Purrinha

"Purrinha," also known as "the game of toothpicks" or even "pocket basketball," is a typical pastime in bars and taverns. It can be played using toothpicks, matchsticks, or even coins. The objective is to guess the sum of the items hidden in the hands of all participants at the bar table. Whoever guesses correctly does not pay the bill.

How to play with sticks

Any number can play purrinha. Each player hides zero to three sticks in one hand and gets one guess per round. An empty hand is called lona. By tradition, you can’t open with lona in the first round. Play moves clockwise, and whoever guesses first goes last in the next round.

Possible paths of the game

One possibility for the game's origin lies with the Romans, who centuries ago had a game called "Morra" (pronounced Morra). In it, players had to raise their fist with a closed hand and then quickly lower it, raising between zero and five fingers. At the same time, they would loudly guess the number of fingers added together.

According to some researchers, it was Italian immigrants who brought the game of Morra to Brazil, and from it, Porrinha and later Purrinha were derived. Its dominance in Portuguese bars here, we can remember, may have had some influence on this nomenclature. After all, "porra" in Portuguese lands is what a stick is called, and the sticks – as they are used to play – are small sticks.

The game is especially popular in Rio de Janeiro and surrounding areas, where we occasionally find official Purrinha championships and tournaments. In the competition, luck isn't enough; you also need a lot of math.