La Corrida
How to Beat Every Boss in La Corrida
Nine bosses, nine rules: what each one does to your hand and how to play around it, plus every rival's special move.
5 min read
Published October 17, 2026
Quick answer
Learn the rule, count their plays, spend the right tiles first
Each boss bends one rule of the hand: El Trancón locks an end, La Marea swaps your best playable tile, El Capitán runs a clock, El Super holds back your doubles. Count their plays so you know when the rule hits, and save the Escudo for the boss.
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Every barrio in La Corrida ends with a boss, played best of three hands, and every boss bends one rule of the hand. Here is each rule as the game plays it, how to beat it, and the special moves the rivals on the street bring to the table.
01.
El Trancón
La EsquinaEvery 3 of his plays, he locks one end for your next turn, switching sides.
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Keep a tile for each end, so a lock never leaves you stuck.
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Count his plays: you always know which turn is coming.
02.
El Tíguere
La EsquinaHe goes first. Once a hand, right after you draw or pass, he plays twice.
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Keep your hand flexible and avoid the draw: answer the numbers you hold most of.
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The Escudo stops his double turn.
03.
La Dueña
La EsquinaEvery 3 of her plays, the bank collects: you draw the pile's top tile.
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Your hand grows, so shed heavy tiles early and keep it short.
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The Escudo stops the next collection.
04.
La Marea
NaguaEvery 4 of her plays, the tide takes the heaviest tile you could lay, puts it under the pile and hands you the top two.
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Lay your heavy playable tiles before her 4th play.
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The Escudo stops the next tide.
05.
El Capitán
NaguaHe goes first, and a hand lasts 14 plays on the table. Then lower pips win, as at a tranque.
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Shed your heavy tiles first, and count both hands' pips as the plays run down.
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The Escudo buys 4 more plays.
06.
El Tiburón
NaguaOnce a hand, the first time he's stuck, he sells you his heaviest tile.
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Blocking him early hands you his weight. Block him when you're close to going out.
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The Escudo stops the sale.
07.
El Super
Los HeightsHe holds the keys: you can't lay a double until he has laid one this hand.
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Don't build your hand around doubles. Play your other tiles first.
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The Escudo gets you the keys right away.
08.
La Bodeguera
Los HeightsShe goes first, and every tile you draw goes on her book: you pay for each one when the series ends, unless you win 2–0.
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Avoid the pile: keep numbers on the table that you can answer.
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A 2–0 sweep wipes the book.
09.
El Rey del Parque
Los HeightsPark rules: he goes first and there's no pile. Stuck? You pass. When both of you are stuck, lower pips win.
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It's a blocking game: close the ends he can't answer.
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Shed pips early, since every hand can end in a tranque.
10.
Rival moves: Goes first
This rival sits down first and opens every hand.
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Answer with your longest palo.
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Watch their opening tile: they may hold more of that number.
11.
Rival moves: Doubles play again
After laying a double, this rival plays one more tile, once a turn.
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Don't leave ends that feed their doubles.
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Count the doubles already down to know how many are left.
12.
Rival moves: Reads the pile
When this rival has to draw, they pick the best of the pile's top three.
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Make them pass instead: a rival who reads the pile still can't read an empty one.
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Their draws come out stronger, so don't count on a bad draw.
13.
Rival moves: Holds the double six
This rival always has the 6|6 and lays doubles first. Their first double each hand makes you draw a tile.
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The six is the number to watch.
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Keep a six of your own to answer the double.
Bring this to the table
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Every boss bends one rule: read it before the series starts.
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Count the boss's plays: the rules that come every few plays never surprise you.
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Save the Escudo for the boss; most bosses lose their next trick to it.
Questions from the table
How many hands is a La Corrida boss?
Best of three hands. Win two and the barrio is yours.
What does the Escudo do against a boss?
It stops the boss's next trick: La Marea's next tide, La Dueña's next collection, El Tíguere's next double turn. Against El Capitán it buys 4 more plays, and against El Super it gets you the keys right away.
Does Picante change the bosses?
From the level that adds Jefe apura, most bosses push their rule harder: it comes sooner or more often, and El Super and La Bodeguera ask for more. El Rey del Parque's park rules stay the same. The boss's card at the table says the new number.
