Scopa
Capture cards from the table
- Deck
- Italian 40-card · 40
- Players
- 2 players · 4 players (partners)
Scopa is a fishing game: cards lie face up on the table and you capture them by matching values. Clearing the table entirely is a scopa, and it is worth a point on its own.
How to play
You hold three cards. On your turn you play one: if it matches the value of a card on the table you capture that card, and if it matches the sum of several cards you capture all of them. If nothing matches, your card stays on the table. When everyone runs out, three more are dealt.
Scoring
Four points are contested each hand: most cards, most coins, the seven of coins, and the best primiera. Each scopa adds a point. Most games run to eleven or twenty-one.
A few tips
The seven of coins is worth a point by itself, so watch what leaves the table around it. Counting how many sevens are gone is the single habit that most improves a beginner's game.