Official Tressette Rules

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

Tressette is a traditional Italian partnership trick-taking card game for four players, with partners seated across from each other. Variations for different numbers of players are available, as noted at the end of the page. Like many Italian games, Tressette is played counterclockwise.

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How to Play Tressette

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The Cards

The game uses a 40-card deck, typically featuring Italian suits: swords, batons, cups, and coins. The cards in each suit rank as follows (from highest to lowest): 3, 2, Ace (A), King (Re), Cavalier (Cavallo), Jack (Fante), 7, 6, 5, 4. In some regions of Italy, players may use a French-suited 40-card deck, and in a few cases, an international 52-card deck with the 10s, 9s, and 8s removed, ranking as: 3, 2, A, K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4. In the south of Italy, the Queen and Jack may be reversed in rank.

The cards have specific point values, and the goal is to capture tricks containing valuable cards. The point values are as follows:

• Ace: 1 point
• 3, 2, and face cards (King, Cavalier, Jack): 1/3 point each
• Winner of the last trick: 1 point

The Deal

The dealer deals 10 cards to each player, 5 at a time, counterclockwise. After each hand, the role of the dealer rotates to the right.

The Play

There are no trumps in Tressette. The player to the dealer’s right leads the first trick, and any card from their hand may be played. The other players must follow the suit if they have cards from it. If a player has no cards of the led suit, they can play any card. The highest card of the led suit wins the trick, and the player who wins the trick leads the next one.

Certain card combinations in hand earn additional points. These are declared at the end of the first trick:

• Four 3’s, four 2’s, or four Aces: 4 points
• Three 3’s, three 2’s, or three Aces: 3 points
• Napoletana (3, 2, and Ace of the same suit): 3 points

A player who holds one of these combinations declares it immediately after the first trick, even if the combination wasn’t part of the current trick. For a Napoletana, the suit must be specified, and for three of a kind, the missing suit must be stated. Combinations can overlap. For example, a player might declare a Napoletana in cups and four 2’s for a total of 7 points.

Card-Specific Remarks

Players may use specific remarks or signals while leading to a trick:

• Busso (“I knock”): Indicates the player wants their partner to play their highest card in the suit they are leading and return the suit if it wins.
• Volo (“I fly”) or Piombo (“I fall”): Indicates that the player has no more cards of the led suit.
• Striscio or Liscio (“I stroke” or “I smooth”): Indicates the player has low cards (King or lower) of the suit they are leading.

The Scoring

After all 10 tricks are played, each team scores the total value of the cards they’ve won in tricks, plus an additional point for winning the last trick. The total number of points available is 11.67, but fractions are ignored, meaning only 11 points can be scored per deal (excluding any points from declarations).

The game continues until a team reaches 21 points. If a team believes they have reached 21 points, they can stop the play and declare their victory. If correct, they win; if incorrect, they lose.

Ways to Win Outright

In addition to reaching 21 points, certain conditions allow for an outright win:

• Cappotto (or Collada): If a team wins all 10 tricks, they win two games.
• Stramazzo: If a team wins all points but not all tricks, they win three games.
• Cappottone (or Colladone): If a single player wins all 10 tricks, that player’s team wins six games.
• Stramazzone: If one player wins all the points, with the opponents winning at least one trick, but the other three players together score less than one point, that player’s team wins eight games.

Variations

Different regions and groups may use different signals. Some possible variations in signals include:

• Busso: Indicates the player has the highest remaining card in the suit they are leading.
• Ribusso: Indicates the player has the second-highest card in the suit.
• La meglio or Le meglio: Requests the partner to play the highest card they have in the suit.

These signals should be used cautiously, as revealing too much information can help the opposing team. However, players may choose to bluff with the signal Tutto fuori (“I have many cards of the suit but none of the three highest cards”).

Tressette is a rich and strategic game that combines card combinations, partnership dynamics, and careful signaling to create a challenging and enjoyable experience.