The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (136 page)

1 for winning the most cards (no score if tied)

1 for winning the most diamonds (no score if tied)

1 for the sette bello or ‘best Seven’ ( 7 or 7)

1 for primiera, as explained below 1 per sweep

For primiera, each side extracts from its won cards the highest-

valued card it has taken in each suit, and totals their face values

according to the fol owing schedule:

Seven 21 Four 14

Six

18 Three 13

Ace 16 Two 12

Five 15 K,Q,J 10each

Whoever took the highest value of cards on this basis scores 1 for

primiera. A player who has taken cards in only three or fewer suits

cannot compete for this point.

You rarely need to count these exactly, as it is usually obvious from just

looking at the Sevens and Sixes who has the best primiera.

GamePlay up to 11 points. If there is a tie, the points made on the

last deal are counted strictly in order: cards – diamonds – best Seven

– primiera – sweeps; and the first to score on that basis wins.

VariantsScopa is rich in alternative rules and optional extras.

Some start by dealing nine cards to each player. When both (or

al ) players have had a turn, they draw a replacement card from

stock before playing again, so long as any remain to take.

Points may be scored for other cards or combinations found

among a player’s won cards, notably notably 2, and three-card

suit-sequences such as A-2-3, 6-7-J, or J-Q-K.

In some circles, points are remembered as they accrue, and the

winner is the first to claim correctly that he has reached 11. A false

claim loses the game.

claim loses the game.

Some use a 52-card pack, and count Jack 11, Queen 12, King 13.

In Scopa d’Assi, an Ace from the hand sweeps al the cards from

the table. This may or may not be permit ed if the table cards

include an Ace, and may or may not score as a sweep.

In Scopa de Quindici, a card from the hand may capture one or

more cards on the table which, together with the capturing card,

total fifteen. For example, with A 3 7 K on the table, a Five could

be played to capture the 3 + 7 (or, less profitably, the King). In

some versions, point-count captures may be made only in this way,

to the exclusion of other forms of addition.

In Sbarazzina, cards may be captured only by fifteening. Courts

have a count of zero, so that, for example, if the table cards are 2-7-

K they are al captured with a Six (2 + 7 + 0 + 6 = 15). A player

unable to capture in this way must trail. An Ace sweeps the board

provided that no other Ace is on the table. Score as at Scopa, but

with the addition of 1 for capturing K (re bel o).

Scopa de Undici

resembles Scopa de Quindici, but has 11 as the key total.

Hurricane

Italian game here quoted from a German source. A hurricane is a

sweep. Deal six each and four to the table. Play as Scopa and score:

1 for cards, 1 for most hearts, 1 extra for 7, 1 for primiera (see

Scopa). Game is 16 up, and won double if the loser fails to reach 8.

Scopone

4 players (2 × 2), 40 cards

An excel ent and unusual partnership game, recommended to

An excel ent and unusual partnership game, recommended to

players seeking something quite dif erent from the usual runof

trick-and-trump games, easy to learn but of considerable depth.

PreliminariesFour players sit crosswise in partnerships and play to

the right.

Cards and dealAs Scopa, but deal nine cards each and four face up

to the table, in batches of 3-(2)-3-(2)-3. If the table cards include

three Kings, it is usual (but not of icial) to deal again.

Play and scoreAs at Scopa, with each pair of partners keeping al its

won cards in a single pile.

VariantDeal ten cards each and none to the table, thus forcing the

first player to trail.

CommentIf at the start of the hand each player were to capture

exactly one card, the dealer would score a sweep, eldest would be

forced to trail, and there would be a strong tendency for the dealer’s

side to be continual y sweeping while the opponents continual y

trail. The elder partnership must therefore seek to break up this

potential pat ern. Suppose the table cards dealt are A-3-4-J. Eldest

playsaFive and captures A-4. Dealer’s partner is now awkwardly

facing 3-J, a combination worth 11 and so unsweepable. If he pairs

either card he leaves his next opponent one card and the chance of

a sweep, though his own holding may enable him to assess this risk.

For example, holding two Jacks and a Three he could capture the

Three, arguing that it is two to one against the next player’s holding

the other Jack. Otherwise, his safest play is to trail, which scores,

but costs, nothing.

The first move (5 =1 + 4) leaves in play three each of Aces,

Fours, and Fives, and these ranks are consequently said to be

unpaired (sparigliato). General y, it favours the non-dealers’ side to

maintain as many ranks as possible unpaired. To redress the

maintain as many ranks as possible unpaired. To redress the

balance, dealer’s side should seek to trail the lower cards of three or

more unpaired ranks so that they may capture by summing – an

at empt which the opponents wil try to frustrate by trailing the

highest unpaired rank before the others can get both of the lower

ranks into play. In the above example, dealer’s side wil now seek

to trail a Four and an Ace so as to capture both with a Five of their

own. But if the non-dealers can themselves trail a Five before a

Four and an Ace get into play, then the dealer’s side wil not be

able to catch them, since, by the rules of the game, capture by

pairing has priority over capture by summing.

Another common sequence of play is the mulinel o (‘whirlwind’).

Suppose the table cards are A-3-4-5 and eldest has two Threes.

Trusting that his next opponent does not have the fourth, he plays K

= A + 4 + 5, leaving the Three in situ. Dealer’s partner does not

have the Three and must trail a court to prevent a possible sweep.

Suppose he trails a Jack. Now third-hand, who does have the fourth

Three, pairs the Jack, thus leaving dealer in exactly the same fix as

his partner. As the fourth Three is a constant threat, this painful

situation can be dragged out for some time.

When forced to trail it is natural to choose a rank of which two

or three are held, a fact which can give useful information to one’s

partner and possibly enable him to reap a whirlwind as described

above. For example, suppose the first move is 6 = 2 + 4. Second-

hand trails a Four from a pair. If now his partner, dealer, has the

other Four, the two of them can set up a whirlwind based upon

that rank – rather like a squeeze at Bridge.