All 54 Lotería Cards: Names, Numbers and What They Mean in English

Complete Mexican lotería game with boards, deck of cards and chips

A classic lotería deck has 54 cards, numbered from 1, El Gallo, to 54, La Rana. Each card has a number, a Spanish name and a picture, and each tabla (the game board) shows 16 of those pictures in a 4 by 4 grid. Below is the full list with the English for every card, so you can call your first game tonight with this page open on your phone.

Mexican Lotería, 20 players and 100 chipsThe classic game for family night: 20 boards, 100 chips, 80 markers and a deck of cards. Made in Mexico.See the 20 player set

All 54 lotería cards in order, with English names

This is the order of the classic deck most families in Mexico and the United States grew up with. It mixes characters like El Catrín, La Dama and El Valiente with animals, fruit, instruments and everyday things. Each line gives the Spanish name, the English translation and what the card shows.

  1. El Gallo (The Rooster): a proud rooster, the card that opens the deck.
  2. El Diablito (The Little Devil): a little red devil with horns; many callers just say El Diablo.
  3. La Dama (The Lady): an elegant lady, dressed up for a walk.
  4. El Catrín (The Dandy): a well dressed gentleman with a top hat and a cane.
  5. El Paraguas (The Umbrella): an umbrella, good for sun and for rain.
  6. La Sirena (The Mermaid): a mermaid, half woman and half fish.
  7. La Escalera (The Ladder): a wooden ladder.
  8. La Botella (The Bottle): a glass bottle.
  9. El Barril (The Barrel): a wooden barrel.
  10. El Árbol (The Tree): a big, leafy tree.
  11. El Melón (The Melon): a ripe melon.
  12. El Valiente (The Brave Man): a tough guy holding a knife, ready for a fight.
  13. El Gorrito (The Little Bonnet): a baby's bonnet.
  14. La Muerte (Death): a skeleton holding a scythe.
  15. La Pera (The Pear): a pear.
  16. La Bandera (The Flag): the green, white and red flag of Mexico.
  17. El Bandolón (The Mandolin): a big stringed instrument, cousin of the mandolin.
  18. El Violoncello (The Cello): a cello, the big violin you play sitting down.
  19. La Garza (The Heron): a heron with long legs and a long beak.
  20. El Pájaro (The Bird): a small bird.
  21. La Mano (The Hand): an open hand.
  22. La Bota (The Boot): a boot.
  23. La Luna (The Moon): the moon in the night sky.
  24. El Cotorro (The Parrot): a parrot, the bird that talks back.
  25. El Borracho (The Drunkard): a man who had one drink too many.
  26. El Negrito (The Little Black Man): one of the original character cards of the deck.
  27. El Corazón (The Heart): a red heart.
  28. La Sandía (The Watermelon): a juicy watermelon.
  29. El Tambor (The Drum): a drum.
  30. El Camarón (The Shrimp): a shrimp.
  31. Las Jaras (The Arrows): a set of arrows.
  32. El Músico (The Musician): a musician with his instrument.
  33. La Araña (The Spider): a spider.
  34. El Soldado (The Soldier): a soldier in uniform.
  35. La Estrella (The Star): a bright star.
  36. El Cazo (The Saucepan): a cooking pot with a handle.
  37. El Mundo (The World): a man carrying the globe on his back.
  38. El Apache (The Apache): an Apache man, another original character card.
  39. El Nopal (The Prickly Pear Cactus): a nopal, the same plant that gives us nopalitos and tunas.
  40. El Alacrán (The Scorpion): a scorpion with its tail up.
  41. La Rosa (The Rose): a red rose.
  42. La Calavera (The Skull): a skull, like the ones you see on Día de Muertos.
  43. La Campana (The Bell): a bell.
  44. El Cantarito (The Little Water Jug): a small clay jug for water.
  45. El Venado (The Deer): a deer.
  46. El Sol (The Sun): a shining sun.
  47. La Corona (The Crown): a royal crown.
  48. La Chalupa (The Canoe): a woman rowing a little boat, like the ones on the canals of Xochimilco.
  49. El Pino (The Pine Tree): an evergreen pine tree.
  50. El Pescado (The Fish): a fish.
  51. La Palma (The Palm Tree): a palm tree.
  52. La Maceta (The Flowerpot): a plant in its flowerpot.
  53. El Arpa (The Harp): a harp.
  54. La Rana (The Frog): a green frog, the last card in the deck.

Want the stories behind the famous ones, like El Borracho, El Catrín and La Chalupa? Read the stories behind 10 famous lotería cards. And if you want to share this list with someone who reads in Spanish, here is la lista de las 54 cartas en español.

