How to Play

Scopone is the Italian 4-player partnership fishing card game, the deep strategic cousin of Scopa, played with a 40-card deck fully dealt to the four players (no cards on the table) with points for Cards, Coins, Settebello, Primiera, and each Scopa sweep.

Scopone is the Italian partnership variant of the classic fishing game Scopa, played by 4 players in 2 fixed partnerships (partners opposite). It uses the 40-card Italian deck (or a standard deck stripped to ranks Ace through 7 plus Knight, Queen, and King). The distinguishing feature from basic Scopa is that in Scopone all 40 cards are dealt at the start (10 cards per player) with no redeal and no cards placed on the table: the table starts empty, which forces the first player to 'trail' and so every capture thereafter is a tactical decision. Players capture table cards by playing a card matching a single table card's rank or summing exactly to a combination of table cards. Clearing the table with a single capture is a scopa (sweep), worth 1 bonus point. After all 10 tricks are played, partnerships score points for Most Cards, Most Coins, Sette Bello (7 of Coins), Primiera (best card of each suit by a special scale), and each Scopa captured. First partnership to the agreed target (typically 11, 16, or 21 points) across multiple deals wins. Scopone is considered the most strategic of the Italian fishing-card-game family, especially the Scopone Scientifico form which eliminates any starting table cards to make every opening play a complete information problem.

Players

Exactly 4 players in 2 fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other at a square table. Deal rotates counter-clockwise after each hand; play also runs counter-clockwise (following Italian card-game convention). A 2-player variant exists (Scopone a Due) but is uncommon; the 4-player partnership form is the defining Scopone.

Card Deck

A 40-card Italian deck with suits Coppe (Cups), Denari (Coins), Spade (Swords), Bastoni (Clubs/Batons) and ranks Ace (Asso), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Fante (Jack/Page), Cavallo (Knight), Re (King). A French-suited 52-card pack substitutes perfectly: remove all 8s, 9s, and 10s, keeping Ace through 7 plus Jack, Queen, King. Card capture values: Ace = 1, 2 = 2, 3 = 3, 4 = 4, 5 = 5, 6 = 6, 7 = 7, Jack (Fante) = 8, Queen (Cavallo / Knight) = 9, King (Re) = 10. The 7 of Coins (Settebello) and the Coins suit as a whole have special scoring roles. No trump suit; suits affect only the Coins scoring and the Primiera.

Objective

Capture cards from the centre table to score points in 5 categories after all 10 tricks: Cards (most captured cards), Coins (most captured coins-suit cards), Settebello (capturing the 7 of Coins), Primiera (best combination of 1 card per suit using a special point scale), and Scopa (sweep of the table with a single capture, scoring 1 each). The first partnership to the agreed match target (usually 11, 16, or 21) wins the match.

Setup and Deal

1. Choose first dealer by cutting for the highest card (or lowest, by local convention). Deal rotates counter-clockwise each hand.
2. Shuffle the 40-card deck. Dealer deals 10 cards face down to each player, usually in packets of 5 counter-clockwise, leaving no cards on the table. This empty-table start is the defining feature of Scopone (contrast with basic Scopa which deals 4 cards face up).
3. The player to the dealer's right (forehand) plays the first card.

Gameplay

1. Play one card per turn: On your turn, play one card from your hand face up to the table.
2. Capture by rank match: If the played card matches the rank of exactly one card on the table, you may capture that table card by taking it plus your played card into your partnership's capture pile.
3. Capture by sum: If the played card's value exactly equals the sum of 2 or more table cards' values, you may capture that combination. For example, a played 7 can capture a 4 and a 3; a played King (10) can capture a 4 and a 6; a played Knight (9) can capture an Ace + 8 (Jack) + ... any valid-summing combination.
4. Capture priority (mandatory-match rule): If a single table card matches the played card's rank exactly, you must capture that card (not a sum combination). Only when no rank match exists may you choose among possible sum captures. Many regional Italian tables relax this (letting you choose freely); the strict-match rule is the classical Neapolitan version.
5. Multiple options: If multiple sum combinations are available (e.g., a 7 could capture {7} or {3 + 4} or {Ace + 2 + 4}), the player chooses the combination they prefer. The mandatory-match rule may restrict this.
6. Trail (no capture): If your played card cannot capture anything, it stays on the table as a trail, available for later capture.
7. Scopa (sweep): A capture that empties the table (leaves zero cards face up) scores a scopa (sweep) bonus. Mark the capturing card face up in your capture pile to remember it for scoring.
8. Last-trick scopa exception: The capture on the very last trick (the 10th card played by the last player) cannot be counted as a scopa, even if it clears the table. This prevents the dealer's partnership from an automatic scopa.
9. End of hand: When all 10 tricks have been played and all hands are empty, any cards remaining on the table go to the partnership that made the last capture (not a scopa).

