trick-taking · Italy

Briscola

Also known as Briscola Italiana · Brisca · Briškula · Bizka · Briscas

Briscola is one of Italy's most popular card games, a fast trick-taking game played with a 40-card Italian deck where one suit becomes the trump, or briscola. Whether you want to play Briscola online free against smart bots, learn the Briscola rules from scratch, or master the 4-player partnership game with its famous signals, this guide covers everything. The goal is simple but cunning: capture tricks containing the high-value Aces and Threes until you pass 61 of the 120 points in the deck.

Coming soon — learn the rules below

2–6 players · free to play online

How to play Briscola

Choose 2, 3, 4, or 6 players. With 5, play the Briscola Chiamata variant.
Deal 3 cards to each player, then turn one card face up by the stock; its suit is the trump (briscola) for the hand.
The player to the dealer's right leads any card; others follow in turn playing any card, no need to follow suit.
Win the trick with the highest trump played, or if none, the highest card of the suit that was led.
After each trick, the winner draws first, everyone refills to 3 cards, and the winner leads next.
Keep the cards you win, the points inside them (Ace 11, Three 10, King 4, Knight 3, Jack 2) are your score.
When all cards are played, count your points. Reach 61 of the 120 to win the hand.

Briscola rules

Objective

Briscola is a point-trick game. The deck holds a fixed total of 120 points spread across the Aces, Threes, and court cards. Your aim is to win tricks containing those valuable cards. In the standard game the first player or team to capture more than 60 points (61 or more) wins the hand; a 60-60 split is a draw. Crucially, you don't need to win the most tricks, just the most valuable ones, so a single Ace can outweigh a fistful of empty cards.

The deck and card values

Briscola uses a 40-card Italian deck in four suits: Coins (Denari), Cups (Coppe), Swords (Spade), and Batons (Bastoni). A standard 52-card deck works too: remove the Jokers, 8s, 9s, and 10s, treating the four suits as equivalents. The rank order from highest to lowest is Ace, Three, King, Knight (Cavallo / Queen), Jack (Fante), 7, 6, 5, 4, 2. Point values are what matter most: Ace = 11, Three = 10, King = 4, Knight/Queen = 3, Jack = 2, and the 7-6-5-4-2 are worth 0 (these are called lisci, or 'smooth' cards). Note the Ace and Three are both high-ranking and high-scoring, making them the prize cards of every suit.

The deal and the trump

In the two-player game the dealer gives 3 cards to each player, one at a time. The next card is turned face up and placed half under the remaining face-down stock; its suit becomes the briscola (trump) for the entire hand. Trumps beat any card of the other three suits regardless of rank. In the 3-, 4-, and 6-player games each player still receives 3 cards and a trump is turned the same way. Play and dealing proceed counter-clockwise (to the dealer's right), which is traditional in Italy.

How to play a trick

The player to the dealer's right leads any card to the first trick. Each other player, in turn, plays any card they like, there is NO obligation to follow suit and no obligation to play a trump. This freedom is what gives Briscola its bluff and timing. Determining the winner: if any trumps were played, the highest trump wins the trick. If no trump was played, the highest card of the suit that was led wins; cards of other non-trump suits cannot win and are simply discarded into the trick. The trick winner collects the cards face down, then players draw back up to a full hand from the stock, winner first, and the trick winner leads the next trick. When the stock is nearly gone, the last player to draw takes the face-up trump card; the final tricks are then played out from the hand with no further drawing.

Scoring

After all cards are played, each player or team adds up the point values of the cards in the tricks they won. Aces (11) and Threes (10) dominate the count, with Kings (4), Knights (3), and Jacks (2) filling in. The grand total is always 120. Score 61+ to win the hand; 60-60 is a tie. Many groups play matches over several hands, often a best-of-three or to a target like 'first to 2 (or 3) hands won,' to even out lucky deals.

