fishing · Italy
Scopa
Also known as Scopa Italiana · Italian Sweep · Escoba (Spanish cousin) · Sweep
Scopa is the beloved Italian fishing card game played with a 40-card Italian deck, where you capture cards from the table by matching their values. The name means "broom" or "sweep" - clearing every card from the table at once earns a bonus point called a scopa. Easy to learn but rich in tactics, Scopa rewards counting, memory, and a sharp eye for the prized seven of coins (settebello). Play Scopa online free against friends or smart bots and learn the rules in minutes.
Coming soon — learn the rules below2–6 players · free to play online
How to play Scopa
- Get dealt 3 cards; 4 cards are placed face up on the table.
- On your turn, play one card from your hand onto the table.
- Capture a table card of equal value, or a group of cards whose values sum to your card (if a single match exists, you must take it).
- Mandatory capture: if your card can take cards, you must - otherwise it stays on the table.
- Clear the entire table with one card to score a scopa (sweep) for a bonus point.
- When hands run out, the dealer deals 3 more each until the deck is gone.
- Tally points each hand for cards, coins, the settebello and primiera; first to 11 (or 21) wins.
Scopa rules
Objective
Capture valuable cards from the table to score points across four scoring categories plus any scopa sweeps. The first player or team to reach 11 points (or 21 in longer games) over as many deals as it takes wins the match. Each deal you compete for: most cards captured, most cards of the coins suit, the seven of coins (settebello), and the best primiera (prime).
The Deck and Card Values
Scopa uses a 40-card Italian deck of four suits: Coins (Denari), Cups (Coppe), Swords (Spade) and Clubs (Bastoni) - or in French-suited decks from northern Italy, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades and Clubs. Each suit has Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, plus three face cards: Knave/Fante (worth 8), Knight/Cavallo (worth 9) and King/Re (worth 10). Numeral cards are worth their pip value, and the Ace counts as 1. There are no 8, 9 or 10 numeral cards - the face cards fill those values.
The Deal
The dealer shuffles, the opponent cuts, and three cards are dealt to each player, then four cards are placed face up on the table. The remaining cards stay in a face-down stock. If the four table cards include three or four Kings, the deal is void - the cards are gathered, reshuffled and redealt by the same dealer, since multiple Kings would make sweeps nearly impossible. When players have used their three cards, the dealer deals three more to each (no new table cards) until the stock is exhausted.
How to Play - Capturing
On your turn you play exactly one card from your hand. If its value equals a single card on the table, you capture that card. If its value equals the sum of two or more table cards, you capture that whole group. Important priority rule: if your card can take a single matching card AND a sum of several cards, you must take the single card. Capturing is mandatory - if your card can capture anything, you must take it; you cannot choose to leave it. If your card matches nothing, it simply stays face up on the table for later. Captured cards go face down into your pile.
Scopa (The Sweep)
If your played card captures every remaining card on the table, leaving it completely empty, you score a scopa - an extra point. Store the sweeping card face up and sideways in your pile so the sweeps can be counted at the end. Each scopa is worth 1 point. The one exception: capturing the last cards at the very end of the final deal of a hand never counts as a scopa. When all cards have been played, any cards left on the table go to the player or team who made the last capture (this does not earn a scopa).
Scoring
After each hand, award one point for each of these four categories, plus one point per scopa earned during play: (1) Cards - most cards captured; (2) Coins/Denari - most cards of the coins suit; (3) Settebello - holding the seven of coins; (4) Primiera (Prime) - the best four-card prime, taking your highest card in each suit and scoring them by the prime scale: 7 = 21, 6 = 18, Ace = 16, 5 = 15, 4 = 14, 3 = 13, 2 = 12, and each face card (King, Knight, Knave) = 10. The player with the highest total across all four suits wins the primiera. Any category that ends in a tie awards no point to anyone.
Winning and Variants
Players keep dealing hands and totaling points until someone reaches the target (commonly 11, sometimes 21). If both players cross the target in the same hand, the higher total wins, or play another hand to break a tie. Popular variants include: Scopone (4 players in two partnerships, all cards dealt at the start so each holds 9 or 10 cards); Scopa d'Assi / Asso Pigliatutto, where playing an Ace sweeps the whole table; Napola/Napoli, awarding bonus points for runs of coins starting at the Ace; and Scopa a Quindici, where captures must sum to 15.
Strategy tips
- Hunt the settebello - the seven of coins is worth a guaranteed point, so prioritize capturing it and deny it to your opponent.
- Count the sevens and coins: the primiera point hinges on sevens (worth 21 in the prime), and the coins point on collecting denari, so track both carefully.
- Avoid leaving a card that lets your opponent sweep - especially don't leave the table summing to a value they can clear for a scopa.
- Watch the running total on the table; if cards sum to a value you can capture, plan a sweep, but remember a single-card match always takes priority over a sum.
- Memorize what has been captured to deduce your opponent's hand late in the deal, and save high-value captures (the 7s and the king of coins) when you can force them.
Variants
Scopone (4-player partnership, full deal of 9-10 cards each) · Scopa d'Assi / Asso Pigliatutto (Ace sweeps the whole table) · Napola / Napoli (bonus points for runs of coins from the Ace) · Scopa a Quindici (captures must sum to 15) · Scopone Scientifico (10 cards each, no table cards dealt) · Re Bello variant (bonus point for capturing the king of coins)
Scopa — frequently asked questions
How do you play Scopa?
Each player gets 3 cards and 4 cards go face up on the table. On your turn you play one card; if it matches a table card's value, or the sum of several table cards, you capture them. Clearing the whole table in one move scores a scopa (sweep). You keep dealing until the deck runs out, then score points for cards, coins, the seven of coins and the primiera. First to 11 (or 21) points wins.
What does scopa mean and how do you score one?
Scopa means broom or sweep in Italian. You score a scopa whenever your played card captures every card on the table, leaving it empty - each sweep is worth 1 point. The only exception is the very last capture of the final deal, which never counts as a scopa.
What is the settebello in Scopa?
The settebello is the seven of coins (sette di denari). Whoever captures it scores 1 guaranteed point each hand, so it is one of the most fought-over cards in the game. It is also the highest-scoring card in the primiera calculation, counting as 21 prime points.
How does primiera (the prime) work?
Primiera awards a point for the best four-card prime - your highest-scoring card in each of the four suits, totaled on a special scale: 7 = 21, 6 = 18, Ace = 16, 5 = 15, 4 = 14, 3 = 13, 2 = 12, and any face card = 10. The player or team with the highest combined total across all four suits wins the point; a tie scores nothing.
Can you play Scopa with 4 players?
Yes. Four players form two partnerships seated alternately, combining their captured cards for scoring. The four-handed full-deal version, where all 40 cards are dealt at the start (9 or 10 per player), is the famous variant called Scopone. Three and six players are also possible.
Is Scopa online free to play?
Yes - you can play Scopa online free on our portal against friends or smart bots, with no real-money wagering. It is a social, free-to-play card game where you learn the rules, practice capturing and sweeps, and compete for the highest score.