Number of Players: 3 or more (at most 6)

A bit of History:

Primero was a favorite game of Elizabeth I, and appears many times in Shakespeare. It was played in Italy (Primiera), France (Prime), and England throughout the 16th century. It may well have been played with a 40-card French suited deck in later England and France, but the 'Spanish" suited deck is also possible. In Northern Italy it would use the Italian deck, and in southern Italy the Italian or Spanish decks (brought over through the connection between Naples and Aragon/Castile.

Primero is a gambling game similar to poker, where each player attempts to gain the best hand and so win the pot.

Basic order of play:

1. Each player antes into the pot.
2. Each player is dealt 2 cards (beginning with player on dealers immediate right)
3. (Going in the same order as the deal) Each player gets to choose between betting on the pair of cards he has, or trading one or both of them in for new ones. As soon as one player bets, the remaining players may not trade cards in. If the player trades cards in, he does not get to bet and the choice passes to the player on his right. If all players (including the dealer) trade cards in, the whole hand must be re-dealt.
4. Each player is dealt two more cards.
5. (Going round in the same order as before) Each player bets again and declares the rank of his hand. You may bluff (announce your hand to be better than it actually is), but you may not announce your hand to be worse than it is. The is one EXCEPTION: If a previous player has announced a Fluxus or Primero and you have a Chorus, you may declare your hand to be at the level of the previously declared hands (Fluxus or Primero only).
6. After this round of betting and declaring is over, each player may exchange 1 or 2 cards to better their hand.
7. Finally all remaining players reveal their hands and the best hand wins the pot.

Except for the initial stake with the above provision, any bet by an opponent can be refused. If every other player refuses a bet, it must be withdrawn, and the betting continues at the lower level. However, if at least one other accepts the bet, any who have refused are considered to have folded and are out of the game.
 
 
 

The possible four-card hands rank as follows:

Numerus, the lowest hand, consists of two or three cards of the same suit. The point value of a Numerus is the sum of the cards in that suit (only), ignoring other cards in the hand.

Primero is a hand which has one card of every suit. The value of a Primero is the sum of the values of all cards in the hand. Regardless of value, any Primero will beat any Numerus.

Supremus, or Fifty-five, is the Ace, Six, and Seven of one suit plus an unrelated fourth card. It is called Fifty-five because that is the sum of the values of its three relevant cards. A Supremus will beat any Numerus or Primero.

(I found mention of Punto= Ace, Six, Seven, and Jack of any one suit---Nicholas Worthington, but his game differs in many other aspects)

Fluxus, or flush, is a hand with all four cards of the same suit. The value of a Fluxus is the sum of the values of all its cards. Regardless of its value, any Fluxus will beat any Supremus, Primero or Numerus.

Chorus is four cards of the same denomination (four of a kind). A Chorus beats any other hand (except another Chorus, when the highest Chorus wins).
 

Within a hand, card values are as follows:
        Seven: 21 points
        Six: 18 points
        Ace: 16 points
        Five: 15 points
        Four: 14 points
        Three: 13 points
        Two: 12 points
        Face Cards: 10 points