Tressette Rules: Card Order, Points and Following Suit
Tressette is an Italian trick-taking game for two players (or four in partners) with a 40-card deck and no trumps. Each player holds 10 cards. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, in the order 3, 2, Ace, King, Knight, Knave, 7, 6, 5, 4. Aces are worth 1 point, 3s, 2s and the faces ⅓ each, and the last trick 1 point; the first side to 21 points wins.
The deck and the card order
Tressette uses the 40-card Italian deck with four suits: coins, cups, swords and clubs. Each suit has an Ace, the numbers 2 to 7 and three faces: the Knave, the Knight and the King.
Inside a suit the order of strength is unusual: the 3 is the highest card, then the 2, the Ace, the King, the Knight, the Knave and the 7, 6, 5 and 4. There are no trumps, so a card of another suit never wins a trick.
You can play it on GameLake: Tressette.
The deal
Each player gets 10 cards. With two players the remaining 20 cards form the deck. With four players you play in partners (2 against 2) and the whole deck is dealt out, so there is no deck at all.
The player who leads the first trick changes every deal.
Playing a trick
- The leader plays any card.
- The next player plays a card, then the next, until everyone has played one.
- The highest card of the suit led wins the trick. A card of another suit can never win.
- The winner takes the cards and leads the next trick. With two players, the winner also draws first from the deck and the other player draws after.
Do you have to follow suit?
It depends on whether there is still a deck. While the deck lasts (two players), you may play any card. Once the deck is gone, and always with four players, you must follow suit if you have a card of the suit led. If you don't, you may play any card.
Points
Points are counted in thirds of a point. Each Ace is worth 1 point; each 3, 2, King, Knight and Knave is worth ⅓; the 7, 6, 5 and 4 are worth nothing. The player who wins the last trick scores 1 point.
At the end of each deal every side drops its fraction: 10⅔ counts as 10, for example. In total the cards and the last trick make 11⅔ points, so a deal gives out 11 points between the sides.
How to win
Deals are played until one side reaches 21 points. On GameLake you can also play a short game to 11. If both sides reach the target in the same deal with the same total, another deal is played.
Variants exist: some tables also score napoletana (the Ace, 2 and 3 of the same suit in one hand) as extra points, and four-player tables use signals between partners (busso, striscio, volo). GameLake plays the standard rules above, without those extras.
Frequently asked questions
What is the order of the cards in Tressette?
3, 2, Ace, King, Knight, Knave, 7, 6, 5, 4. The Three is the strongest card in every suit.
How many points is each card worth in Tressette?
The Ace is worth 1 point; the 3, 2, King, Knight and Knave are worth ⅓ each; the 7, 6, 5 and 4 are worth nothing. The last trick is worth 1 point.
Is there a trump suit in Tressette?
No. Only the suit led can win the trick, so a card of another suit never takes it.
When do you have to follow suit in Tressette?
Once the deck is gone, and always when four people play. While the deck lasts in a two-player game you may play any card.
How do you win a game of Tressette?
By being the first side to reach 21 points over as many deals as it takes (11 in the short game). Each deal's fractions are dropped.