Briscola♠

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History and selected rules

Briscola is a traditional Italian point-trick game, also played on the Adriatic as Briškula. No secure inventor or date is established here. Select ordinary play for 2. Use 40 cards: remove 8, 9, 10. Descending order A–3–K–Q–J–7–6–5–4–2. In Italian suits Q represents the horse and J the knave; we do not swap their roles.

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Setup and deal

Choose the first dealer randomly, then alternate. Shuffle, cut and deal 3 each; expose the next card as trump and put stock crosswise over it so its suit remains visible. Draw that card last. Nondealer leads any card; opponent answers with any card held.

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Playing a hand

Following suit, trumping and overtaking are never compulsory, even after stock ends. If suits match, the higher card in the stated order wins. With different suits, a trump wins; without trumps, the led card wins regardless of the second card’s rank. Winner stores both face down, draws stock first, then opponent draws. Winner leads next. On the final draw the loser receives the exposed trump. Then play out remaining hands without drawing.

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Complete scoring

Captured A counts 11, 3 counts 10, K 4, Q 3, J 2, others 0. Total 120: at least 61 wins, 60–60 ties. The last trick has no separate bonus. You may agree first to 2 wins; a draw gives neither a win, so continue with the next alternating dealer. There is no low-trump exchange or marriage declaration here.

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Worked example

Spades trump. Against A♦, 2♠ wins and captures 11 points although the two itself is worth 0. But 3♦ would not beat A♦: a three outranks a king but not an ace.

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Common questions