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Scopa is a traditional Italian card-capture game. Players take turns playing one card to capture a matching card or a group whose values add up to it. The name means “broom”: clear every face-up card from the table in one capture and you score a scopa—except for the last capture of the hand under the common basic rules.
What you need to play Scopa
The common form uses a 40-card Italian deck, with ten cards in each suit: denari (coins), coppe (cups), spade (swords), and bastoni (batons or clubs). Traditional court cards are Re (king), Cavallo (horse), and Fante (jack). Some northeastern Italian regions use French-suited packs instead; Neapolitan, Piacentine, and Bergamasche are among the named Italian patterns. No single pattern is required for every game. [Pagat; Lottomatica]
If you do not have an Italian deck, Pagat describes adapting a standard 52-card pack by removing the 8s, 9s, and 10s. The card faces and values matter more than the artwork; agree on any regional scoring differences before starting. [Pagat]
Card values for captures
For matching and adding up captures, the ace is 1, number cards keep their face value, and the court cards count as follows:
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- EASY TO LEARN: Scopa is easy to learn, a challenge to master, and just plain fun for the whole family.
- DEVELOPS CRITICAL SKILLS: Involves memory, skill, and strategy developing critical thinking skills.
- TEAM OR INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS: Play individually or you can divide up into teams for more a collaborative atmosphere. There must be an even number of teams or players.
- 3 GAMES IN ONE: Two additional games of Scopa d'assi and Briscola can be played with Scopa cards!
- THIS GAME IS FOR EVERYONE: Perfect for any skill level, from novice to expert, so everyone can enjoy the game.
| Italian card | Equivalent | Capture value |
|---|---|---|
| Re | King | 10 |
| Cavallo | Horse; commonly represented by a queen in an adapted deck | 9 |
| Fante | Jack | 8 |
How many cards are dealt?
In a common two-player game, the dealer gives each player three cards and places four cards face up on the table. The non-dealer takes the first turn. Once both players have used their three-card hands, the dealer gives each another three cards; the table cards remain in place, and no new cards are added to it. Continue dealing and playing until the deck is exhausted. [Pagat; Gioco carte italiane]
How a turn works
Play exactly one card from your hand each turn. If it can capture, you must capture with that card under the basic rules described by Pagat; you are still free to play a different card that does not capture. Captured cards go into your face-down personal pile, or your team’s pile in partnership play. [Pagat]
Rank #2
- Regional Italian Playing Cards
- 40 Cards in Deck - Neapolitan Style - Napolitane
- Size 51x83.5mm, 2" x 3.29"
- Made in Italy by Modiano
- Triple Card Stock Plastic Coated
- Look for one matching card. If a table card has the same capture value as your played card, take it.
- If there is no single-card match, look for a sum. You may take two or more table cards whose values add up to your played card’s value. If multiple combinations work, choose one.
- If neither option works, leave your card on the table. It becomes available for a later capture.
A single matching card takes priority over a group with the same total. For example, if you play a 7 and the table has both a 7 and a 3 plus a 4, you take the single 7 rather than the 3 and 4. [Pagat; Gioco carte italiane]
What counts as a scopa?
A scopa is a capture that removes every face-up card from the table. It earns one point. To keep track, place the card you played face up in your capture pile. In the common basic rules described by Pagat and Gioco carte italiane, taking the remaining table cards with the final play of the hand does not earn a scopa. After that final play, any cards still on the table go to the player or team that made the last capture. [Pagat; Gioco carte italiane]
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- GAME CONTENTS: Complete set includes 2 full decks (40 Cards each) of traditional Italian Napolitane playing cards and 100 double-sided score sheets for extended gameplay.
