PorrinhaeBaratinha

At the end of the 19th century, pool halls and bars with their games of porrinha and baratinha were spaces of action for the great malandros of Rio de Janeiro. Especially in the Lapa area and in the suburbs, these games became associated with the persona of the carioca malandro, and they survive in the memory and traditions of Rio's most popular neighborhoods.

Games used to be played at the end of the night to decide who would pay the bill, but they became games played at all hours. Porrinha quickly became a craze: wherever there was a bar or a bakery, there was a group playing. Whoever won didn't pay for the coffee. Or, depending on the time, didn't pay for the beer, lunch, or dinner.

So, how do you play porrinha? The number of participants is open, and each one must have three pieces of matchsticks or toothpicks in hand. Every player chooses the number of pieces they will use, from zero to three, and when no stick is used it's called "lona." The circle moves clockwise, and the first person to try to guess the number of sticks in play becomes the last one in the next round. The winner is whoever guesses the total number of sticks in the round. The last one pays the bill.

Porrinha – Engraving by Alcides Oliveira

Image description: The image is a black-and-white engraving. On the left, we see three human hands, each with different markings: one hand with the word "LONA" written above it, another with "1 PONTO," and the third with "2 PONTOS." Below them is written "JOGO DE PORRINHA OU PALITINHO OU BASQUETE DE BOLSO." On the right, there is a lamppost with a group of people gathered around it.

With the same goal as porrinha — getting someone else to pay the bill — Rio locals invented the game of baratinha. Bar tables were the main playing field, napkins served as the board, and whoever finished drawing a cockroach first won.

To play, you needed two dice and a cup. The participant put the dice in the cup, shook it, and threw them on the table to check the result. The numbers rolled on the dice granted the right to draw a part of the cockroach -- the higher the sum, the better. To draw the head and the wings, which were worth more, the dice had to show a total of 10 to 12 points.

Among the Rio botequins that have kept the tradition of baratinha alive is Bar do Joia, where the game was invented by Joaquim Joia Nunes. Even after the owner's death, the bar and the game remain present at the corner of Júlia Lopes de Almeida and Conceição streets, in Centro. The regulars have taken over managing the place through a collective, which also assists Joia Nunes's cook and widow, Dona Alaíde. The game of baratinha lives on!

Image description: The image is a photograph of three people gathered around a table in an indoor setting, likely a bar. The table is covered with a red and black checkered cloth. On the left, two men are seated, both wearing short-sleeved shirts. One of them, with dark hair and glasses, is looking at the other man, who is standing and wearing a light blue shirt. This man appears to be explaining something about an object he is holding in his hands. On the right, a woman with blonde hair is partially visible, also looking at the object. On the table, various objects are scattered about, including beer bottles, glasses, and a white piece of paper. In the background, there is a wall of white tiles and a shelf with boxes of drinks.