How to play
Briscola is Italy’s favourite two-player card game: short hands, a visible trump card and a race to 61 points. There is no obligation to follow suit, so every trick is a small bluff about whether the points on the table are worth your good cards.
Pick Computer or Friend in the menu. In friend mode you share the device; the screen hides the cards and asks you to pass the phone when the turn changes. Then choose how many games a match needs: 1, 3 or 5.
The deck has 40 cards: Ace through 7 plus Jack, Queen and King in each suit (the 8s, 9s and 10s are removed). Each player gets three cards. The next card is turned face up and tucked under the stock: its suit is the briscola, the trump suit for the whole game, and it is the last card drawn.
Card values. Only five ranks carry points, 120 in all:
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| Three | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 | 0 |
The ranking inside a suit follows the same order: Ace, Three, King, Queen, Jack, then 7 down to 2.
Tricks. The leader plays any card. The second player also plays any card: you never have to follow suit and never have to trump. The trick goes to:
- the higher card if both are the same suit;
- the briscola card if only one is a trump;
- the leader’s card if the suits differ and neither is a trump.
The winner collects both cards, draws first from the stock, the other player draws second, and the winner leads the next trick. When the stock is empty the last three tricks are played from the hand. After all 20 tricks the points in each pile are counted: 61 or more wins, 60 to 60 is a draw and nobody scores. Each game won is a point in the match; the dealer alternates every game.
The badges next to each pile show the points taken so far, and the small number on your point cards reminds you what they are worth. Tapping a card plays it; the finished trick stays on the table for a moment so you can see who took it.
Strategy
Count to 61, not to 120. You only need a majority. Once your pile passes 60 nothing else matters, and the badge turns gold to tell you.
Lead low, answer smart. Leading a worthless card (a 2, 4, 5, 6 or 7) gives the opponent a trick worth nothing and makes them decide whether to waste a good card. Keep aces and threes for tricks you can win.
Never trump for nothing. If the lead is a zero-point card, let it go with your cheapest card. Spend a briscola only when the trick holds a load: an ace or a three on the table is worth a mid trump every time.
Watch the stock. While cards are still drawn, the second player to draw may pick up the face-up briscola. In the last three tricks, when no cards are drawn, you know the whole opponent hand is the only thing left: lead your highest trump to pull out their points.
Remember what is gone. There are four aces and four threes. If two aces are already in the piles, your king of that suit is a lot safer to lead.
If you enjoy Briscola, try Canfield Solitaire or Clock Solitaire next.
