Last Updated on April 8, 2025 by The Official Game Rules Team

Scopone is a classic Italian card game that combines simple rules with strategic depth, requiring skill and a good memory to play well. It is closely related to Scopa, a popular game with several variations. Similar regional games include Cicera (played in Brescia) and Cirullone (played in Liguria), which have their own unique rules.

Traditional italian playing cards box for scopa or scopone card game

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How to Play Scopone

Players and Cards

Scopone is played by four players in fixed partnerships, with teammates sitting opposite each other. The game follows the traditional Italian style, with play proceeding counterclockwise.

A 40-card Italian deck is used, commonly in the Neapolitan pattern with the Latin suits: swords (spade), clubs (bastoni), cups (coppe), and coins (denari). The ranking of cards in each suit is as follows:

Face Cards: Re (King), Cavallo (Horse/Queen), Fante (Jack)
Number Cards: 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A (Ace)

In North America, Italian cards can be purchased from retailers like TaroBear’s Lair. Alternatively, a standard 52-card deck can be used by removing the 8s, 9s, and 10s.

The cards have two sets of values: one for capturing and another for scoring the Prime (primiera).

Card	Capture Value	Prime Value
Re (King)	10	10
Cavallo (Horse/Queen)	9	10
Fante (Jack)	8	10
Seven	7	21
Six	6	18
Five	5	15
Four	4	14
Three	3	13
Two	2	12
Ace	1	16

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen at random, and the deal rotates to the right after each hand. The dealer shuffles the deck, and the player to their left cuts the cards.

The dealer distributes cards as follows:

Three cards to each player.
Two cards face down to the center of the table.
Three more cards to each player.
Two more to the center.
A final three cards to each player.

Once the deal is complete, the four table cards are turned face up. If three or all four of them are Kings, the deal is canceled, and the same dealer reshuffles and deals again.

How to Play

The player to the dealer’s right starts, and play continues counterclockwise. Each turn consists of playing one card face-up, with the goal of capturing cards from the table based on specific rules.

Capturing Rules:

If the played card matches a single table card in rank, it captures that card.
If the played card matches multiple table cards, the player chooses which one to capture.
If the played card’s value equals the sum of two or more table cards, it captures that set.
If no capture is possible, the played card remains on the table.

Important notes:

Players are not required to capture if they can.
If a capture is made, it must be taken.
If a card matches both a single card and a sum of cards, the single card must be captured.

Example:
If the table has 3, 5, 5, Fante (Jack):

Playing a 5 captures one of the 5s (player’s choice).
Playing a King (Re) captures both 5s.
Playing a Jack (Fante) captures the one on the table (taking the 5+3 instead is not allowed).

After all player cards are played, the last player to make a capture also takes any remaining face-up cards from the table.

Scoring

There are four main points available per hand:

Most Cards – Awarded to the team that captures the majority of cards. If tied at 20-20, no point is given.
Most Coins (Denari) – Awarded to the team that captures more coin-suit cards. If tied at 5-5, no point is given.
Sette Bello (Beautiful Seven) – Awarded to the team that captures the 7 of Coins.
The Prime (Primiera) – Awarded to the team with the highest prime, calculated by summing the Prime values of their best four-suit set. If tied, no point is awarded.

Prime card ranking:

Highest: 7s, followed by 6s, Aces, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, and lastly, face cards.

Sweeps (Scopa)

A sweep occurs when a played card captures all table cards, leaving the table empty. Each sweep scores one additional point, and the capturing card is placed face-up in the team’s pile for easy tracking.

Note: Capturing the last cards of the round does not count as a sweep.

Winning the Game

The first team to reach 11 or more points at the end of a hand wins. If both teams reach 11 simultaneously, the one with the higher score wins. If tied, additional hands are played until one team has the higher score.

Variations

10-Card Scopone (Scopone Scientifico)

Each player is dealt ten cards, and no cards are placed on the table initially. Some versions allow the dealer’s last capture to count as a sweep.

Re Bello (Beautiful King)

The King of Coins (Re di Denari) is worth one point, similar to the Sette Bello, increasing the total available points per hand to five (excluding sweeps).

Napola

A team capturing Ace, 2, and 3 of Coins scores additional points based on the highest consecutive coin card captured:

If A-2-3-4-5-6 are captured, the team scores 6 points in addition to the coin suit point.
Capturing all 10 coin cards wins the game outright (Napoleone or Cappotto).

Alternate Target Score

Some players set a higher target score, such as 21 points, for a longer game.

Prime Face Card Values

In southern Italy, some players use an alternate Prime value system where Kings = 10, Queens = 9, and Jacks = 8, instead of all face cards being valued at 10. While this rarely changes the outcome, it can spark debates among players.

Strategy Tips

The 7 of Coins is the most valuable card. Prioritize capturing it.
Avoid giving away sweeps. Try to leave at least 11 on the table.
Control the table with “anchors.” Leaving a known number (e.g., a single 3) can force opponents into unfavorable plays.
Track paired and unpaired cards. This helps anticipate the last card play and optimize endgame strategy.
Dominate the Prime. If you and your partner are tied in 7s, focus on capturing 6s, then Aces, and so on to increase your Prime value.
Watch for whirls (“whirlwinds”). Capturing in sequences can disrupt the opponent’s strategy and set up multiple sweeps in a row.