Objective
Briscola is a traditional Italian card game played with a special 40-card deck. The objective of the game is to achieve the highest score by collecting tricks. Each player tries to win high-value cards and trump cards to gather the most points.
Setup
The Briscola deck consists of cards numbered from 1-7, plus Jacks, Queens, and Kings in four Italian suits: swords, cups, coins, and clubs. The card values are as follows: - Ace (or 1): 11 points - Three: 10 points - King: 4 points - Queen: 3 points - Jack: 2 points - All other cards: 0 points
Gameplay
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Dealing the cards: The game can be played with 2 to 6 players. With 4 players, it is typically played in 2 teams. Playing proceeds clockwise, with each player receiving three cards. The next card is turned face up: its suit is the trump suit for that round, and the remaining cards form a face-down deck.
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Playing the cards: The player to the left of the dealer starts and plays a card. The other players follow in clockwise order.
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Winning tricks: A trick is won by the player:
- Who has played the highest trump card.
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If no trumps are played, who has played the highest card of the suit that was led.
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Drawing new cards: After a trick is won, players draw cards from the stack in clockwise order, starting with the trick winner, so they again have three cards.
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Continuing the game: Play continues until the stack is exhausted and all cards have been played.
Scoring
After the final round, players count their collected points. The team (or the player) with the most points wins the game.
Strategic Tips
- Mind the Trump: Since trumps can beat any other suit, it's often wise to save these for the right moment.
- Know the Point Cards: It's important to note which high-value cards (Ace, Three) have been played to decide when it’s beneficial to grab tricks or pass.
- Team play: In team games, there’s added strategy in helping your partner and maximizing your team’s score, often subtly through card selection.
