- Photograph by La Donna del Vino
I got the brilliant idea the other day to get my pack of Napoletane Italian playing cards by Modiano and explain how to play using the instruction card they give you within the pack.
I later realised the instructions are written in Italian. Yayyyyy.
Allora, I will write both the English and Italian versions down then. I doubt the Italian will be of use to anybody because I doubt you would find an Ital who doesn’t know how to play the game!
BRISCOLA – English
So you play in a group of 2 or 4 with a deck of 40 cards and usually it is played with players opposing in couples. Each game consists of three hands and whoever is over 60 points wins that hand.
Values of the cards in hands are as follows:
Ace = 11 points
Three = 10 points
King = 4 points
Horse = 3 points
Maid = 2 points
The other cards do not actually score any points.
The dealer deals out three cards to each player and then turns over one more card which remains under the deck and determines the trump suit.
The person to the right of the dealer commences the game by dropping a card to the table. The others take their turn and after each has dropped a card the highest trump card or the highest of the initial suit wins that round. (The Briscola cards all contain the trump suit).
It is not obligatory to answer and in the first round you cannot talk or make signs between you and your partner.
After the first round though, before starting to play, you have to draw a card (in order to make your deck in your hand back up to three).
The person who won the last round starts the next.
At the last hand the players in couples after having drawn their last cards can show one another their cards and check the points they have already made.
Whoever has the most points at the end of the round wins!
BRISCOLA – Italiano
Si gioca in 2 o 4 con un mazzo da 40 carte e di solito i giocatori si contrappongono a coppie. Ogni partita si compone di tre mani, chi supera i 60 punti vince la mano. I punti delle carte in ordine di presa sono:
asso = 11
tre = 10
re = 4
cavallo = 3
fante = 2
Le altre carte non fanno punti.. Il mazziere distribuisce tre carte a testa e poi ne gira una che, rimanendo scoperta sotto il mazzo, determina il seme di briscola. Inizia il gioco calando una carta chi e’ alla destra del mazziere. Anche gli altri al proprio turno giocano una carta e vince il giro la carta più alta dello stesso seme della prima o la briscola più alta. (Sono dette ‘Briscole’ tutte la carte con il seme di briscola). Non e’ obbligatorio rispondere e nel primo giro non si può parlare o farsi segni tra i compagni. Dopo il primo giro, prima di giocare, si deve pescare una carta. Inizia chi ha vinto il giro precedente. All’ultima mano a giocatori in coppia dopo aver pescato possono mostrarsi le carte e controllare i punti già fatti.
- Italian men and their Briscola cards. All rights reserved E-Mago.
In bocca al lupo! – Good luck!
La Donna del Vino 
I must teach you to play scala 40 with Lisa’s santola as well. You will like this card game.