Scopa
Scopa Rulebook
Table of Contents
Table of Contents
About the Unique Scopa Deck
A Scopa Deck has 4 suits (Coins, Cups, Clubs, Swords). Each suit contains cards numbered 1 through 10.
- The best cards to win during play are the 7's and the cards of the Coin suit. It is also helpful to win the most cards in the deck (regardless of suit).
- There is a second value on each card, called its "Primiera" value. You'll only refer to it at the end of a round when determining who has taken the highest valued cards in each suit.
Primiera Value is shown in the top right-hand and lower left-hand corners of the cards.
The Four SCOPA Suits: Coins, Cups, Clubs, Swords.
Contents
Deck of 40 unique Scopa cards, 2 scoring cards (for your reference), pad of score sheets.
Setup and Initial Deal
- Pick a scorekeeper.
- Remove the two scoring cards from the deck.
- The dealer shuffles the remaining 40 cards.
- If two or three are playing, he deals three to each player, one at a time, beginning with the player on his left.*
- If four are playing, he deals nine cards to each, one at a time. Players sitting opposite become partners.
- The dealer then places four cards face up in a row in the center of the table.
Setup at the Beginning of a Round: each player holds their own hand (three cards for two or three players, nine cards for a four-player game); four cards lie face up on the table between all the players.
Note: In a four-player game, one partner should collect all the matched cards won by either member of the partnership.
How to Play
The player to the dealer's left begins play. This player MUST either add one card to the table (called "trailing") or play one card that allows him to "make a match" and capture cards. To make a match, a player must play a card that is the same value (regardless of suit) as a card on the table. If he can't, he may play a card that equals the sum of two or more cards on the table. The card from the player's hand and the captured card(s) are won and placed face down in front of the player. These cards are out of play until scores are recorded at the end of the round.
Example
The player's hand contains: 5 of Coins, 7 of Swords and the 2 of Cups. On the table are the 1 of Swords, 6 of Clubs and 5 of Cups.
The player could:
- Place the 2 of Cups on the table, or…
- Take the 6 of Clubs and 1 of Swords by playing the 7 of Swords (6+1=7) then place all three cards down in front of him, or…
- Take the 5 of Cups by playing his 5 of Coins and place both cards face down in front of him.
Scopa — Must Make a Match Rule
You may not trail a card that has the ability to make a match. For example, if a 2 and 5 are on the table, a player holding a 7 must either make this match, or play a different card from his hand.
Scoring for a Scopa
When a player makes a match that removes all the cards on the table, he's achieved a Scopa. Since the table is now empty, the next player is forced to trail a card onto the table. A Scopa is worth one point and is scored whenever one occurs during play. (This is the only way you can score points during a round.)
Single Card Capture, Single Card Play
Whenever a card played may capture either a single or many cards, the player is forced to capture only the single card. A PLAYER MAY NEVER PLAY MORE THAN ONE CARD PER TURN.
- In the next example, the 7 of Cups could be played to capture the 4 of Clubs and the 3 of Cups. If there were a 7 on the table, he would have to take it with his 7, rather than take the 4 and the 3.
- This player could not play two cards from hand (the 1 and 8 of Clubs) to take the 9 of Coins.
Continuation of the Round
In a two or three player game, after all players have played all three cards, the dealer deals three more to each player (beginning with the player to his left). Play then continues.
Note: No more cards are dealt in a four-player game as they have all been dealt before play begins.
Additional cards are never dealt to the table. This process is repeated until the deck is completely exhausted.
End of the Round
After the dealer has played the last card of the round, the player who made the last match receives all cards remaining on the table (if any). (If no match is made in the final round, none of these cards are taken.) Points are now calculated.
Scoring
Players will have already scored 1 point for each Scopa. Up to four additional points are now awarded.
(a) Award 1 point to the player/team who captured the most cards. (No point if tied.) (b) Award 1 point for capturing the greatest number of Coin cards. (No point if tied.) (c) Award 1 point for capturing the Seven of Coins (known as "sette bello"). (d) Award 1 point for winning the Primiera. (No point if tied.)
Scoring the Primiera
From the cards you won in the round, pull out the one from each suit with the highest Primiera value. Add these four values together.
In the booklet's worked example, the player's Primiera value is 56 points: 21 + 15 + 10 + 10 = 56 points.
Note: The 7's, 6's and 1's are the most valuable for this calculation, not the 8's, 9's and 10's. The highest possible Primiera total is 84 (capturing all four Sevens).
Primiera Value Chart
| Card rank | Value |
|---|---|
| 7 | 21 |
| 6 | 18 |
| 1 | 16 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 4 | 14 |
| 3 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 |
| 8, 9 and 10 | 10 each |
Scoring Summary
| Points | For |
|---|---|
| 1 point | Each Scopa ("s") |
| 1 point | 7 of Coins |
| 1 point | Most Captured Cards* |
| 1 point | Most Coin Cards* |
| 1 point | Winning Primiera* |
(An asterisked scoring item is not awarded if tied. The booklet includes a blank scoresheet with columns for each player or team to tally these points.)
Winning
- In a two-player game, play until one player has at least 11 points AT THE END OF A ROUND.
- In a three-player game, play until one player reaches or exceeds 8 points at the end of a round.
- In a four-player game, play until one partnership reaches or exceeds 15 points at the end of a round. If more than one player/partnership exceeds the game's requirement, the most points wins.
Play another round if no player/team reaches the goal at the end of this round.
Traditional Italian Play
If you wish to play SCOPA as it is played in Italy, deal cards to the RIGHT. Play also passes to the RIGHT, not the left, during play.