How to Play

Ziginette (Italian Zecchinetta) is a 16th-century Italian banking card game played with a 40-card Italian deck. One banker draws cards one at a time; bets ride on whether the bank's rank or the players' rank is matched first.

Ziginette (Italian Zecchinetta, also Lanzichenecco) is a historical Italian banking card game dating from the 16th century, introduced to the Italian peninsula by German Landsknecht mercenaries. One player acts as banker, turning cards one at a time from a 40-card Italian deck onto two marked positions (bank and players), while the rest of the group wagers on which card will be matched first. If the next card drawn matches the rank on the bank's side, the banker pays out; if it matches the rank on the players' side, the banker collects. Cards that match neither are set aside, and new positions form as new ranks appear. The result is an elegantly simple coin-flip-per-rank gamble with a clear house edge that made it famously popular in Italian barracks, taverns, and Sicilian mafia parlours alike.

Players

A banker plus 1 to 9 punters (wagering players), so 2 to 10 total at the table. The banker role rotates: typically whoever first lost a match to the house takes the bank next, or the role passes after an agreed number of deals. Everyone else plays individually; there are no partnerships.

Card Deck

One 40-card Italian deck with suits Coppe/Cups, Denari/Coins, Spade/Swords, and Bastoni/Batons, or equivalently a standard French 52-card deck with the 8s, 9s, and 10s removed. Only rank matters for matching; suits are ignored. Card ranks are: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Jack (Fante), Knight (Cavallo)/Queen, King (Re). The deck is shuffled thoroughly; the banker sets it face-down as the draw stack.

Objective

As a punter: bet on the players' card position and win when the banker's position is matched by the next draw. As the banker: profit by drawing a card that matches a players' position before the next matching the bank's position.

Setup and Deal

1. Agree a maximum bet (the bank must be able to cover the worst-case payout).
2. Shuffle the 40-card deck thoroughly. Any punter may cut.
3. The banker turns the top card face-up to the right (this is the first players' card).
4. The banker turns the next card face-up to the left (this is the first bank card).
5. Punters now place their wagers on the players' card, up to the agreed maximum.

Gameplay

1. Once bets are placed, the banker turns one card at a time from the top of the deck, announcing each rank.
2. Match on the players' side: If the drawn card is the same rank as the players' card, the banker wins and collects all bets currently placed on the players' card.
3. Match on the bank's side: If the drawn card is the same rank as the bank card, the punters win and the banker pays each of them even money (1:1) on their stake.
4. No match: If the drawn card is a new rank, it becomes a new players' card placed on the right, and punters may now wager on it. The bank card remains until matched.
5. New players' cards become bank cards: Once the old players' card is resolved (matched) or replaced by a new wager target, the banker may then turn another card to replace the bank card; house practice varies, but most versions agree that after any resolution the banker restarts the layout by dealing a new bank card followed by a new players' card.
6. Stock exhausted: When the 40-card deck is drawn through, any unresolved bets are returned; shuffle and start a fresh deal.

Scoring and Payouts

• All payouts are even money (1:1) on the wager: a 10-coin bet wins 10 coins on a bank match.
• The bank takes the entire stake on a players'-side match.
• The house edge comes from the fact that the players' card is dealt before the bank card: when only one card of the matching rank remains in the stock, the players' side is statistically slightly more likely to get matched first. Historical play used this implicit edge rather than a commission.
• Some house rules apply a small commission (roughly 5 to 10 percent) to every punter win to give the bank a cleaner, flat edge.

Winning and Ending the Session

Ziginette is a session game rather than a race to a target. Play continues for as long as the banker wishes or until they are tapped out; the banker may also retire voluntarily after any deal, with the role passing to the next willing player to their right. When the session ends, each player settles up based on their running chip total.

Common Variations

• Two-Card Layout (Classic): The version described above, directly attested from 16th-century Italy.
• Three-Card Layout: The banker exposes three cards (two players', one bank, or a more elaborate arrangement); lets more punters bet independently on different ranks.
• Lanzichenecco Ascolano: A regional Italian variant that adds betting ties on the first draw and forfeiture on specific picture cards.
• Monte Bank: The Mexican and American-Southwest 19th-century descendant using the same 40-card deck, but with a 'gate' card and layout positions named 'top' and 'bottom'.
• Faro (USA): The most famous descendant, where cards are drawn in pairs and bets are placed on a full layout of all 13 ranks.

Tips and Strategy

• Card counting is legitimate and effective. Track every rank as it appears in the deck. A rank with three copies already out has zero matching chance until the deck is reshuffled.
• Bet late. As the deck thins, your edge (or lack of it) per rank becomes easier to estimate. Wait until the players' card is a rank with many copies still in the remaining stock before committing a large bet.
• Bankroll management matters more than card choice. Since the game is close to a coin flip on each draw, fluctuations can be brutal. Flat-bet a unit you can lose many times in a row.
• As banker, cap exposure. Set a table maximum low enough that one bad streak cannot drain your bankroll; the bank's edge is thin and ruin is real.
• Avoid betting on a rank with only one copy left in the deck unless the bank card's rank has zero copies left; otherwise the math tilts against you.

Glossary

• Banker: The player holding the deck and paying out or collecting bets.
• Punter: Any non-banker player placing bets.
• Players' card: The face-up card on the right of the layout; punters win when it is matched by the next draw.
• Bank card: The face-up card on the left of the layout; the bank wins when it is matched.
• Match: Another card of the same rank as a layout card, regardless of suit.
• Lanzichenecco: The Italian name for a Landsknecht (German mercenary) and an older name for this game.