How to Play Briscola
Take the high-value cards — trump beats everything else.
Also known as Brisca (Spain) · Briscola (Italy) · Bisca (Brazil)
Learn Briscola for 2 or 4 players: the 40-card deck, the A-3-K-Q-J order, the briscola turned up beside the stock and the 61 points that win a hand. Work through four tricks, then play in your browser.
Four tricks with clubs as the briscola
Clubs are the briscola. You lead the A♥ and your opponent answers with the 3♥: no briscola was played, so the highest heart wins and you take 21 points. Next you lead the K♥ and they drop the 2♣: the lowest briscola beats the highest card of any other suit, and they take your King for 4.
| Cards played | Result |
|---|---|
| A♥ led, 3♥ answered | A♥ wins the trick: 11 + 10 = 21 points |
| K♥ led, 2♣ answered (♣ is the briscola) | 2♣ wins: a briscola beats any card of another suit |
| 7♠ led, Q♦ answered | 7♠ wins 3 points: only the suit led or a briscola can win |
| J♣ led, 3♣ answered | 3♣ wins 12 points: the 3 outranks the K, Q and J |
There is no obligation to follow suit or to trump. Count the points in your tricks at the end of the hand: 61 or more wins it, 60–60 is nobody's, and the first side to win two hands takes the match.
Practise this game in your browser🎯 Objective
Take 61 or more of the 120 card points in a hand to win it, alone or with the partner across the table. The first side to win two hands takes the match, unless you change the hands to win at setup (1 to 5).
🃏 Briscola Setup & Rules
- 2 players, or 4 in two partnerships with partners sitting opposite. A 40-card deck: the 8s, 9s and 10s are out of a standard pack.
- In each suit the order from high to low is A, 3, K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2. Ace 11, Three 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2; the 7 down to the 2 are worth nothing but can still win a trick.
- Each player gets three cards. The next card is turned face up beside the stock: its suit is the briscola — the trump — for the hand, and that card is drawn last of all.
▶ How to Play Briscola
- The player after the dealer leads the first trick. There is no obligation to follow suit or to trump: any card in your hand is legal at any time.
- The highest briscola in the trick wins it; with no briscola played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- The trick's winner takes its cards, draws the top card of the stock first (the others follow in turn), and leads the next trick.
- Once the stock is gone the last three tricks are played from the hand.
- Count the points in your tricks: 61 or more wins the hand, 60–60 is nobody's.
🎬 Watch: How to Play Briscola
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📖 Detailed Guide
Setting up your table
- From the game menu choose Briscola, then pick 2 or 4 seats and fill the empty ones with AI players. Four play in two partnerships, partners sitting opposite.
- Set the hands to win: 2 by default, the usual best of three, from 1 to 5.
- The 40-card deck is a standard pack without its 8s, 9s and 10s. Each player gets three cards, dealt from the dealer's left.
- The next card is turned face up beside the stock: its suit is the briscola, the trump for the whole hand. That card is drawn last of all.
Card order and values
- In every suit the order from high to low is A, 3, K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2. The Ace and the Three outrank the King.
- Ace 11, Three 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2 — 120 points in the deck. The 7 down to the 2 are worth nothing but can still win a trick.
- That gap means a trick can be worth 21 points or nothing, and knowing which is which is most of the skill.
- A briscola of any rank beats every card of the other suits.
Playing a trick
- The player after the dealer leads the first trick. There is no obligation to follow suit or to trump: tap a card and Play it, or swipe it up.
- The highest briscola in the trick wins it. With no briscola played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
- Because following suit is optional, dropping a worthless card on a trick you cannot win is a routine and important move.
- The trick's winner takes its cards, draws the top card of the stock first (the others follow in turn), and leads the next trick. Once the stock is gone the last three tricks are played from the hand.
Winning the hand and the match
- Count the points in your tricks once the hand is played: 61 or more wins the hand, and 60–60 is nobody's.
- In the four-player game partners' tricks count together.
- The first side to win two hands takes the match, or the number of hands you set at setup.
- Save your briscole for tricks that actually carry points — trumping a worthless trick wins the cards but gains nothing.
📊 Briscola Scoring
Ace 11, Three 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2 — 120 points in the deck. A side with 61 or more wins the hand; at 60–60 nobody does. In the four-player game partners' tricks count together. The first side to win two hands takes the match, unless you change the hands to win at setup. The app plays 2 or 4 seats only — no three-player deal and no five-player Chiamata.
❓ Briscola — Frequently Asked Questions
How many players do you need for Briscola?
Briscola is played with 2 or 4 players. On Vanikar, empty seats can be filled with AI opponents so you can always start a game.
What is the briscola?
The trump suit for the hand. After the deal the next card is turned face up beside the stock, and its suit is the briscola. Any briscola beats every card of the other suits, and that face-up card is the last one drawn.
Do you have to follow suit in Briscola?
No. There is no obligation to follow suit or to trump — any card in your hand is legal at any time. The highest briscola wins the trick; with none played, the highest card of the suit led wins.
How many points are in a Briscola deck?
120: Ace 11, Three 10, King 4, Queen 3 and Jack 2 in each of the four suits. A side needs 61 or more to win the hand; 60–60 is nobody's.
Can three play Briscola?
Not in the app: it plays 2 or 4 seats only, so there is no three-player deal and no five-player Chiamata.
