Scopa rules: how to play scopa

The objective of scopa

The objective of scopa is to score more points than your opponent or opposing team by capturing cards from the table.

Points are awarded for several different achievements, including:

• making scopas;
• capturing the most cards;
• capturing the most cards of the coins suit;
• capturing the settebello;
• achieving the highest primiera.

The game is played over a series of hands. At the end of each hand, the captured cards are counted and the points are awarded.

The scopa deck

Traditional scopa uses 40 cards divided into four suits.

The suits traditionally represent:

• coins;
• cups;
• swords;
• clubs.

The artwork and exact names of the suits depend on the Italian regional deck being used.

Each suit contains ten cards.

In a traditional Italian deck these correspond to: ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, jack, knight, king.

For capture purposes, their values are:

When scopa is played with a standard French-suited deck, the 8, 9 and 10 are normally removed and the jack, queen and king are used as the equivalent 8, 9 and 10 cards.

The important principle is that scopa uses 40 cards and that the cards have capture values from 1 to 10.

Number of players

The basic game can be played by two players.

A four-player version can also be played with two teams of two. In partnership play, teammates normally sit opposite one another.

The exact number of players and partnership rules can vary between different versions of scopa.

Setting up the game

Before the first hand begins, shuffle the 40-card deck.

Three cards are dealt to each player.

Four cards are then placed face up on the table.

The remaining cards form the deck used for subsequent deals.

The player who starts depends on the dealing arrangement being used. Once play begins, players take turns in the established order.

Playing a turn

On your turn, choose one card from your hand and play it.

You then check whether the card can capture one or more cards on the table.

There are three basic possibilities. You can:

1. capture a single card with the same value.
2. capture several cards whose values add up to your played card.
3. not capture, so your played card remains on the table.

After your turn, play passes to the next player.

Continuing the hand

Each player begins with three cards.

Once all the cards in the players' hands have been played, another three cards are dealt to each player.

The game continues in this way until the deck has been exhausted.

Players continue capturing cards and making scopas throughout the hand.

The end of the hand

When all cards have been dealt and played, the hand ends.

There may still be cards remaining on the table.

Those cards are normally awarded to the player who made the last valid capture of the hand.

This final collection is important because those cards count when determining the number of cards and coins captured.

However, the final collection does not normally count as a scopa.

Capturing a matching card

A card can capture a table card with the same value.

For example, if you play a 5 and there is a 5 on the table, you can capture that 5.

The two cards are removed from the table and placed in your captured pile.

The suit does not normally matter for this type of capture.

A 5 can capture another 5 regardless of their suits.

Capturing combinations

If there is no matching single card that takes priority, you can capture multiple cards whose values add up to the value of the card you played.

For example, if you play a 7 and the table contains:

• 4
• 3

you can capture both cards because 4 + 3 = 7.

Likewise, a 6 could capture:

• 5 + 1;
• 4 + 2;
• 3 + 2 + 1.

The exact combinations available depend on the cards currently on the table.

This is the central tactical mechanic of scopa because every capture changes the available combinations for the next player.

Matching takes priority

A key rule in standard scopa is that a matching single card takes priority over a combination of multiple cards.

For example, imagine that you play a 7 and the table contains:

• 7
• 4
• 3

The single 7 is the matching card, so you capture the 7 rather than choosing the 4 + 3 combination.

This rule prevents players from freely choosing between every mathematically possible combination.

It also makes the placement of cards on the table strategically important.

When there is no capture

If the card you play cannot capture any card on the table, it remains face up on the table.

For example, if you play a 6 and the table contains:

• 2
• 3
• 5

there is no 6 and no combination of table cards adding up to 6.

Your 6 therefore remains on the table.

The next player may then be able to use it as part of a combination.

Making a scopa

A scopa is made when a player captures every card currently on the table.

For example, if the table contains:

• 2
• 3

and you play a 5, you can capture both cards.

Because no cards remain on the table, you have made a scopa.

A scopa is worth one additional point.

The scoring value is independent of the values of the cards captured.

Why scopas matter

A scopa provides an immediate point, but its strategic value goes beyond the point itself.

When you clear the table, your opponent has no cards available to capture on their next turn.

Your opponent must therefore begin rebuilding the table by playing a card.

This can change the rhythm of the hand and can make it more difficult for the opponent to create a favourable capture.

For this reason, players should consider both the immediate points from a scopa and the position it creates.

Scoring a hand

After the hand ends, the captured cards are counted.

The standard scoring categories are:

Most cards

The player or team that captured the greatest number of cards receives one point.

There are 40 cards in the deck, so a player needs more than 20 cards to win this category in a two-player game.

If the players are tied, the point is normally not awarded.

Most coins

The player or team that captured the greatest number of cards from the coins suit receives one point.

There are ten coins cards in the deck.

As with the cards category, a tie normally means that neither side receives the point.

Settebello

The player or team that captured the seven of coins receives one point.

The settebello is a single card, but it is especially valuable because it contributes directly to the score and is also the strongest possible card for primiera.

Primiera

The player with the highest primiera receives one point.

Primiera uses special values rather than the normal capture values.

The standard values are:

To calculate primiera, select the best card you captured in each of the four suits.

Add the four primiera values together.

The player with the higher total wins the primiera point.

