Italy's best-loved card game: with a 40-card deck you capture table cards of the same value, or whose values add up to the card you play. Points go to the most cards, the most coins, the settebello, the best primiera and every sweep. Play with two or three players, or in two teams of two.
Goal: Be the first to reach the agreed score (11, 16 or 21) by winning points in every hand: most cards, most coins, the settebello, the best primiera and sweeps.
The game uses the Italian 40-card deck in four suits: denari (coins), coppe (cups), spade (swords) and bastoni (batons). Each suit has an ace, the numbers 2 to 7, the fante (knave), the cavallo (horse) and the re (king).
For capturing, a card is worth its number: ace = 1, fante = 8, cavallo = 9, re = 10. The primiera uses different values (see “Points for a hand”).
You can play with two players, with three (each for themselves) or with four: with four, partners sit opposite each other and form two teams that share their captured cards and points, but may not show each other their cards.
In each hand the dealer gives three cards to every player and turns four cards face up on the table. If three or four of those cards are kings, everything is shuffled and dealt again.
The player after the dealer starts and play passes around the table. When everyone has played their three cards, three more are dealt to each player (nothing is added to the table) until the deck runs out: six deals with two players, four with three and three with four. The dealer changes with every hand.
On your turn, play one card from your hand face up on the table. It may capture:
• a table card of the same value (if there are several, you choose one);
• otherwise, two or more table cards whose values add up to the value of the card you played (if there are several such sets, you choose which).
If there is a table card of the same value you must take exactly that card; you may not take a set with the same total instead. Capturing is compulsory: if your card can capture, you cannot simply leave it on the table (but you may play a different card that captures nothing). If it cannot capture, it stays face up on the table and can be taken on later turns.
The card you played and the cards you captured go into your pile (or your team's pile).
Example. The table shows a 2, a 3, a 5 and a fante (8). With a 5 you take only the 5 (not the 2 and the 3). With a fante you take only the fante (not the 3 and the 5). With a king (10) you choose between 2 + fante and 2 + 3 + 5. A 6 captures nothing, so it stays on the table.
If a capture takes every card on the table and leaves it empty, you have made a scopa and score 1 point. The next player must lay a card on the empty table.
Exception: a scopa does not count if it is made with the very last card played in the hand.
When all the cards have been played, the cards still on the table go to the player (or team) who made the last capture. This is not a scopa.
Then the points for the hand are counted.
In each hand a player or team can score for:
• Cards: 1 point for the most captured cards. If tied, nobody scores it.
• Coins: 1 point for the most captured cards of the coins (denari) suit. If tied, nobody scores it.
• Settebello: 1 point for whoever captured the seven of coins.
• Primiera: 1 point for the best primiera. From your captured cards take the highest-value card of each suit and add the four values: 7 = 21, 6 = 18, ace = 16, 5 = 15, 4 = 14, 3 = 13, 2 = 12, face cards (fante, cavallo, re) = 10. You need at least one card in every suit, otherwise you have no primiera. If the totals are equal, nobody scores it.
• Sweeps: 1 point for each scopa made.
With the “napola” option, capturing the ace, 2 and 3 of coins is worth 3 extra points, and each further consecutive coin (4, 5, 6…) adds one more point, up to 10 points for the whole suit. Napola points are added to the others; with it, playing to 21 is recommended.
A game is played over several hands and the points add up. It ends after the hand in which a player or team has reached the chosen score (11, 16 or 21) and is alone in the lead. If several players are tied for the lead, another hand is played as a tie-break.
By tradition, the target is 11 points with two players, 16 with three and 21 for teams.
The settebello is worth a point by itself and also helps with coins, cards and primiera: do not leave it on the table if your opponent can take it.
Avoid leaving cards on the table that add up to 10 or less: your opponent may sweep. If the total is above 10, nobody can clear the table with a single card.
Keep track of the cards played: knowing which sevens, sixes and aces are still out helps you choose.