Briscola is a free online version of the most-played card game in Italy, against the computer at five tables: three one-on-one duels and two four-player games where you partner the player across from you. It uses the 40-card Italian deck of coins, cups, swords and batons — drawn here with its own suit pictures, or switched to French suits with one button. Each player holds three cards. The card turned face up under the stock is the briscola and sets trumps for the whole game; it is also the last card anyone draws. There is no rule to follow suit: any card may be played to any trick. A trick goes to the highest trump in it, or if nobody trumped, to the highest card of the suit led — and the ranks run ace, three, king, knight, jack, then seven down to two, so a three beats a king. After every trick its winner draws first and leads the next. Only five ranks score: ace 11, three 10, king 4, knight 3 and jack 2, 120 in the deck, and more than 60 wins the game. A match is first to two games. The opponents get stronger table by table: one who plays whatever comes to hand, a club regular who leads a card worth nothing whenever it holds one outside trumps and takes yours with a cheap trump, and a card counter who remembers every card played and, one-on-one, plays the last six cards perfectly.
How to play Briscola
- Press Play and pick a table. The first is a one-on-one game against a beginner; each table you win opens the next.
- You get three cards, and one more is turned face up under the stock. That card is the briscola: its suit is trumps for the whole game, and it is the last card to be drawn.
- Play one card to the trick by tapping it or pressing 1, 2 or 3. You may play any card you hold — Briscola has no rule to follow suit.
- The trick goes to the highest trump in it. If nobody played a trump, it goes to the highest card of the suit that was led; a card of any other plain suit cannot win it.
- Cards rank ace, three, king, knight, jack, then seven, six, five, four, two. A three beats a king.
- Whoever wins the trick takes the cards, draws first from the stock, and leads the next trick. Everyone draws one card after every trick until the stock runs out.
- Only five ranks score: ace 11, three 10, king 4, knight 3, jack 2. There are 120 points in the deck, and more than 60 wins the game; 60 each is a draw.
- A match is first to two games. Win it for one star, win it 2–0 for two, and win it 2–0 with the table's card-point target for three.
- At the four-player tables you partner the player across from you, North. Your points and theirs count together.
- The Italian cards / French cards button switches the card faces between coins, cups, swords and batons and the French diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs. The game is the same.
Tips
- Lead a card worth nothing — a two, four, five, six or seven. Leading an ace or a three gives your opponent the chance to take 10 or 11 points with a small trump.
- When your opponent leads a card worth nothing, you do not have to win it. Throw your own worthless card and keep your trumps for tricks with points in them.
- Take a load — an ace or a three — with the cheapest card that beats it. A two of trumps on an ace is 11 points for the smallest card in the game.
- Count the trumps. There are ten of them, and once the high ones have gone your remaining aces and threes are safe to lead.
- Remember the briscola. Everyone saw it, so everyone knows who drew it at the end of the stock.
- Playing last to a trick is the safest place to be: you can see exactly what it takes to win it, and win it with the biggest card that does.
- In the four-player game, when your partner is winning a trick and nobody is left to play, throw your ace or three on it. Those points are only safe when your own side takes them.
- Once the stock is empty nothing is hidden any more — the cards you have not seen are exactly your opponent's hand. Play the last tricks out in your head before you lead.
FAQ
Is Briscola free to play online?
Yes. It runs in your browser for free, with no download, no install and no account. Nothing is wagered and nothing pays out.
Do you have to follow suit in Briscola?
No. You may play any card to any trick, which is what makes Briscola different from Whist, Bridge or Spades. Following suit only matters because a card of another plain suit cannot win the trick.
What is the briscola?
The card turned face up under the stock at the start. Its suit is trumps for the whole game, and the card itself is the last one drawn — so whoever takes the final draw gets it, and everyone knows they have it.
What order do the cards rank in, and what are they worth?
Ace, three, king, knight, jack, then seven down to two. The ace is worth 11, the three 10, the king 4, the knight 3 and the jack 2; the other five ranks score nothing. That is 120 points in the 40-card deck.
How do you win a game of Briscola?
Take more than 60 of the 120 card points. Sixty each is a draw. Here a match is first to two games, and a drawn game counts for neither side.
Can I play Briscola with French cards?
Yes. The Italian cards / French cards button switches between coins, cups, swords and batons and the French diamonds, hearts, spades and clubs, with J, Q and K for the three court cards. The rules and the ranks do not change.
How good are the computer players?
There are three. The beginner plays whatever comes to hand. The club player leads a card worth nothing whenever it holds one outside trumps, and takes yours with a cheap trump; dealt the same cards both ways round, it beats the beginner about eight games in ten. The card counter remembers every card played and, one-on-one, plays the last six cards perfectly; on the same cards it beats the club player about six games in ten.
How is Briscola different from Scopa?
Both use the 40-card Italian deck. Briscola is a trick-taking game: one card each to a trick, a trump suit, and points for the aces, threes and court cards you win. Scopa has no tricks and no trumps — you capture from the table by matching a card's value or adding table cards up to it, and sweep the table for a point. Scopa is also on this site.
Can I play Briscola with a partner?
Yes. Tables four and five are four-player games: you and North against East and West, with your points and your partner's counted together.
Does Briscola work on a phone?
Yes. Tap a card to play it; on a keyboard, press 1, 2 or 3. The three cards in your hand are drawn large enough to read on a phone held upright.