Last Updated on April 15, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Chkobba is a fast-paced North African card game that blends strategic capture mechanics with traditional scoring elements. A descendant of the Italian game Scopa, it’s especially popular in Tunisia and among French-speaking communities. Your goal is to outplay your opponent by capturing key cards and scoring high.

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How to Play Chkobba

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Objective

In Chkobba, players aim to score points by capturing cards from the center of the table. Points are awarded for capturing the most cards, the most diamonds, specific cards like the Seven of diamonds, and for special plays called chkobba. The game continues until a player or team reaches the agreed-upon point total, usually 21.

Components

• A 40-card Italian or French-suited deck (remove the 8s, 9s, and 10s)
• 2 or 4 players (in teams of 2 for 4-player games)

Card Values

• King = 10
• Jack = 9
• Queen = 8
• Ace = 1
• 2–7 = Face value

(Note: The Jack and Queen switch roles compared to standard decks.)

Setup

1. Shuffle the deck thoroughly.
2. The player to the dealer’s right cuts and draws one card. They may:
   • Keep it as part of their hand, or
   • Place it face up in the center as part of the initial layout.
3. The dealer completes the deal:
   • Each player receives 3 cards.
   • 4 cards are placed face up in the center.
   • If the drawn card was kept, deal two more cards to that player and four to the table.
   • If the drawn card was placed on the table, deal three more to the table.
4. If the face-up layout includes three or four cards of the same rank, reshuffle and re-deal.

Gameplay

• Play moves counterclockwise.
• On their turn, each player plays one card from their hand.
• If the card matches either:
  • The value of a single card in the center, or
  • The total value of a group of cards in the center,
    they must capture the matching card(s).
• If both a single card and a group match, the single card must be captured.
• If no match exists, the card stays in the center.
• After all players play their three cards, deal another 3 to each—no more to the center.
• The round continues until all cards have been played.

Chkobba

• If a player captures all cards from the center in one turn, it’s a chkobba.
• The played card is placed face-up in the player’s captured pile to mark the point.

Final Sweep

• After the final round, any cards left in the center go to the last player/team who made a capture.
• This does not count as a chkobba.
• The dealer can never score a chkobba with the last card of the game.

Scoring

Points are awarded after all cards are played:

Category	Points	Description
Kārṭa	1	Most total cards (no point if tied at 20–20)
Dīnārī	1	Most diamonds (no point if tied at 5–5)
Barmīla	1	Most Sevens; if tied, most Sixes breaks the tie
Sabʿa l-ḥayya	1	Capturing the Seven of diamonds
Chkobba	+1	For each chkobba achieved

Winning the Game

The first player or team to reach the target score wins.

The game is typically played to 21 points, though players may agree to a different target such as 11 or 31.

If there’s a tie at 21, play one additional round to break it.

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Chkobba offers a great mix of tactics, memory, and table awareness. With simple rules but plenty of depth, it’s a classic that continues to bring generations together. Perfect for small groups looking for a competitive and culturally rich card game experience.