The Loteria Cards

Loteria cards are cards that consist of pictures and also numbers. But the numbers are often not used as in the commonly known bingo cards. Loteria cards are more focused on the pictures that are on the card. Loteria cards consist of interesting pictures. Google Doodles are almost as well-known as the company's search engine. But if you're not one of the millions who grew up playing this popular card game, you might not recognize this one.

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Join us for a fun and educational Lotería game online! Cantor Billy Webb, will be calling out cards, while players mark their digital Lotería board. This event is family friendly and designed to teach some basic Spanish and Mexican history. Please be prepared to join the Zoom meeting from your computer and open another window, or another device, to play the game online together with the other players. There will be prizes for the winners. Buena suerte!

Where: The event took place on Zoom.

Lotería is an iconic card game that has been passed down many generations in Mexico. Lotería is the Spanish word for lottery. While it is a game of chance, the game is more similar to bingo.

Each card has a different picture, and its corresponding name in Spanish underneath. Each player chooses a board with randomly selected images across it. Typically, el cantor, the caller, is responsible for calling out the card name or even a riddle that goes with the picture. The players then mark the spot with a chip, often pinto beans. The first player with four chips in a horizontal, vertical, or diagonal pattern wins the game after shouting “Lotería!”

The most famous version of the cards uses the artwork titled “Don Clemente Gallo,” which was introduced in Mexico by French businessman Don Clemente Jacques. However, many contemporary young artists, like Mike Alfaro of Millennial Loteria, reimagine the outdated Latinx representation in Lotería and humorously updates it to reflect a more modern generation.

How to Play

1. Join the Zoom meeting with the link provided to your per email.

2. Open this link on a separate device or in a new window: https://bingobaker.com/play/a8e31b1e4e98b6b7

3. Enter your email address and hit enter

4. Wait for host Billy Webb to call out cards

5. If the called out card matches your board, click yo mark the correct square

6. Once you have 4 checked squares in a row (horizontal, vertical, diagonal) either unmute yourself and call “Loteria” or write “Loteria” or “I won” in the chat.

7. The game will be stopped and the first one to have called victory will be the winner of the game.

Thank you to Billy Webb for making this event happen.

For more Virtual Saltillo Festival events, see our full festival lineup.

Lotería

Other name(s)	Mexican bingo[1]
Language(s)	Spanish
Random chance	High
Material(s) required	cards

Lotería is a traditional game of chance, similar to bingo, but using images on a deck of cards instead of numbered 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 a tabla to play with, from a variety of previously created tablas, each with a different selection of images.

Lotería is the Spanish word for lottery. The deck is composed with a set of 54 different cards with a picture on it. To start, the caller (cantor, or singer) shuffles the deck. One by one, the caller picks a card from the deck and announces it to the players by its name, sometimes using a verse before reading the card name. Each player locates the matching pictogram of the card just announced on their board and marks it off with a chip or other kind of marker. In Mexico, it is traditional to use small rocks, crown corks or pinto beans as markers. The winner is the first player that shouts '¡Buena!' right after completing a tabla or a previous agreed pattern: row, column, diagonal or a pozo.

Lotería de Pozo is a variant version of the traditional Mexican Lotería, where the basic rules apply. For this version, before the game begins, players agree on how many pozos are to be completed in a row, column or diagonal pattern. A Pozo is a group of images in a square. The square may contain 2 x 2 (4) or 3 x 3 (9) images^[2] for a traditional tabla.

Loteria online game^[3] is a game to allow computer users to play an online a version of the Lotería Mexicana. It was created in 1996.^[3]

History[edit]

The origin of lotería can be traced far back in history. The game originated in Italy in the 15th century and was brought to New Spain (modern Mexico) in 1769. In the beginning, lotería was a hobby of the upper classes,^[1] but eventually it became a tradition at Mexican fairs.

Don Clemente Jacques began publishing the game in 1887.^[1] The current images have become iconic in Mexican culture, as well as gaining popularity in the US and some European countries. Other popular Lotería sets are Lotería Leo, Gacela and Lotería de mi tierra.

During the 1930s, the Catholic church came up with their own version of la Lotería. It consisted of Catholic images instead of the traditional images used in the original game. The Catholic church did this to promote their beliefs by making their very own game board similar to the Lotería.^[1]

Cards and associated verses[edit]

The following is a list of the original 54 lotería cards, traditionally and broadly recognized in Mexico. Below each card name and number, are the verses (in Spanish) sometimes used to tell the players which card was drawn. However, there are several less traditional sets of cards, depicting different objects or animals.

