Lotería

Lotería is a traditional game of chance, similar to bingo, but using images on a deck of cards instead of plain numbers on ping pong balls. Every image has a name and an assigned number, but the number is usually ignored. Each player has at least one tabla, a board with a randomly created 4 x 4 grid of pictures with their corresponding name and number. Players choose what tabla they want to play with, from a variety of previously created tablas. Each one presents a different selection of images.

Lotería is often referred to as Mexican Bingo. But in Mexico, it is also a game of chance, as well as a form of folk art, and a way of teaching numbers, words, and images to children.

History

Lotería has been played as a game of chance, like bingo, since the colonial period in Mexico. The game originated in Italy in the 15th century and was brought to Mexico by the Spanish. In the beginning, it was a pastime of the upper classes, but eventually it became a tradition at Mexican fairs.

Gameplay

The game is played with a deck of 54 cards, each containing a different image. These images are very specific, and include such things as the devil, the moon, the musician, the ladder, the soldier, and the pear. Each player has a board with 16 images on it, randomly chosen from the deck. The caller randomly selects a card from the deck and announces it to the players by its name, sometimes using a riddle or humorous patter instead of reading the card name. The players with that image on their board cover it with a chip or other kind of marker. The first player to have four images in a horizontal, vertical or diagonal row, squared pattern, any other previously specified pattern, or fill the tabla first shouts "¡Lotería!" (Lottery!) and is the winner.

File:Loteria cards.jpg

A set of Lotería cards

Cultural significance

Lotería has a significant cultural and symbolic significance in Mexican culture. The images on the Lotería cards have become iconic in Mexican culture, and are often used in school supplies, T-shirts, and art.

Variations

There are a number of variations of Lotería, including Lotería de Pozo and Lotería de Don Clemente Gallo. These variations often feature different images on the cards and may have different rules.

See also

• Bingo
• Gambling in Mexico
• Mexican art