Scopa
Scopa (Italian pronunciation: [ˈskoːpa]; literally "broom") is an Italian card game, and one of the three major national card games in Italy, the others being Briscola and Tresette. It is also popular in Argentina and Brazil, brought in by Italian immigrants, mostly in the Scopa a Quindici variation. Scopa is also played in former Italian colonies such as Libya and Somalia or some other countries like Tunisia and even Morocco with changed appearance in the cards. It is played with a standard Italian 40-card deck, mostly between two players or four in two partnerships, but it can also be played by three or six players.
Italian playing cards from a deck of "Bergamasche" by Dal Negro | |
| Origin | Italy |
|---|---|
| Type | Fishing |
| Players | 2, 3, 4, or 6 |
| Cards | 40-card |
| Deck | Italian |
| Rank (high→low) | R C F 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 |
| Play | counter-clockwise |
| Related games | |
| Cassino • Escoba • Skwitz • Zwickern | |
The name scopa is an Italian noun meaning "broom", since taking a scopa means "to sweep" all the cards from the table. Watching a game of scopa can be a highly entertaining activity, since games traditionally involve lively, colorful, and somewhat strong-worded banter in between hands. However, skill and chance are more important for the outcome of the game.