There is a card game in Italy that is impossible to forget. Even if
you haven’t played this game for a long time, you will never say, “Oh, I don’t
remember it!” Its name is Briscola, and I believe it is more than a game; it is
part of our tradition.
I remember having learnt it from my grandmother when I was a child,
and every time I play it or I hear people mention this game, I think of my late
‘Nonna’.
I remember, in my childhood, my family sitting around the table
during Christmas time, especially at New Year’s Eve, waiting for midnight
playing different table games; Briscola was one of them. There are a lot of
variations, but this is the one I learnt.
First of all, you need a deck of cards (40 cards). Generally people
use Neapolitan cards, those that represent coins, clubs, cups and swords; but
you can also use the French common cards with spades, hearts, clubs and
diamonds.
The values of the cards are:
-
Ace = 11
-
3 = 10
-
King = 4
-
Queen = 3
-
Jack =2
The total value is 120. The player who, at the end of the game, has
more points wins.
You need two players at least; if you there are four or more you can
choose to play as couples.
The dealer mixes the deck and gives three cards to each player. Then,
he/she takes the next card and put it face up on the table. This is the
Briscola, and its suit establishes the suit that is worth more. Only in the
last hand will a player take the Briscola card.
The deck will be put transversally on the Briscola, but leaving more
than half of it uncovered, so that players can see it.
During the first hand each player in counter-clock wise order,
starting from the right of the dealer, has to put one of their card face up on
the table. The one who has put the highest card takes all of them and wins the
hand. For example, consider the case in which the Briscola is two of hearts and
there are two players “A” and “B”. “A” put on the table King of clubs, while B
put four of hearts. B will win the hand totaling 4 points, because even if B’s
single card doesn’t have value, it belongs to the same suit of the Briscola.
If no Briscola has been played, the winner of the hand will be the
one who has put on the table the highest valued card.
At the beginning of the next hand, each player has to take a card
from the deck, so that in every hand each player will have three cards. The
winner of the previous hand will be the first to take the card and to put on
the table one card chosen from his/her three. Every player has to pile up the
cards he/she wins during the all hands.
The game will continue until no cards remain in the deck.
At the end of the game each player must calculate the total number
of points from the cards they own. In the case of a couple’s game, the points
scored by both players are added together.
The more you play Briscola, the more you learn the strategies
involved. For instance, you might guess what cards your rival has and so plan
the next move based on this speculation. Playing in couples, there are also
some gestures useful to communicate your cards with your partner; of course
this must be done fast, because the others players may see those signals.
Anyway, this is a step you may learn at a later stage. For now,
enjoy the simple version of a traditional Italian game!
