Briscola: A Traditional Italian Card Game
Briscola is an Italian trick-taking card game played with a deck of 40 cards. The word ‘briscola’ losely means ‘trump card’ in English.
The game is typically played with Italian cards, featuring the suits of coins, cups, batons, and swords. However, you can also use a standard international 52-card deck by removing the Jokers, eights, nines, and tens.
Briscola is one of the three national card games in Italy. Over time, different regions in Italy have developed their own versions of Briscola, incorporating unique rules and variations. Despite these regional differences, the core elements of the game remained consistent, allowing it to maintain a unified identity across the country. The same game is known as Briškula in the coastal regions of Slovenia and Croatia. and its structure and gameplay share similarities with ancient games like the Spanish game “Brisca” and the French game “Bataille.”
Briscola may be played by two, three, four or six players. There is a special version Briscola Chiamata for five players, which is strongly recommended.
Objective
The goal of Briscola is to score points by winning tricks containing high-value cards. The game can be played by two to six players, with the most common version being for two players.
Deck and Card Values
Briscola uses an Italian deck with four suits: Swords (Spade), Clubs (Bastoni), Cups (Coppe), and Coins (Denari). Each suit has ten cards, ranked as follows:
- Ace (Asso): 11 points
- Three (Tre): 10 points
- King (Re): 4 points
- Queen (Cavallo): 3 points
- Jack (Fante): 2 points
- Seven (Sette), Six (Sei), Five (Cinque), Four (Quattro), Two (Due): 0 points
The total value of the cards in the deck is 120 points. The player or team that scores at least 61 points wins the game. If both players or teams score 60 points, the game ends in a draw. Briscola is typically played as a best-of-three or best-of-five series.
Two-player Briscola is the simplest version of the game and serves as the foundation for multiplayer versions. One player shuffles the deck and deals three cards to each player. The dealer then takes the seventh card and places it face up next to the undealt cards, which remain face down. The suit of the face-up card determines the Briscola (trump) suit for the game. The Briscola suit can win against any other suit, regardless of card rank.
In four-player Briscola, the game remains largely the same, but players form two pairs, with partners sitting opposite each other. The gameplay proceeds counter-clockwise, with each team playing cooperatively.
Visual Signals
In the four- or six-player partnership versions of Briscola, most groups permit some form of communication between partners, either through conversation or visual signals. If visual signals are agreed on, players are not to discuss their cards but can make agreed on gestures to show what they have in the trump suit. An Ace, for example, can be shown by stretching your lips over your teeth, a three is shown by moving your mouth to one side, if you glance upwards you are showing a King, if you stick your tongue out you are showing the queen and if you shrug one shoulder you’re showing a Jack.
I can imagine this must be quite hilarious, and it also makes me think to keep a closer eye on any Italian pairs during my next bridge game!
If it is agreed that only conversation type signals are allowed, partners can be ordered to play certain cards. Find out more on Pagat.
The Mechanics
Setting Up
- Shuffle the deck and deal three cards to each player.
- Place the next card face up on the table; this card’s suit is the trump suit (Briscola).
- The remaining deck is placed face down, partly covering the trump card.
Gameplay
- The player to the dealer’s right leads the first trick by playing a card.
- The other players, in turn, play one card each. Play moves counter-clockwise.
- If a trump card is played, the highest trump wins the trick. If no trumps are played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- Note there is no requirement to follow suit!
- The winner of the trick takes all the cards and places them face down in a pile.
- The winner draws the top card from the deck, followed by the other players.
- The winner of the previous trick leads to the next raick.
- When the deck is exhausted, the loser of the last trick takes the Briscola, and all players then continue to play with their remaining cards.
Scoring
After all tricks have been played, players count the points in their captured cards. The player or team with the highest total points wins the game. The total points available in the deck are 120, so a score of 61 points or more is needed to win in a two or four person game.
Strategy
- Understanding Trump Cards: Knowing when to use or hold back your trump cards is crucial. Using them too early can leave you vulnerable later in the game.
- Card Counting: Keeping track of the cards that have been played helps in predicting opponents’ moves and making strategic decisions.
- Leading Strong Cards: Leading with high-value cards when you are confident of winning the trick can help you secure points.
Variations
Briscola has several variations, including team play and different scoring methods. The basic rules remain consistent, but regional differences can add unique twists to the game.
Resources
PAGAT – For more detailed rules and variations, refer to the comprehensive guide on pagat.com.
PLAY ONLINE
Board Game Arena
Solitaire Paradise
LEARN ON YOUTUBE
There are three good youtubes to help you learn the game
