Primero

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AKA

A fun card game, somewhat like Poker, known in several Renaissance cultures.

This game is described in more sources than average. However, it is not clear whether those descriptions are talking about exactly the same game. Some reconstructions assume that the game is the same across all of those sources; some do not. Most reconstructions are based on Gerolamo Cardano's The Book on Games of Chance (Liber de Ludo Aleae), c. 1520.

Variants

Reconstructions and Other Discussions

Primero from Nare's Glossary (Facsimile) -- Facsimile provided by Imran Ghory -- well post-period, but still interesting. (more)
Modernized version of "Jeu de prime de Lyon" (Transcription) -- Microsoft Word format, transcribed by Thierry Depaulis (more)
Excerpt from "Second Frutes" (Transcription) -- by John Florio (1591). Transcribed by Justin. (more)
Imran Ghory's History of Games (Overview) -- A snapshot of the page from one of the folks working in the field, whose page went bye-bye. Mostly links into the Wayback Machine now. (more)
Transcription of "Jeu de prime de Lyon" (Transcription) -- Microsoft Word format, transcribed by Thierry Depaulis (more)
Justin's reconstructions of Primero (Reconstruction) -- Covering English and Italian separately. (more)
David Whittaker's reconstruction of Primero (Reconstruction) -- This link is via the Wayback Machine. (more)
CAPITOLO SOPRA il gioco di Primiera (Transcription) -- by Giulio Mantoano (probably c.1560). Microsoft Word format, transcribed by Thierry Depaulis (more)
Il gioco di primiera (Transcription) -- a "motetto a 3 voci, due tenori e basso", composed by Carlo Grossi (1681). Microsoft Word format, transcribed by Thierry Depaulis (more)
An excerpt from a mid-18th century book on Minchiate, with rules for Prime (Transcription) -- Microsoft Word format, transcribed by Thierry Depaulis (more)
Jeff Suzuki's reconstruction of Primero (Reconstruction) -- (more)
The Compleat Gamester, 1725 edition (Facsimile) -- A facsimile of a later (but still useful) edition of Cotton, available on Google Books. (more)
Excerpt from Pleasant and Delightfull Dialogues in Spanish and English (Transcription) -- by John Minsheu (John Haviland, printer; London, 1623). Transcribed by Justin. (more)
Commento al Capitolo della Primiera (Transcription) -- a long article on the subject of this poem by Francesco Berni from 1526. (In Italian.) PDF (more)
Scan of Liber de Ludo Aleae (Facsimile) -- This is Cardano's book, the standard source of Primero information. (more)
A brief description of Primero on the Landsknecht page (Reconstruction) -- (more)

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