- PLAYER COUNT: Perfect for gatherings, this classic card game accommodates 2 to 6 players for flexible group sizes
- GAMEPLAY STYLE: Strategic Italian card game that combines skill, memory, and tactical thinking for engaging family entertainment
- CLASSIC DESIGN: Traditional size playing cards (51x83.5mm, 2" x 3.29" ) featuring authentic Italian card artwork and patterns, 40 Cards Deck in Neapolitan Style
- SCORING SYSTEM: Includes 100 Double-sided scoring sheets to track points and matches, with clear marking areas for multiple rounds
How scoring works
After the cards have been played, the common scoring system awards one point for each of four hand categories, plus one point for every scopa. A tie for most cards, most denari, or best primiera earns neither player that category in Pagat’s rules. [Pagat]
| Category | How to earn the point |
|---|---|
| Most cards | Capture more cards than the other player. |
| Most denari | Capture more cards in the coins suit. |
| Settebello | Capture the seven of denari. |
| Primiera | Have the higher qualifying primiera total, using one card from each suit. |
| Scopa | Clear the table in a capture; each scopa is worth one point. |
Primiera uses its own values
To calculate primiera, select your best card in each of the four suits and add the special values below. You need at least one card in every suit to qualify. These numbers are not the capture values used to match or add up cards.
Rank #4
- Package Dimensions: 1.778 cms (L) x 5.08 cms (W) x 10.16 cms (H)
- Package Quantity: 1
- Product Type: Tabletop Game
- Country Of Origin: Italy
| Card | Primiera value |
|---|---|
| 7 | 21 |
| 6 | 18 |
| Ace | 16 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 4 | 14 |
| 3 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 |
| King, Cavallo, or Fante | 10 |
The hand winner is the player with the higher total across the scoring categories. A common game target is 11 cumulative points, although players can agree on another target. [Pagat; Lottomatica]
Scopa terms at a glance
- Scopa: Italian for “broom”; also the one-point sweep that clears the table.
- Denari: the coins suit, sometimes translated as diamonds in English rules.
- Settebello: the seven of denari, scored as a separate category.
- Primiera: a scoring category based on one qualifying card from each suit and a special value scale.
- Cavallo: “horse,” the middle court card in a traditional Italian pack; its capture value is 9.
- Fante: jack; its capture value is 8.
- Re: king; its capture value is 10.
Scopa is a capture, or “fishing,” game rather than a trick-taking game: players claim cards from a shared table by matching values or making sums. [Pagat]
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- EASY TO LEARN: Scopa is easy to learn, a challenge to master, and just plain fun for the whole family.
- DEVELOPS CRITICAL SKILLS: Involves memory, skill, and strategy developing critical thinking skills.
- 3 GAMES IN ONE: Two additional games of Scopa d'assi and Briscola can be played with Scopa cards!
- TEAM OR INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS: Play individually or you can divide up into teams for more a collaborative atmosphere. There must be an even number of teams or players.
- ON THE GO: Scopa Single Deck is a convenient take anywhere size game.
Common variants: agree before dealing
Scopa rules vary by region and household. The following are distinct variants or local scoring options, not rules to silently add to the basic game.
| Variant or option | How it differs |
|---|---|
| Asso pigliatutto | In the variant described by Pagat, an ace takes all cards on the table when no ace is already there, and the sweep scores. |
| Scopa d’Assi | Uses similar ace behavior, but an ace clearing the table does not count as a scopa in the described form. Some local play lets an ace on an empty table “take itself.” |
| Napola | Some versions award extra points for a consecutive run in denari beginning A-2-3; the smallest run scores three. The maximum run and game target vary. |
| Re Bello | Some versions give an extra point for capturing the king of denari. |
| Scopone | A related four-player partnership game. It commonly deals all cards up front, nine or ten to each player, rather than replenishing three-card hands. |
| Regional deck or scoring rules | Patterns, primiera scales, and other local rules can differ. |
An educational ebook funded through the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme describes a version where an ace collects all table cards and lists bonuses such as Re Bello and Nappola. That is an example of rule variation, not a universal definition of basic Scopa. [European Commission Erasmus+ project results]
What to settle before you play
- Which deck and regional card pattern you are using, and whether it has the standard 40 cards.
- Whether aces follow basic capture rules or an ace variant.
- Whether Napola or Re Bello bonuses count.
- Which primiera scale and target score apply if your group uses local rules.
- Whether you are playing two-player Scopa or a partnership game such as Scopone.
For a first game, use the basic deal, capture priorities, and scoring above without extra bonuses. Pagat’s rules page, maintained by John McLeod and last updated 3 September 2025, describes Scopa as played throughout Italy with a 40-card pack of the local pattern. [Pagat]
Quick Recap
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