The 4-player partnership game (and signals)

With four players, partners sit opposite each other and the two teams pool the points they capture. The team passing 60 points wins the hand. The signature feature of partnership Briscola is signaling: because you cannot speak openly about your hand, traditional Italian visual signals tell your partner what you hold. Common signals include stretching the lips over the teeth for the Ace, twisting the mouth to one side for the Three, glancing upward for the King, showing the tip of the tongue for the Knight, and shrugging a shoulder for the Jack. From the second trick on, the leader may also ask the partner brief coded questions about lisci (useless cards), low trumps (briscoline), high trumps (vestite), or off-suit Aces and Threes (carichi). House rules vary on how much signaling and table-talk is allowed, so agree before you start.

Variants

Briscola Chiamata (Called Briscola) is the celebrated 5-player version: all 40 cards are dealt (8 each, none left over), then players bid by naming how many points they think they can take, lowest-card bid being strongest. The winning bidder names the trump suit and 'calls' a specific card; whoever holds that exact card becomes their secret partner, unknown to everyone until it falls. The caller's side needs 61+ points to score, the other three players ally against them. Briscolone is a no-trump version where the higher card of the led suit always wins. Briscola a 31 ends the moment a player reaches 31 points. Briscola Scoperta is played with all cards face up. Regional cousins include Spanish Brisca and the Croatian/Balkan Briškula, plus 6-player team Briscola using a 36-card deck (twos removed).

Strategy tips

Hoard your trumps. Trumps win tricks no other card can, so don't waste them on empty 0-point tricks early; save them to capture enemy Aces and Threes later.
Watch the big cards. There are only four Aces and four Threes (84 of the 120 points). Track which valuable cards have been played to know what's still worth fighting for.
Don't 'feed' tricks you'll lose. When you can't win a trick, dump a lisci (a 0-point 2, 4, 5, 6, or 7) instead of a King or Ace, never hand the opponent points for free.
Lead low, score high. Lead worthless cards to bait out your opponent's trumps and high cards, then strike when the deck is shrinking and positions are clearer.
In partnership play, signal and trust your partner. Use the traditional signals to coordinate which Aces, Threes, and trumps each of you protects, and play to set each other up.

Variants

Briscola Chiamata (5-player Called Briscola) · Briscolone (no-trump, higher card wins) · Briscola a 31 (first to 31 points) · Briscola Scoperta (all cards face up) · 6-player team Briscola (36-card deck) · Brisca (Spanish variant) · Briškula (Croatian / Balkan variant)

Briscola — frequently asked questions

How do you win at Briscola?

You win by collecting cards worth more than 60 of the 120 total points in the deck (61 or more). Points come from the cards you capture in tricks, mainly Aces (11) and Threes (10), so winning the right tricks matters more than winning the most tricks.

What are the card points in Briscola?

Ace = 11, Three = 10, King = 4, Knight (Cavallo / Queen) = 3, Jack (Fante) = 2, and the 7, 6, 5, 4, and 2 are worth 0 points. The Ace and Three are both the highest-scoring and highest-ranking cards in each suit.

What is the briscola (trump) in Briscola?

The briscola is the trump suit, set at the start of each hand by the card turned face up beside the stock. Any trump card beats any card of the other three suits, no matter the rank, making trumps the key to capturing valuable cards.

Do you have to follow suit in Briscola?

No. Briscola has no obligation to follow suit and no obligation to play a trump. You may play any card on any trick, which is what makes the game so tactical, you choose freely when to spend trumps and high cards.

How many players can play Briscola?

Briscola is played by 2, 3, 4, or 6 players. The 4- and 6-player games are team games with partners sitting opposite each other. For 5 players, the special Briscola Chiamata (Called Briscola) variant is used, where all cards are dealt and a hidden partnership is formed by bidding.

What is Briscola Chiamata?

Briscola Chiamata is the 5-player version. All 40 cards are dealt (8 each), players bid to become the caller, and the winning bidder names the trump suit and a card. Whoever secretly holds that card becomes their partner. The caller's side must reach 61+ points to win the hand.

Can I play Briscola online for free?

Yes. You can play Briscola online free in your browser on our portal, no download or real money required. Practice against smart bots to learn the rules and trump strategy, then challenge friends in multiplayer.