How many cards are on a lotería tabla

A classic tabla has 16 pictures, set in 4 rows of 4. The deck has all 54 cards, so no tabla holds every card, and each tabla has its own mix. That way two players can sit side by side and still wait for different cards.

A game comes with one tabla per player. Our Mexican Lotería for 20 players includes 20 boards, 100 chips, 80 markers and a deck of cards. The Mexican Lotería for 10 players includes 10 boards and a deck of cards. Both are made in Mexico. If your group is small, let each person play two tablas at once: the round moves faster and the table gets louder.

Mexican Lotería for 10 players$9.9910 boards and a deck of cards for a smaller table, and a fun way to practice your Spanish. Made in Mexico.See the 10 player set

How to use this list on lotería night

The list above works as your caller's sheet. Here is a simple way to run a round:

  • The caller shuffles the deck and turns the cards over one at a time.
  • For each card, the caller reads the name out loud, or says a short verse first and then the name.
  • Players look for that picture on their tabla and cover it. In Mexico, pinto beans, pennies and bottle caps are the classic markers.
  • The caller keeps the called cards in a pile, in order. When someone shouts “¡Lotería!”, check their tabla against that pile.
  • Kids learning Spanish can read the Spanish name while an adult says the English, and then switch.

Winning patterns, house rules and how lotería compares to bingo are all in our guide on how to play lotería.

Lotería chips, 100 pack$9.99A refill pack of 100 colorful chips, sized for standard and giant lotería boards. For the night the beans run out.See the lotería chips

What the caller says: verses for a few famous cards

A good caller, the cantor or gritón, doesn't always say the name right away. Many sing a short rhyme or a popular saying first, and the table races to guess the card. These are some of the traditional ones:

  • El Gallo: “El que le cantó a San Pedro no le volverá a cantar.” The one who crowed for Saint Peter won't crow for him again.
  • El Diablito: “Pórtate bien, cuatito, si no te lleva el coloradito.” Behave, buddy, or the little red one will take you away.
  • El Corazón: “No me extrañes, corazón, que regreso en el camión.” Don't miss me, sweetheart, I'll be back on the bus.
  • El Camarón: “Camarón que se duerme, se lo lleva la corriente.” The shrimp that falls asleep gets carried away by the current.
  • El Sol: “La cobija de los pobres.” The blanket of the poor.

Every family has its own lines, and many callers make up new ones on the spot. Half the fun is getting the whole table to laugh before anyone finds the card.

Other lotería decks and where the classic one comes from

The game is older than most people think. It started in Italy in the 1400s and reached New Spain, today Mexico, in 1769. In 1887, Clemente Jacques, a French businessman in Mexico, began printing the deck whose pictures most of us still know. Those drawings were printed again and again until they became part of Mexican culture.

Today you will find many other decks. Some keep the same cards with new art, others change the objects or the animals, and some add cards: there are versions that swap El Venado for a horse and add La Guitarra and La Manzana, for 56 cards. If your deck has different names or numbers, you play the same way. Our 20 player set is the classic version of Mexican Lotería, with traditional illustrations on durable boards, and you can see all our lotería games in one place.

Everything for lotería night at home

The classic game in two sizes, the version with play pesos, extra chips and a Spanish deck for the next round.

Free US shipping on orders over $35.

Lotería, 20 players and 100 chips20 boards, 100 chips, 80 markers and a deck$17.99
Lotería, 20 players and play pesos20 boards, 100 play pesos, 80 markers$17.99
Lotería for 10 players10 boards and a deck of cards$9.99
Lotería chips, 100 packSized for standard and giant boards$9.99
Spanish playing cards, red and blueTwo decks for Mexican poker and more$14.99

Frequently asked questions about lotería cards

How many cards are in a lotería deck?

The classic lotería deck has 54 cards, numbered 1 to 54. Card 1 is El Gallo and card 54 is La Rana. Some newer decks add a few extra cards, but 54 is the standard.

How many pictures are on a lotería board?

A classic tabla has 16 pictures in a 4 by 4 grid. Each tabla has a different mix of the 54 cards, so every player is waiting for different cards. You win by covering the pattern the group agreed on, often the full tabla.

What does lotería mean in English?

Lotería means “lottery” in Spanish, but the game works like bingo with pictures instead of numbers. That is why many people in the US call it Mexican bingo. Since every card has a Spanish name, it is also a fun way to learn Spanish words.

Is card number 2 El Diablo or El Diablito?

It is the same card. The classic deck calls it El Diablito, the little devil, and many callers and some lists simply say El Diablo. Either name works at the table.

Are all lotería decks the same?

No. The 54 card deck in this list is the classic one most families know. Other decks change the art, the objects or the number of cards, and some have 56. The way you play stays the same.

Sources