A player must have at least one card in every suit to form a complete primiera.

Scopas

Every scopa made during the hand is worth one point.

Unlike the other scoring categories, scopas are accumulated individually.

If you make three scopas during a hand, you receive three points for those scopas.

This means that a player can score significantly more than the four standard category points through successful table clearances.

Primiera strategy

Primiera is one of the reasons Scopa cannot be reduced to simply collecting the largest number of cards.

For primiera, the 7 is the strongest card, followed by the 6 and ace.

This creates a special hierarchy:

7 > 6 > ace > 5 > 4 > 3 > 2 > court cards.

This hierarchy is completely different from the normal capture values.

A king is worth 10 when used to capture cards but only 10 for primiera. A 7 is worth only 7 when capturing but 21 for primiera.

As a result, collecting high-primiera cards can be more important than collecting cards with high capture values.

The importance of the settebello

The seven of coins is one of the most strategically important cards in scopa.

It directly awards one point to the player who captures it.

It is also a 7, making it the strongest possible card in the primiera calculation for the coins suit.

And because the coins category awards another point for the player with the most coins, the settebello can contribute to several scoring objectives simultaneously.

This is why players should always be aware of where the seven of coins is and whether it is still available.

Scopa strategy for beginners

The basic rules are simple, but good scopa play requires more than finding available captures.

Watch what has already been played

Cards that have already been captured cannot appear on the table again.

Keeping track of important cards can therefore help you predict future combinations.

Pay particular attention to:

• 7s;
• 6s;
• aces;
• the seven of coins;
• cards of the coins suit;
• cards that can create common combinations.

Do not automatically take the largest capture

Capturing several cards can be useful, but it can also give your opponent a strong position.

Before taking a combination, look at what cards will remain on the table.

The best capture is often the one that leaves the opponent with fewer useful combinations.

Look for a scopa

A table with only a few cards can create an opportunity to clear everything.

Before playing your card, check whether all the table cards add up to its value.

Making a scopa gives you an additional point and changes the table position immediately.

Protect valuable cards

The seven of coins and strong primiera cards can have a significant effect on the final score.

If you have a chance to capture one of these cards without giving your opponent an even better opportunity, it may be strategically valuable.

Remember the coins

The coins category is worth one point, so keeping track of how many coins you and your opponent have captured can help you understand the score that is still available.

Think about the next player

Scopa is not only about your current turn.

After making a capture, ask what your opponent can do with the cards you leave behind.

If your capture leaves an easy combination for your opponent, you may be giving them a useful opportunity.

Scopa terminology

Understanding the terminology makes the rules easier to follow.

Scopa — clearing every card from the table in one capture.

Capture — taking one or more cards from the table with a card played from your hand.

Table — the cards currently face up and available to be captured.

Captured cards — the cards collected by a player or team during the hand.

Settebello — the seven of coins, worth one point.

Primiera — a scoring category based on the best card held in each suit using special Primiera values.

Hand — a complete sequence of deals and plays ending when the deck has been exhausted.

Suit — one of the four card groups in the deck.

Scopa compared with other card games

Scopa belongs to the traditional Italian card-game family, but its central mechanic is distinctive.

In a trick-taking game, players normally compete to win tricks based on card rankings, trump rules or other trick-resolution mechanics.

In scopa, cards are already visible on the table and players use their hand cards to capture them.

This makes the game particularly focused on:

• numerical combinations;
• memory;
• table management;
• timing;
• card distribution;
• scoring categories.

Scopa therefore has a very different rhythm from briscola or tressette, even though all three are traditional Italian card games.

Scopa variants

Scopa has developed into a family of related games.

Some of the best-known variants include:

Scopone

Scopone is a four-player partnership game closely related to scopa. Its dealing system gives players a different amount of information from the beginning and creates a particularly strong emphasis on partnership play and memory.

Scopa d'assi

Scopa d'assi, also known as asso piglia tutto in some contexts, changes the role of the ace. In commonly described versions, an ace can clear the entire table.

Scopa di auindici

Scopa di auindici changes the capture mechanic so that the played card and captured cards are based on a total of 15 rather than simply matching the played card's value.

Cirulla

Cirulla is a regional variant related to scopa with additional combinations and scoring rules.

These variants should not be mixed with the standard rules of scopa. If you are playing a specific online implementation, always follow the rules displayed for that version.

Quick reference: how to play Scopa

1. Use a 40-card deck.
2. Deal three cards to each player.
3. Place four cards face up on the table.
4. Play one card from your hand on each turn.
5. Capture a matching card when available.
6. Otherwise, capture a combination whose total equals your played card.
7. If you cannot capture, leave your card on the table.
8. Clear the table to make a scopa and score one point.
9. Deal three new cards when the hands are empty.
10. Continue until the deck is exhausted.
11. Give remaining table cards to the player who made the last valid capture.
12. Count cards, coins, settebello, primiera and scopas.
13. Continue with further hands until the winning score is reached.

Start playing scopa online

Scopa is quick to learn, but every hand gives you new tactical decisions to make.

Learn the card values, practise identifying captures and start paying attention to the cards your opponent leaves on the table.

As you gain experience, focus on primiera, the coins, the settebello and the opportunities to make a scopa.

Play scopa online and put your memory, timing and card-capture skills to the test.