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Scopa is a table-capture game: play a card to take an equal-value card or a group that adds to its value. Briscola is a trick-taking game: play one card against an opponent’s, using trump to win tricks. Try Scopa for visible combinations and several scoring contests; try Briscola for trump decisions and keeping track of valuable cards already played.
What you need to play
Both games are commonly played with a 40-card Italian-suited deck. If you already have a standard 52-card deck, Pagat says Scopa can also be played with it after removing the 8s, 9s and 10s. The rules below describe common two-player versions; regional and named variants can change details, so agree on the rules before dealing.
For rules and variant details, see Pagat’s Scopa rules and the BRISCOLA.IT rules. For partnership Briscola, the Sisal guide describes a four-player form.
How Scopa works
Set up and take turns
Deal three cards to each player and place four cards face up on the table. Players take turns playing one card. If the played card has the same value as a table card, it captures that card. If there is no single-card match, it can capture a group of two or more table cards whose values add up to the played card’s value. When both a single-card match and a sum are possible, the single matching card must be taken.
#1 Best Overall
- EASY TO LEARN: Scopa is easy to learn, a challenge to master, and just plain fun for the whole family.
- DEVELOPS CRITICAL SKILLS: Involves memory, skill, and strategy developing critical thinking skills.
- TEAM OR INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS: Play individually or you can divide up into teams for more a collaborative atmosphere. There must be an even number of teams or players.
- 3 GAMES IN ONE: Two additional games of Scopa d'assi and Briscola can be played with Scopa cards!
- THIS GAME IS FOR EVERYONE: Perfect for any skill level, from novice to expert, so everyone can enjoy the game.
If the played card cannot capture anything, it stays face up on the table. When players have used their three-card hands, deal another three cards to each until the deck is exhausted.
Score the hand
Clearing every card from the table in one play is a scopa, or sweep, worth one point. At the end of the hand, the common scoring contests award points for:
Rank #2
- GAME CONTENTS: Complete set includes 2 full decks (40 Cards each) of traditional Italian Napolitane playing cards and 100 double-sided score sheets for extended gameplay.
- PLAYER COUNT: Perfect for gatherings, this classic card game accommodates 2 to 6 players for flexible group sizes
- GAMEPLAY STYLE: Strategic Italian card game that combines skill, memory, and tactical thinking for engaging family entertainment
- CLASSIC DESIGN: Traditional size playing cards (51x83.5mm, 2" x 3.29" ) featuring authentic Italian card artwork and patterns, 40 Cards Deck in Neapolitan Style
- SCORING SYSTEM: Includes 100 Double-sided scoring sheets to track points and matches, with clear marking areas for multiple rounds
- Making the most captures overall.
- Capturing the most coins, also called diamonds in some descriptions.
- Capturing the seven of coins or diamonds, the settebello.
- Having the best primiera, calculated using one card in each suit and a special value scale.
Taking the most cards or winning primiera is not simply a matter of collecting the highest cards. The last cards remaining on the table go to the last player or team that made a capture, but those cards do not count as a scopa.
Beginner Scopa strategy
- Check which table combinations your card can take before choosing a play.
- Where practical, protect cards that matter to scoring contests, especially coins and the settebello.
- Before leaving cards behind, consider whether your opponent could clear the table on the next turn.
These are practical deductions from the capture and scoring rules, not a proven optimal strategy. Scopa variants can change details such as primiera values; in asso pigliatutto, an Ace can take the table under specified conditions.
How Briscola works
Set up and take tricks
In the common two-player version, deal three cards to each player and turn up one card. Its suit is trump, called briscola. Players take turns playing one card into a trick, and they do not have to follow the suit led.
The highest card of the led suit wins unless a trump is played. If the lead is a trump, a higher trump is needed to beat it. The trick winner collects both cards and draws first from the stock; the other player draws next. Play continues until the stock and both hands are empty.
Rank #4
- Package Dimensions: 1.778 cms (L) x 5.08 cms (W) x 10.16 cms (H)
- Package Quantity: 1
- Product Type: Tabletop Game
- Country Of Origin: Italy
Count points and decide the winner
Briscola points are concentrated in a small number of cards:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| Three | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| All other cards | 0 |
The deck contains 120 points. Under BRISCOLA.IT’s rules, a player needs 61 or more to win; a 60–60 result is a draw.
Best Value
- EASY TO LEARN: Scopa is easy to learn, a challenge to master, and just plain fun for the whole family.
- DEVELOPS CRITICAL SKILLS: Involves memory, skill, and strategy developing critical thinking skills.
- 3 GAMES IN ONE: Two additional games of Scopa d'assi and Briscola can be played with Scopa cards!
- TEAM OR INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS: Play individually or you can divide up into teams for more a collaborative atmosphere. There must be an even number of teams or players.
- ON THE GO: Scopa Single Deck is a convenient take anywhere size game.
Beginner Briscola strategy
- Notice which valuable cards have already been played and which trumps remain.
- Consider whether spending a trump is worthwhile to win a trick containing point-bearing cards.
- When leading, weigh the risk of exposing valuable cards against the possibility of drawing out an opponent’s trump.
The best choice depends on the cards in hand and the cards already seen; these are starting considerations, not claims about a guaranteed strategy. In four-player partnership play, you also have to account for a teammate’s unseen hand.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Scopa vs. Briscola: which should you try?
| If you prefer… | Try… | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Table puzzles, visible combinations and arithmetic captures | Scopa | Each turn can remove a matching card or a group that adds to the card played. |
| Trick-taking, trump decisions and remembering what has been played | Briscola | You may play any card, while trump can take a trick containing point-bearing cards. |
| Several end-of-hand scoring categories | Scopa | Common scoring includes sweeps, card and coin majorities, the settebello and primiera. |
| A score race focused on valuable cards | Briscola | Its 120 points are concentrated in Aces, Threes and face cards. |
Neither game is universally easier or better. The main difference is what you pay attention to: Scopa’s changing table layout and capture combinations, or Briscola’s tricks, trump suit and point cards.
Common variations to agree on
- Scopa: Primiera values vary, and named variants such as asso pigliatutto change what an Ace can capture.
- Briscola: It can be played with different player counts. Partnership play adds the challenge of reasoning about a teammate’s hidden cards.
If you are learning with someone who already knows a local version, ask about scoring and special-card rules before the first deal. That avoids mistaking a house or regional rule for a universal one.
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