Briscola – Rules

Play Briscola against the computer

1. Overview

What is it about? Together with Scopa, Briscola is Italy's most popular card game. Everyone holds only three cards and draws after each trick. One suit is trumps – the “briscola”. Because you never have to follow suit, it's all about clever discards and timing your trumps.

2. Cards and material

• Pack: 40 Italian cards in four suits: denari (coins), coppe (cups), spade (swords), bastoni (batons).
• Ranking and points (high → low):

• Note: The three is the second-highest card of every suit.
• Total: 120 points.
• Face up and face down: Hand cards concealed, the trump card face up under the stock, tricks face down.
• With French cards: Remove 8, 9, 10; jack, queen, king take the roles of fante, cavallo, re.

3. Preparation and start

1. Dealer: By lot; after that the deal alternates.
2. Shuffle and cut.
3. Deal: Everyone gets 3 cards.
4. Briscola: The next card is turned up. Its suit is trumps. It lies face up crosswise under the stock.
5. Start: The player after the dealer leads.

Start example: Player 2 deals 3 cards each to Player 1 and himself and turns up the 5 of coppe: coppe is the briscola. Player 1 leads.

4. Goal and winning

• A deal: Whoever has more than 60 points wins.
• Draw: 60 to 60 is a draw.
• Game: Often played to two or three deals won.

5. Play in detail

A trick.

1. The leader plays any card.
2. The others play any card – there is no obligation to follow suit or to win the trick.
3. The highest briscola (trump) in the trick wins; if there is none, the highest card of the suit led.
4. Cards of another suit (other than trumps) can never win.

Drawing. After each trick the winner draws first, then the others, one card each from the stock. The face-up briscola is drawn as the very last card.

End. When the stock is used up, the last cards are played without drawing. Then everyone counts their points.

Example with Players 1 and 2. Coppe is the briscola.

1. Player 1 leads the 3 of denari (10 points). Player 2 has the ace of denari and takes the trick: 21 points for Player 2.
2. Player 2 draws first, then Player 1. Player 2 leads the king of spade (4).
3. Player 1 has no high spade, but he has the 2 of coppe – the lowest briscola. He trumps with it: 4 points for Player 1. A trump 2 beats any king of another suit.
4. Player 1 leads the 4 of bastoni (0 points). Player 2 plays the fante of bastoni – the higher baton: trick to Player 2 (2 points). He could also have played a card of another suit; then Player 1 would have won the trick.

6. Scoring

• Recording: One mark per deal won.
• End: Whoever first wins the agreed number of deals.

7. Special rules and situations

• Swapping the briscola (variant): A player holding the trump 2 (or 7) may swap it for the face-up briscola.
• Signals with four players: Traditionally partners may show their strong cards with gestures (a wink, a lip movement) – as long as the opponents don't see.
• Last card: Whoever draws last gets the face-up briscola.
• Wrong draw: Return extra cards; the order stays the same.
• Common mistakes: underestimating the three; wasting trumps early on worthless tricks; leading unprotected aces.

8. Variants

Standard in this description: two players, 3 hand cards, a deal to 61 points.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone you play Briscola with two or with four, the player opposite being your partner; a game is one deal or to 2 or 3 deals won.

9. Tips for beginners

1. Protect aces and threes: Play them when the opponent can hardly trump them any more.
2. Throw lisci: The worthless cards (2, 4, 5, 6, 7) are good for giving away tricks.
3. Trump with purpose: Only trump tricks that carry points.
4. Keep count: Remember which aces and threes have been played.
5. The face-up briscola: Whoever draws it at the end gets a sure trump – plan for it.
6. Endgame: Once the stock is gone you know which cards your opponent can still hold.
7. With four: Feed points when your partner surely wins the trick.

10. Summary in 10 steps

1. 40 cards; ace 11, three 10, king 4, knight 3, jack 2.
2. 3 cards each.
3. Turn up the next card: its suit is the briscola.
4. The player after the dealer leads.
5. Play any card – no need to follow suit or win.
6. The highest briscola wins, otherwise the highest card of the suit led.
7. The winner draws first.
8. The face-up briscola is the last card.
9. Stock empty: play out the last three cards.
10. More than 60 points wins.

11. Frequently asked questions

Must I follow suit?

No. In Briscola you may always play any card.

Why is the three so strong?

In Italian games the three is traditionally the second-highest card and worth 10 points.

What happens at 60 to 60?

The deal is a draw.

Who gets the face-up briscola?

Whoever draws last in the final draw.

May partners talk with four players?

No, but traditionally small signals are allowed as long as the opponents don't notice.

How long does a deal take?

Five to ten minutes.

Origin & history

Briscola probably emerged in Italy in the 19th century as a descendant of the Dutch Brusquembille. It is one of the best-known Italian card games; in Spain it is widespread as Brisca. With four players, signals between partners are often allowed.