1 El gallo ('the rooster') El que le cantó a San Pedro no le volverá a cantar. The one that sang for St. Peter will never sing for him again. 2 El diablito ('the little Devil') Pórtate bien cuatito, si no te lleva el coloradito. Behave yourself buddy, or the little red one will take you away. 3 La dama ('the lady') Puliendo el paso, por toda la calle real. Improving her gait, all along the main street 4 El catrín ('the dandy') Don Ferruco en la alameda, su bastón quería tirar. Sir Ferruco in the poplar grove, wanted to toss away his cane. 5 El paraguas ('the umbrella') Para el sol y para el agua. For the sun and for the rain. 6 La sirena ('the mermaid') Con los cantos de sirena, no te vayas a marear. Don't be swayed by the songs of the siren. (In Spanish, sirens and mermaids and their song is synonymous.) 7 La escalera ('the ladder') Súbeme paso a pasito, no quieras pegar brinquitos. Ascend me step by step, don't try and skip. 8 La botella ('the bottle') La herramienta del borracho. The tool of the drunk. 9 El barril ('the barrel') Tanto bebió el albañil, que quedó como barril. So much did the bricklayer drink, he ended up like a barrel. 10 El árbol ('the tree') El que a buen árbol se arrima, buena sombra le cobija. He who nears a good tree, is blanketed by good shade. 11 El melón ('the melon') Me lo das o me lo quitas. Give it to me or take it from me. 12 El valiente ('the brave man') Por qué le corres cobarde, trayendo tan buen puñal. Why do you run, coward? Having such a good blade too. 13 El gorrito ('the little bonnet') Ponle su gorrito al nene, no se nos vaya a resfriar. Put the bonnet on the baby, lest he catch a cold. 14 La muerte ('Death') La muerte tilica y flaca. Death, thin and lanky. 15 La pera ('the pear') El que espera, desespera. He who waits despairs. (A pun: espera 'to wait' and es pera ' to be a pear' are homophones in Mexican Spanish.) 16 La bandera ('the flag') Verde blanco y colorado, la bandera del soldado. Green, white, and red, the flag of the soldier. 17 El bandolón ('the mandolin') Tocando su bandolón, está el mariachi Simón. There playing his lute, is Simon the mariachi. 18 El violoncello ('the cello') Creciendo se fue hasta el cielo, y como no fue violín, tuvo que ser violoncello. Growing it reached the heavens, and since it wasn't a violin, it had to be a cello. 19 La garza ('the heron') Al otro lado del río tengo mi banco de arena, donde se sienta mi chata pico de garza morena. At the other side of the river I have my sand bank, where sits my darling short one, with the beak of a dark heron. 20 El pájaro ('the bird') Tu me traes a puros brincos, como pájaro en la rama. You have me hopping here and there, like a bird on a branch. 21 La mano ('the hand') La mano de un criminal. The hand of a criminal. 22 La bota ('the boot') Una bota igual que la otra. A boot the same as the other. 23 La luna ('the moon') El farol de los enamorados. The street lamp of lovers. 24 El cotorro ('the parrot') Cotorro cotorro saca la pata, y empiézame a platicar. Parrot, parrot, stick out your claw and begin to chat with me. 25 El borracho ('the drunkard') A qué borracho tan necio ya no lo puedo aguantar. Oh what an annoying drunk, I can't stand him any more. 26 El negrito ('the little black man') El que se comió el azúcar. The one who ate the sugar. 27 El corazón ('the heart') No me extrañes corazón, que regreso en el camión. Do not miss me, sweetheart, I'll be back by bus.

