Official Calabresella / Terziglio Rules

Last Updated on April 1, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Calabresella, also known as Terziglio, is an Italian card game designed for three players, though it can also be played with four, with the dealer receiving no cards. It is closely related to Tressette, another popular Italian game, and involves skillful trick-taking and bidding. The game stands out due to its unique card ranking system (with threes being the highest) and the absence of trumps.

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How to Play Calabresella / Terziglio

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The Cards

The game of Calabresella is played with a 40-card deck, typically featuring the traditional Italian suits: swords, batons, cups, and coins. Each suit ranks the cards in the following order from highest to lowest:

• 3 (highest)
• 2
• Ace (A)
• King (Re)
• Knight (Cavallo)
• Jack (Fante)
• 7
• 6
• 5
• 4 (lowest)

Objective

The objective of the game is to win tricks containing valuable cards, and scoring is based on the points of these cards. The following point values apply:

• Each Ace: 1 whole point
• Each 3, 2, King (Re), Knight (Cavallo), or Jack (Fante): 1/3 point
• Winning the last trick: 1 whole point

Deal

The dealer rotates counter-clockwise throughout the game. The dealer gives out twelve cards to each player in packets of four cards at a time. The leftover four cards are placed face-down in the center of the table, forming the “monte,” which players can later draw from, depending on the bid.

Bidding

At the start of each hand, players bid for the opportunity to play alone against the other two. The bidding process begins with the player to the right of the dealer and proceeds counter-clockwise. The highest bidder will play solo, while the other two players will form a temporary partnership.

There are three main bids, ranked from lowest to highest:

1. Chiamo: The bidder calls for a specific card from an opponent. They may also exchange cards with the monte.
2. Solo: The bidder may exchange cards with the monte but does not call for a specific card.
3. Solissimo: The bidder neither calls for a card nor exchanges cards with the monte.

Each player can either pass or make a bid. When a player bids, they must bid higher than the previous player. The progression of bidding is as follows:

• If a player bids Chiamo, the next player can only bid Solo or Solissimo or pass.
• If a player bids Solo, the next player can only bid Solissimo or pass.
• After a Solissimo bid, no further bids are allowed.

If all players pass, the deal rotates, and a new hand is dealt.

Exchanging Cards

The card exchange process depends on the bid made by the highest bidder.

1. Chiamo:
   • In a Chiamo bid, the bidder calls for a specific card (e.g., the 3 of swords). If an opponent has the called card, that player must pass it face up to the bidder. If the called card is in the monte (or inadvertently in the bidder’s hand), the call is automatically fulfilled.
   • The bidder then turns the four cards of the monte face-up for all to see. The bidder adds these cards to their hand, increasing the number of cards they hold (to either 16 or 17 cards in total).
   • After the called card is received, the bidder discards one unwanted card face-up to the player who originally held the called card.
   • The bidder then discards any four cards face down to form a new monte, which counts towards the final score for the winner of the last trick.
2. Solo:
   • In a Solo bid, the bidder can exchange cards with the monte but does not call for any specific cards. The process of revealing and discarding cards is the same as in Chiamo, except there is no call for a specific card from an opponent.
3. Solissimo:
   • In a Solissimo bid, the bidder does not exchange any cards with the monte, and the monte cards remain unseen until the final trick. However, the bidder can opt to increase the stakes by saying “dividete” or “scegliete,” which allows the opponents to draw cards from the monte in different ways. In either case, the monte cards remain hidden until the last trick.
   • Dividete: Each opponent secretly draws two cards from the monte and discards two cards from their hand.
   • Scegliete: The opponents can look at the monte and choose any cards they wish, and then discard as many cards as they took.

The Play

Once the cards have been dealt and exchanged, the game proceeds with the play of tricks. The player to the right of the dealer leads the first trick, except when the bid is Solissimo, in which case the bidder leads.

• Play proceeds counter-clockwise, with players following suit if possible.
• The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner of the trick leads to the next.
• There are no trumps in the game, so the highest card of the suit led always wins, unless a card in the same suit was played earlier that is higher.

Scoring

After all the tricks have been played, the final score is calculated. The bidder must have at least 6 whole points to win the hand. Points are accumulated based on the cards won in the tricks, and the winner of the last trick claims the monte.

• The bidder receives the amount agreed upon in the bid if they win the majority of the points (at least 6 points).
• If the bidder fails to accumulate 6 points, they must pay the amount they bid to each opponent.

Here are the amounts won or lost for each bid:

• Chiamo: 1
• Solo: 2
• Solissimo: 4
• Solissimo – Dividete: 8
• Solissimo – Scegliete: 16

Special Events
Certain events can affect the final score:

• Cappotto: If the bidder wins (or loses) all the tricks, the amount won or lost is doubled.
• Stramazzo: If the bidder wins all the points but does not win all the tricks (e.g., the losing team wins a trick worth less than one point), the amount won or lost is tripled.

Variations

There are several variations of the game, including one where the bidder always leads, or where the game is played clockwise. Some versions simplify the rules, such as reducing the number of cards dealt, changing the ranking of the cards, or modifying the scoring system. In some American variations, the bid is simplified, and players may either bid to play or pass. The game can be played with slight variations in deck composition and card ranking, depending on local traditions.

We hope you enjoy playing Calabresella / Terziglio!