Scopa Rules: Captures, Scoring and How to Win
Scopa is an Italian capture game for two players (or four in partners) with a 40-card deck. Each player holds 3 cards and 4 lie face up on the table. You play a card and take a table card of the same value, or table cards that add up to it; if you can't, it stays on the table. Clearing the table is a scopa. Each deal scores the most cards, the most coins, the 7 of coins, the best primiera and every scopa; first to 11 points wins.
The Italian deck and card values
Scopa uses a 40-card Italian deck with four suits: coins, cups, swords and clubs. Each suit has an Ace, the numbers 2 to 7 and three face cards. When you add cards up, the Ace is 1, the numbers count as they read, and the faces are the Knave 8, the Knight 9 and the King 10.
You can play it on GameLake: Scopa.
The deal
Each player gets 3 cards and 4 cards are laid face up on the table. When everyone has played their 3 cards, you deal 3 more each, and so on until the deck is gone: with two players that is 6 hands. If three Kings are turned up at the start, the deal is shuffled again.
How to capture
On your turn you play one card from your hand. There are three outcomes.
- If a table card has the same value, you must take it. If there are two of them, you choose one.
- If not, you must take a set of table cards that add up to your card (you choose which): a 7 can take a 3 and a 4, or a 2 and a 5, or an Ace and a 6.
- If you can't take anything, the card is laid on the table and stays there.
Scopa: sweeping the table
If your capture takes every card on the table, that's a scopa (Italian for broom) and it scores 1 point. A scopa doesn't count with the last card of a deal.
What scores in a deal
When the last cards are played, whoever took last gets the cards still on the table. Then you count, and each of these gives 1 point:
- Most cards (the team with the most cards taken; a tie scores nobody).
- Most coins (six or more of the ten coins).
- The 7 of coins (the settebello).
- The best primiera: the best card you hold of each suit, added up. 7 = 21, 6 = 18, Ace = 16, 5 = 15, 4 = 14, 3 = 13, 2 = 12 and faces = 10. You need a card of every suit.
- Each scopa you made.
Winning the game
You play deal after deal until a player reaches 11 points; if both pass 11 on the same deal and it's a tie, one more deal decides. In the 2 vs 2 game partners pool their cards, scope and points.
Try it in Scopa against Hops and press Teach me, or read how to play Scopa and the strategy guide.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in Scopa?
40: the Italian deck with four suits (coins, cups, swords, clubs), each with Ace, 2 to 7, Knave, Knight and King.
What are the card values in Scopa?
The Ace is 1, the numbers 2 to 7 are worth their number, and the Knave is 8, the Knight 9 and the King 10.
What does scopa mean?
It means broom. A scopa is when you take all the cards on the table in one move; it scores 1 point.
What is the settebello in Scopa?
The 7 of coins. Whoever takes it scores 1 point.
How many points do you play to in Scopa?
11 points in the game as played on GameLake; some groups play to 21.