28 La sandía ('the watermelon') La barriga que Juan tenía, era empacho de sandía. The swollen belly that Juan had, was from eating too much watermelon. 29 El tambor ('the drum') No te arrugues, cuero viejo, que te quiero pa' tambor. Don't you wrinkle, dear old leather, since I want you for a drum. 30 El camarón ('the shrimp') Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente. The shrimp that slumbers is taken by the tides. 31 Las jaras ('the arrows') Las jaras del indio Adán, donde pegan, dan. The arrows of Adam the Indian, strike where they hit. 32 El músico ('the musician') El músico trompas de hule, ya no me quiere tocar. The rubber-lipped musician does not want to play for me anymore. 33 La araña ('the spider') Atarántamela a palos, no me la dejes llegar. Beat it silly with a stick, do not let it near me. 34 El soldado ('the soldier') Uno, dos y tres, el soldado p'al cuartel. One, two and three, the soldier heads to the fort. 35 La estrella ('the star') La guía de los marineros. Sailor's guide. 36 El cazo ('the saucepan') El caso que te hago es poco. The attention I pay you is little. (A pun: caso 'attention' and cazo 'saucepan' are homophones in Mexican Spanish) 37 El mundo ('the world') Este mundo es una bola, y nosotros un bolón. This world is a ball, and we a great mob. (A pun: bola can mean both 'ball, sphere' and 'crowd, mob', bolón is a superlative with the latter meaning) 38 El Apache ('the Apache') ¡Ah, Chihuahua! Cuánto apache con pantalón y huarache. Ah, Chihuahua! So many Apaches with pants and sandals. 39 El nopal ('the prickly pear cactus') Al nopal lo van a ver, nomás cuando tiene tunas. People go to see the prickly pear, only when it bears fruit . 40 El alacrán ('the scorpion') El que con la cola pica, le dan una paliza. He who stings with his tail, will get a beating. 41 La rosa ('the rose') Rosita, Rosaura, ven que te quiero ahora. Rosita, Rosaura, come, as I want you here now. 42 La calavera ('the skull') Al pasar por el panteón, me encontré un calaverón. As I passed by the cemetery, I found myself a skull. 43 La campana ('the bell') Tú con la campana y yo con tu hermana. You with the bell and I with your sister. 44 El cantarito ('the little water pitcher') Tanto va el cántaro al agua, que se quiebra y te moja las enaguas. So often does the jug go to the water, that it breaks and wets your slip. 45 El venado ('the deer') Saltando va buscando, pero no ve nada. Jumping it goes searching, but it doesn't see anything. (A pun: venado 'deer' sounds like ve nada 'see nothing') 46 El Sol ('the sun') La cobija de los pobres. The blanket of the poor. 47 La corona ('the crown') El sombrero de los reyes. The hat of kings. 48 La chalupa ('the canoe') Rema que rema Lupita, sentada en su chalupita. Lupita rows as she may, sitting in her little boat. 49 El pino ('the pine tree') Fresco y oloroso, en todo tiempo hermoso. Fresh and fragrant, beautiful in any season. 50 El pescado ('the fish') El que por la boca muere, aunque mudo fuere. The one who dies by its mouth, even if he were mute. (In reference to a fish being hooked by its mouth, even though it doesn't utter a sound.) 51 La palma ('the palm tree') Palmero, sube a la palma y bájame un coco real. Palmer, climb the palm tree and bring me a coconut fit for kings. (Lit: 'A royal coconut.') 52 La maceta ('the flowerpot') El que nace pa'maceta, no sale del corredor. He who is born to be a flowerpot, does not go beyond the hallway. 53 El arpa ('the harp') Arpa vieja de mi suegra, ya no sirves pa'tocar. Old harp of my mother-in-law, you are no longer fit to play. 54 La rana ('the frog') Al ver a la verde rana, qué brinco pegó tu hermana. What a jump your sister gave, as she saw the green frog.

Google tribute[edit]

Free Mexican Loteria Cards Printable

On December 9, 2019, Google celebrated Lotería with a Google Doodle.^[4] The interactive game has the El Apache, El borracho, El diablito, El gorrito, La muerte, El negrito, El soldado, and El valiente cards replaced with El ajolote ('the axolotl'), El buscador ('the search engine'), La concha ('the conch'), El elote ('the fresh ear of corn'), El emoji ('the emoji'), El gorro ('the cap'), El guacamole ('the guacamole'), and El xoloitzcuintle ('the hairless dog').^{[citation needed]} Artworks for La sirena and El guacamole cards not found during the game can still be seen in the background of the end screen.

References[edit]

1. ^ ^abcdVillegas, Teresa. 'History of La Lotería'Archived 2017-01-16 at the Wayback Machine, www.teresavillegas.com
2. ^'Lotería de Pozo'. www.maravillasoftware.com. Archived from the original on 2018-11-17. Retrieved 2018-10-20.
3. ^ ^ab'How the Loteria Mexicana / Mexican Bingo became an online game?'. Maravilla Software. Archived from the original on 2019-06-13. Retrieved 2019-06-21.
4. ^'Celebrating Lotería!'. Google. 9 December 2019. Archived from the original on 9 December 2019. Retrieved 9 December 2019.

Further reading[edit]

Download Loteria Game Cards

• Lotería: A Novel, by Mario Alberto Zambrano
• Playing Lotería: El Juego de La Lotería, by René Colato Laínez
• El Arte de la Suerte, by Artes de Mexico Número 13, Otoño 1991, Nueva Época

Loteria Cards Pdf Printable

External links[edit]

Loteria Cards

• Media related to Lotería (board game) at Wikimedia Commons
• Software to print Lotería: Loteria Workshop
• Lotería de pozo : Another way to play lotería
• Rules and pictures(in Spanish)

Mexican Loteria Templates