How to Play Scopa
Scopa is Italy's classic "sweeping" card game — simple to learn, endlessly replayable, and full of small tactical decisions. Capture cards by matching values on the table, chase the prized sette bello, and try to clear the table completely for a scopa. Learn the rules here, then play free with guided practice hands.
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Overview
Scopa is a "fishing" or capturing game: instead of trumping your opponent, you capture cards from a shared table by matching values. It rewards careful counting and table awareness far more than luck — a big part of the fun is remembering what's already been played and predicting what your opponent is holding.
How to Play
- Deal. Each player is dealt three cards, and four cards are placed face-up on the table.
- Play a card. On your turn, play one card from your hand face-up.
- Capture. If your card's value matches a single card on the table, or the total of several cards on the table, you capture all of those matching cards plus the one you played. If nothing matches, your card simply stays on the table for later.
- Sweep the table. If your capture clears every card off the table at once, that's a scopa (sweep) — worth a bonus point.
- Redeal. Once both players' hands are empty, deal three more cards each (no new cards go to the table) and continue until the deck runs out.
- Last capture. Whoever made the final capture of the hand takes any cards left on the table (this does not count as a scopa).
- Score the hand, then reshuffle and redeal until someone reaches the target score, typically 11 points.
Scoring at the End of Each Hand
- Scope — 1 point for each sweep made during play.
- Most cards — 1 point to whoever captured more cards overall.
- Most coins — 1 point to whoever captured more cards of the Coins (Denari) suit.
- Sette bello — 1 point for capturing the Seven of Coins.
- Primiera — 1 point for the best combination of one card per suit, ranked by a special value order where Sevens are highest.
Strategy Tips
- Don't leave a Seven on the table if you can help it — especially the Seven of Coins, which your opponent will happily grab.
- Think ahead about sweeps. Sometimes it's better to make a smaller capture now to set up a sweep on your next turn.
- Track the coin cards. With only ten in the deck, knowing how many are left changes how hard to fight for the "most coins" point.
- Play towards primiera by collecting high-value cards across different suits, not just piling up captures in one.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many players does Scopa need?
Scopa is usually played by two players, or by four in two fixed partnerships sitting opposite each other.
How many cards are used in Scopa?
Scopa uses a 40-card Italian deck with four suits (Coins, Cups, Swords, Clubs) numbered Ace to Seven plus three face cards. With a standard 52-card deck, remove the 8s, 9s, and 10s.
What is a "scopa" (sweep)?
A scopa, or "sweep", happens when a played card captures every card left on the table at once, clearing it completely. Each sweep is worth an extra point at scoring time.
What is the sette bello?
The sette bello is the Seven of Coins (Diamonds in a standard deck). Capturing it is worth one guaranteed point every hand, making it one of the most fought-over cards in the game.
How is Scopa scored?
At the end of each hand, points are awarded for: most cards captured, most coin-suit cards captured, holding the sette bello, and highest primiera (best combination of one card per suit). Each sweep during play adds a bonus point. First player or team to 11 points across hands wins.