Briscola
How to Play Briscola
Briscola is an Italian trump game for 2–4 people — 3 is a real table, and 2 is this game — everyone for themselves. You make the same 40-card pack as Scopa (aces, 2–7, and faces), deal 3 each, and turn trump under the stock. You may play any card — you do not have to follow suit. The 3 is high. First to 61 of 120.
This page is kitchen-table Briscola. Also called Brisca at some Spanish tables — CardPractice house name is Briscola. Briscola a chiamata is the 4-hand partnership cousin (call a trump ace) — not tonight, not a second catalog id. Short enough to deal tonight. This is not Scopa. Same 40-card pack, but Scopa is capture: 4 on the table, match or sum, first to 11. This is not euchre. Euchre is 24 cards, follow suit, bowers, partners. Not Durak (attack-and-defend, 36-card 6–A). Not tarot. Three is a real table, not a leftover. Two is this game. Pick it from tonight with 3 players, tonight with 2, or tonight with 4.
What you need
- 2–4 players. Everyone for themselves. No partners. Three is a real table. Two is this game. Four is a full table. Five is not tonight's Briscola.
- The same 40-card pack as Scopa: pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52. Keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock (drawn last). Same 40 at every count — do not pull a 2 to make 39 at three.
- Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 deals, or keep a running total and first to 3 games of 61.
Sit, pick a dealer, agree on the house
Sit where everyone can see the trump card under the stock. Cut for the first deal, or point at someone. After each hand, pass the deal clockwise.
Say these out loud before the first card:
- Same 40 as Scopa. Pull 8s, 9s, and 10s. 3 each. Trump under the stock. No jokers. No partners. Do not pull a 2 at three. Three is a real table. Two is this game.
- Rank, high to low: Ace, 3, King, Queen, Jack, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2. The 3 is the second-highest card, above the king. Off-suit the same order. There is no 10-spot in this pack.
- You may play any card. You do not have to follow suit. Highest trump in the trick wins. If nobody played trump, highest of the led suit wins.
- Ace=11, 3=10, King=4, Queen=3, Jack=2. First to 61 of 120. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. Not Scopa. Not euchre.
The 40-card pack and trump
Shuffle a 52. Pull every 8, 9, and 10. What remains is ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, jack, queen, king in four suits — 40 cards, the same pack as Scopa. If you still have 8s, 9s, or 10s in the pack, you built the wrong pack. Throw it in. Do not pull a 2 at three to make 39. Same 40 at 2, 3, and 4.
| People | Dealt | Stock |
|---|---|---|
| 2 — this game | 3 each = 6 | 34, trump half-under |
| 3 — a real table | 3 each = 9 | 31, trump half-under. Do not pull a 2. |
| 4 — a full table | 3 each = 12 | 28, trump half-under |
Deal clockwise: 3 each. Put the rest of the pack face-down. That is the stock. Turn the bottom card face-up and slide it half-under the stock so everyone can see the suit. That suit is trump for the deal. The physical trump card under the stock is drawn last.
Left of the dealer leads first.
Rank and points — say the 3 out loud
This is not euchre rank and not a 10-spot pack. High to low, trump and off-suit:
| Rank (high to low) | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| 3 — second-highest, above the king | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 | 0 |
| 8, 9, 10-spot | Not in this pack |
Four aces (44) + four 3s (40) + four kings (16) + four queens (12) + four jacks (8) = 120 in the pack. First to 61 takes the deal. Night one you can skip the race and just compare piles after one deal.
Your turn: any card
The person to the dealer's left leads any card. Going clockwise, each person plays one card. You do not have to follow suit. You may trump. You may dump a zero.
- Someone played trump: highest trump in the trick wins. Ace of trump beats the 3 of trump. The 3 of trump beats the king of trump.
- Nobody played trump: highest card of the led suit wins. Same order: Ace, then 3, then King, Queen, Jack, 7 down to 2. A king of clubs does not beat a 3 of diamonds if diamonds were led and nobody trumped.
- Off-suit zeros never win unless they are trump, or they are the highest of the led suit because nobody else followed or trumped.
Winner of the trick takes the cards into a face-down pile and leads the next trick.
Draw one, winner first
After each trick, draw one from the stock so everyone has 3 again. Winner first, then around clockwise. Keep going until the stock — including the trump card under it — is gone. Then play out the last three tricks with no refill.
At three, 31 cards sit in the stock after the deal. That last draw may not come out even. Play the cards you still hold. Do not strip a 2 to make 39. Same 40 as Scopa.
Score, night one — 61 of 120
When the last tricks are in, count the points in your pile. Ace=11, 3=10, King=4, Queen=3, Jack=2. Everything else is 0.
| What | How |
|---|---|
| One deal tonight | Most of 120 wins. Compare piles. Say the number. |
| A deal of 61 | First to 61 of 120 takes that deal. |
| Optional rematch | First to 3 deals, or a running total and first to 3 games of 61. |
You do not capture Scopa sums. You do not follow suit like euchre. You do not attack left like Durak.
Walk through one first-night deal at 3
Three people — a real table. Same 40 as Scopa. Trump is hearts. Showing 2♥ under the stock — lowest heart, drawn last.
You lead the ace of clubs (11 points). East plays 3♥ — trump, 10 points — and takes the trick. Highest trump wins. Your ace of clubs is 11 points in East's pile now, plus the 3 of trump (10) plus whatever West dumped.
East won, so East draws first from the stock, then around, so everyone has 3 again. East leads. Keep going. When the 2♥ comes out last from under the stock, play out the last cards. Count 120 at the end. Most of 120 wins tonight.
Nobody captured a sum off the table. Nobody followed suit because they had to. Nobody named bowers. Nobody attacked left.
Night-one habits
- Pull 8s, 9s, and 10s. Same 40 as Scopa at 2, 3, and 4. Do not pull a 2 at three.
- Say the rank out loud: Ace, 3, King, Queen, Jack, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2. The 3 is above the king.
- You may play any card. You do not have to follow suit.
- Highest trump wins the trick. Else highest of the led suit.
- Draw one after each trick, winner first, until the trump under the stock is gone. Then play out.
- Ace=11, 3=10, King=4, Queen=3, Jack=2. First to 61 of 120. Night one: most of 120 after one deal.
- Three people is a real Briscola table. Two is this game. Four is a full table. Five is not tonight. Deal.
You know enough to deal. Keep this page beside the table. Three people is a tonight pick. Two people is a tonight pick. Four people is a tonight pick. There is no Briscola trainer on CardPractice — this how-to is the product. If you wanted capture on this same 40, that is Scopa. If you wanted follow-suit bowers, that is euchre. If you wanted attack-and-defend with a 36-card pack, that is Durak.