Scoring

• Most cards (Carte): 1 point to the partnership with the greater number of captured cards (21 or more of the 40). If tied at 20-20, no point is awarded.
• Most coins (Denari): 1 point to the partnership with the greater number of captured coins-suit cards (6 or more of the 10). Ties yield no point.
• Settebello: 1 point to whichever partnership captured the 7 of Coins.
• Primiera: Each partnership selects one card from each suit from its capture pile (the highest by Primiera scale) and sums the values: 7 = 21, 6 = 18, Ace = 16, 5 = 15, 4 = 14, 3 = 13, 2 = 12, face cards (8, 9, 10) = 10 each. The partnership with the higher 4-suit total scores 1 point. If a partnership has no card in a given suit, they cannot claim Primiera (or score 0 for that suit in calculation). Tied Primiera totals yield no point.
• Scopa: 1 point per sweep captured during play.
• Total per deal: 4 fixed points (Cards, Coins, Settebello, Primiera) plus Scopas (variable). A typical deal might score 3-5 for one side and 1-4 for the other depending on sweeps.
• Match target: First partnership to 11, 16, or 21 points (agreed in advance) wins the match.

Winning

Each deal contributes points to the running partnership score. The match ends when one partnership reaches the agreed target (11, 16, or 21). If both partnerships cross the target on the same deal, whoever is ahead wins; if tied, play another deal.

Common Variations

• Scopone Scientifico (Scientific Scopone): The purest and most popular form: no cards are placed on the table at the start (already standard in basic Scopone) AND the deal is tracked precisely so each partnership knows exactly 20 cards between them. Allows complete information reasoning across the entire deal.
• Scopone a 10 Carte: Classical variant where only 9 cards are dealt to each player (with no table cards), and the remaining 4 cards go to the table at deal's end for the dealer's partnership to claim.
• Cirulla (Ligurian): Regional variant adding bonus scoring for the 3-of-Coins and other specific cards; increases deal complexity.
• Rebello: Some regions score 1 additional point for capturing the 6 of Coins; adds a second target scoring card beyond Settebello.
• Napola / Napoli: Capturing the Ace, 2, and 3 of Coins together scores a fixed bonus (3 points) or a point per rank in sequence through 7 (up to 10 points if you hold Ace-7 of Coins).
• Scopa d'Assi: Every Ace captures all cards on the table like a Jack in Tablanet; changes the game substantially and is really a separate Scopa variant.
• 16-point or 21-point matches: Longer competitive format; otherwise identical rules.

Tips and Strategy

• Control the table total. Never leave the table summing to 10 or less after your play unless you are setting up your partner for a scopa. An opponent holding a King, Queen, or 10-valued card will sweep otherwise.
• Count coins religiously. The Coins point plus Settebello equals 2 of the 4 fixed points per deal; a partnership capturing 7+ coins has a massive structural edge. Track coins captured per partnership from trick 3 onward.
• Save the 7 of Coins for a sweep. The Settebello is 1 point on its own, but if you can sweep the table with it (for +1 scopa), that is a 2-point swing in a single play.
• Read your partner's trails. If your partner trails a 3, they likely hold another 3 or a combination summing to 3 in hand; you can then play into that set-up if you have matching cards.
• Primiera is won on 7s and 6s. Holding all four 7s is worth 21 × 4 = 84 Primiera points, nearly guaranteeing the Primiera point. Prioritise 7 captures (especially the 7 of Coins).
• In Scopone Scientifico, track every card. With only 40 cards and 10 in each hand, you and your partner collectively hold 20 of the 40; after trick 3 or 4 you should know the exact distribution of the remaining cards.
• Avoid sweeping a 1-card table. Sweeping a single card on the table denies the opponents nothing and wastes a play that might have set up a 3-card sum sweep next turn.

Glossary

• Scopa: Clearing the table with a single capture; worth 1 point.
• Settebello: The 7 of Coins; worth 1 bonus point to whichever partnership captures it.
• Primiera: The multi-suit scoring category comparing partnerships' highest-value card of each suit by a special scale (7=21, 6=18, A=16, 5=15, 4=14, 3=13, 2=12, faces=10).
• Denari / Coins: The Italian suit with special scoring importance; 1 point for the majority captured.
• Carte / Cards: The 1-point category for the most captured cards total.
• Fante, Cavallo, Re: The three Italian court cards (Jack=8, Knight=9, King=10).K♠J♠
• Trail: A played card that captures nothing and stays on the table.
• Scientific Scopone: The variant with no opening table cards; pure strategy with no starting luck.
• Forehand: The player to the dealer's right; leads the first card.