian slang term for flipping cards) is the quickest way to get rid of repeated cards from albums, or even from card games – which gain other conditions for victory beyond the manuals.