Scopa

How to play Scopa

Scopa is one of Italy's best-loved card games — quick, tactical and easy to learn (its Spanish cousin is Escoba). It's played here head-to-head against a bot with a 40-card deck (no eights, nines or tens). The whole game is about "fishing": you lay down a card and scoop up matching cards from the table. You can play against a bot, or online against a friend in real time.

Play Scopa online with a friend

Prefer a real opponent? Choose Play online to be matched with another player, or share a private invite link for a two-player game right in your browser — no account and no app. The server deals and keeps both hands in sync.

Goal

Score points by capturing the right cards. The first player to 11 points across several rounds wins.

The deal

Four cards are dealt face-up to the table and three to each hand. When both players run out of cards, three more are dealt to each — until the deck is empty. Whoever made the last capture sweeps any cards still on the table at the end.

Capturing

• Card values: Ace = 1, 2–7 face value, Jack = 8, Queen = 9, King = 10.
• If your card matches the value of a single table card, you must take that card.
• If it doesn't match any single card, you may take a set of table cards that sums to your card's value.
• If nothing can be captured, your card simply joins the table.
• Clear the entire table with a capture and you score a scopa — one bonus point (it doesn't count on the very last card of the round).

Scoring a round

When the deck runs out, four things are counted, one point each: the most cards captured, the most coins (the diamonds suit here), the settebello (the 7 of coins), and the primiera (your best card in each suit, scored by a special table where the 7 is worth most). Add any scopas on top.

Strategy

Hunt the settebello and the diamonds — they win two of the four points outright. Watch the table sum: never leave it at a total your opponent can sweep for a scopa, and hold a card back to steal the table yourself. The sevens are golden, both for the primiera and the settebello. Tap a card to play it, then tap the table cards you want to capture. N starts a new game.