Each card belongs to one of four suits: cups, coins, swords, and clubs. Deck: A traditional Italian deck of 40 cards is used.Objective: To capture as many cards as possible from the table by matching their values with cards in your hand.The objective? To sweep up all the cards–the word “ scopa ” translates to “broom” in Italian, referencing the action of sweeping up cards from the table during gameplay. But hours of watching our non-Italian friends crumble in frustration have taught us that it is in fact a little complicated…so don’t feel bad if your first time playing Scopa has you a little bewildered. For most of us, it was our second language. Those who grew up playing Scopa (namely, all Italians) will tell you that it’s an easy game. It likely emerged in the taverns and public gathering spots, where people congregated to play card games as a form of entertainment and camaraderie and, evidently, never stopped. While the exact origins of the game are not definitively documented, it is believed to date back to at least the 15th century, during the time of the Italian Renaissance. Scopa is a national treasure worthy of pasta-level reverence. Italy Segreta is not liable for any broken friendships, engagements, or families that result from playing these games. The rules and objectives are relatively similar, but don’t us if you play a different version than what is outlined below. Whether in Italy or not, pour yourself some house wine, set up a table in the sun, and have a go at one of these absolute classics.ĭISCLAIMER: All of these card games have minor (yet, we understand that they can seem quite major!) variations across Italy. Cards are so much a part of life here that it feels hard to imagine what people would do with their time without these games (work maybe, but that feels like a downgrade option). You’d be hard pressed to find a circolo where there wasn’t a group of friends, smoking and dealing hand after hand. Septuagenarians huddle around shaky sidewalk tables in front of their local bar, playing round after round of Burraco, spurred on by afternoon espressos. Sunday lunches with family quickly turn into languid afternoons of Scopa, which gets more and more heated as more and more bottles of wine are emptied. For the sweltering afternoons in the Caribbean, it’s dominoes for the salons peppered with playing tables in China, it’s mahjong for us Italians, it culminates with cards. Phones disregarded, circled shoulder-to-shoulder, a sort of excited yet expectant energy reverberates among players.

Seven and a half card game