If you are tired of classic solitaire and variations of Durak, play the free Scopa game against the computer. This new HTML5 version of Italy’s most popular card game will bring a pleasant variety to your leisure time and help you train your memory.
Play Scopa online for free, without registering, on your computer or phone. Read the rules in the description below. They may seem complicated at first, but you’ll get the hang of it after a couple of games!
About the game Scopa online
The goal is to reach the target score by capturing the most cards, while also earning extra points for successful combinations.
Traditionally, Scopa is played with a 40-card Latin deck divided into four suits: coins, swords, cups, and clubs. Each suit contains 10 cards: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 are valued at face value. The jack (Fante) is worth eight points, the knight (Cavallo) is worth nine, the king (Re) is worth ten, and the ace is worth one.
Your VIP avatar is playing against Lady_G, TheBoss, and Mario.
How to play Skopa: rules of the game and scoring
Each player starts with three “bait” cards and looks for a combination of four face-up cards on the table. On your turn, you can capture cards that are of an equal value, or whose values add up to an equal sum.
If there are no suitable cards, you must discard a card from the table. The next three cards are dealt once all players have discarded all their cards. The game continues until the target score is reached. The default threshold is 11 points, but you can extend the game by setting the threshold to 21 or 31 points.
Scoring in the online game Scopa is automatic and based on the number of tricks and the sum of values on a special scoring scale. Players receive one point for:
- removing all face-up cards, called a “scope”;
- capturing the most cards;
- the maximum trick of coins (denari);
- capturing seven coins (settebello);
- the best combination of high-value cards in each of the four suits is called premiera.
Once you have mastered the basic rules, you can move on to the most interesting, strategic part of the game. Here, it’s important to think ahead about which cards to play so the opposing team doesn’t get extra points. Pay attention to the specifics of scoring. The computer will automatically calculate the score, but understanding the details will help you develop the right strategy.
The highest cards for scoring points are sevens (21). Next, in descending order, are sixes (18), aces (16), fives (15), fours (14), threes (13), and twos (12). Face cards (jacks, knights, and kings) are worth 10 points each.
The basic versions of Scopa, Scopone, and Scopone Scientifico on the main screen correspond to the three most famous versions of this card game, which has been popular in various regions of Italy for over 500 years. The general principle is to capture cards of equal value. The initial deal and scoring differ.
Other card games
If you enjoyed playing Scopa online, try other computer versions of card games and come back again. The most popular new games are Hearts, Belot, and Spades. Good luck!