Spanish Scopa (literally “broom”) is a variant of the Italian card game Scopa that is very popular in Spain and parts of Latin America.
Other games with similar rules: Scopa (Italy), Escopa (Brazil)…
Choose a deck of cards
Aim of the game
4 players play in pairs with a standard deck of 40 cards (8, 9 and 10 not included).
The main objective of the game is to get the cards on the table. To do this, you must combine a card from your hand with the cards on the table so that they add up to 15.
For example, if a player has a king in his hand (worth 10), they can combine it with the cards on the table King + 2 + 3 = 15.
The points depend on the cards obtained and the actions performed. The first pair to reach 11 points wins the game.
Value of the cards
| Image | Card | Value |
|---|---|---|
 |
King | 10 |
 |
Queen | 9 |
 |
Jack | 8 |
 |
Rest of the cards | Face value |
How to play Spanish Scopa
The game begins by dealing 3 cards to each player and placing 4 cards face up on the table.
- Each player in turn will try to complete a combination of 15 points to get the cards.
- If a player cannot make any combination, they must discard one card and place it face up on the board.
If you detect that several cards on the board make a total of 15, you can draw them at the start of your turn!
When the players have no more cards, 3 cards are dealt again to each player. This is repeated until there are no cards left in the deck.
At the end of the round, the player who made the last move draws the remaining cards from the table. After this, the round is scored, and the deal progresses to the next player on the right.
If both teams exceed the point limit at the end of the match, the team with the most points wins. In case of a tie, the following order is considered: number of scopas, number of diamonds, number of sevens of diamonds, number of sevens, and number of cards.
Scopa
- Scopa
- If a player manages to combine all the cards on the table (“sweeps” the table), they score a scopa and 1 extra point.
- Opening scopa
- Sometimes, the dealer may score 1 or 2 scopas from the opening deal. These are called “opening scopas”.
For example, the dealer places Jack + 7 + Queen + 6 on the table. They automatically score 2 scopas (each totaling 15).
Count up points
After each round, players score points based on the cards collected and the number of scopas scored.
| Cards | Points |
|---|---|
| Scopa | 1 point |
| All the diamonds | 2 points |
| Most diamonds |
1 point Also in case of a tie |
| 7 of diamonds | 1 point |
| All of the sevens | 2 points |
| Most sevens |
1 point Also in case of a tie |
| Most cards |
1 point Also in case of a tie |
Experience points and ranking
You already know the rules of Spanish Scopa. Now play to get experience points , level up and get better in the ranking.
| Action | Points |
|---|---|
| Play a game | 17 |
| Win a game | 29 |
| Scopa | 1 |
Players who leave the game will not score any points.
Get extra coins and experience by completing game challenges.