Crossword Genius

Country where card game has gone initially really badly (10)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

montenegro

'country' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'card game has gone initially really badly' is the wordplay.
'card game' becomes 'monte' (monte is a kind of card game).
'has' means one lot of letters go next to another.
'initially' indicates taking the first letters.
'badly' indicates an anagram (letters in the wrong order).
The initial letter of 'really' is 'r'.
'gone'+'r'='goner'
'goner' is an anagram of 'negro'.
'monte'+'negro'='MONTENEGRO'

'where' acts as a link.

(Other definitions for montenegro that I've seen before include "European country (bordering on 6)" , "Balkan state" , "Balkan republic" .)

I've seen this clue in The Independent.
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