The Penguin Book of Card Games: Everything You Need to Know to Play Over 250 Games (135 page)

accordingly. Of course, it may only count as one value at a time: it

cannot capture two dif erent cards, or builds of dif erent values, in

the same turn.

EndingNo cards are added to the pool when extra cards are dealt.

On the last deal, it does not mat er that there may not be enough

cards to go round. The last person to play a card from the hand also

wins any cards left in the pool, but this does not count as a sweep,

unless it happens to be one by definition.

ScoreAt end of play everyone sorts through their won cards and

scores as fol ows:

1 for 7

1 for 7

2 for each Ace

3 for each sweep

10 for T

Play up to any agreed target.

VariantsRestrictions may be imposed on the power of Jokers. In

some circles, for instance, a Joker on the table may never be

captured, thus preventing any more sweeps.

Cuarenta

2 or 4 players, 40 cards (from 52)

Cuarenta is played in Ecuador, mostly in mountainous regions,

including the cities of Cuenca and the capital Quito. The play is

supposed to be ful of bravado, loud, exciting, even sil y (reports

Paul J. Welty on the Pagat website). Glenn Maldonado Vaca of

Guayaquil publishes a Cuarenta website in Spanish, which includes

rules, information about the World Championship, and a

rules, information about the World Championship, and a

downloadable software program.

PreliminariesTwo play alone, four crosswise in partnerships. If four

play, one partner keeps the score and the other stores their won

cards.

CardsThe cards in play are KQJ7654321(=A), usual y taken from a

52-card pack, of which the Eights, Nines and Tens are used for

marking scores. At start of play they are stacked face up between

the two opposing scorekeepers.

DealDeal a single batch of five cards to each player and stack the

rest face down. When five each have been played, five more are

dealt.

AnnouncementsImmediately after any deal, and before play begins,

a player may declare and score for either of the fol owing:

1. Four of a kind: Four cards of the same rank. These are shown,

and that player’s side wins the game without play.

2. Ronda: Three cards of a kind. These are declared, but not

shown or identified, and their holder’s side scores 4 points.

PlayEach in turn plays a card to the table and either captures with it

or leaves it to trail. Captures are made by pairing numerals or

courts, or by summing numerals, or by footing a sequence. That is,

if a table card captured by pairing is accompanied by one or more

cards in ascending numerical sequence the whole sequence is

thereby captured. For example, playing a Three captures a Three

alone, or any sequence beginning Three-Four-(etc). Given achoice of

captures, you may choose any one of them, but not more. You may

also trail a card even if you could make a capture with it. A card

played to an empty table, as at start of play or fol owing a sweep,

is necessarily trailed.

CaidaCapturingthecardjustplayedbythepreviousplayerbymatching it

is cal ed a caida (a fal ), and scores 2 points. However, it is not a

caida when the first player after a new deal matches and captures

the last card played at the end of the previous deal.

LimpiaCapturing al the cards on the table is a limpia (‘clean-up’),

and scores 2 points. Since the next player can only trail, it often

happens that the player or partnership scoring for limpia also

scores for cáda on their next turn, making 4 in al .

ScoreAny table cards remaining untaken at end of play do not count

to either side. A player or side that took exactly 20 cards scores 6

points, but if both do, only the non-dealing side scores. For each

card taken above 20, add 1 point, but round up to the nearest even

number. For example, score 8 for 21 or 22 cards, 10 for 23 or 24,

and so on. If both sides take fewer than 20, the side that took more

cards, or the non-dealing side if equal, scores just 2 points. Game is

40 (cuarenta) points.

Special scoring rulesIf a player makes a cáda by capturing a card

that was part of a ronda (trio), and remembers this event and the

rank of the ronda cards, he can score 10 points at the end of the

hand for correctly announcing this fact and the rank of the ronda

involved. This cannot be announced before the end of the hand, or

after the next deal has begun.

A side standing at 30 or more cannot score for rondas, nor for

capturing a card of the opponents’ ronda by means of a cáda.

However, if the opposing team has less than 30, they may stil score

10 points if they capture a card of an ‘unannounced’ ronda by a

cáda, and correctly announce it.

A side standing at 38 points cannot score for limpia. They can

win only by counting cards or with a cáda. Standing at 36, however,

they can win the game by scoring 4 for both feats (cáda y limpia).

Scorekeeping with eights, nines and tensEach of these cards

represents 2 points face up or 10 points face down. Each

scorekeeper takes a scorecard from the stock and places it face up

before him for every 2 points scored. Upon reaching 10, four cards

are returned to the stack and the fifth is turned down to represent

10 (when it becomes known as a perro, ‘dog’). A score of 38 is

indicated by returning al one’s score-cards to the stack. There are

just enough cards to keep score in al situations.

Scopa

2-4 players, 40 cards

One of Italy’s major national card games, Scopa is easy to learn and

grows deeper with repeated play. It forms by far the best

introduction to games of this family. Its partnership equivalent,

Scopone, is described separately.

PlayersScopa is basical y for two players, but three or four can play

as individuals. Play to the right.

CardsForty, normal y an Italian pack with suits of swords, batons,

cups, coins (

), courts of Re (King), Caval (Knight), Fante

(Footsoldier), and numerals 7654321. The equivalents and

numerical values are:

DealDeal three cards to each player, singly, and four face up to the

table. When everyone has played out their three cards they are dealt

three more, and so on throughout the game so long as any remain.

ObjectTo capture as many cards as possible, especial y diamonds

and high numerals (not courts). If the table cards include three

Kings, it is usual (but not of icial) to deal again.

PlayEach in turn, starting with eldest, plays a card face up to the

table, where it may capture either:

one table card by pairing – for example, a Two captures a

Two, a Jack a Jack, etc., or

two or more table cards by summing – for example, a Queen

might capture 4-5, or 2-3-4, etc.

Only one capture may be made in one turn, and if pairing is

possible this must be done in preference to summing. For example,

if the table cards are 2-4-6-J, a Jack captures the Jack but not the 2-

6. Each player stacks his capturing and captured cards face down in

a pile on the table before him.

A card that cannot capture must be trailed – that is, left in place

as a new table card. If a card intended to trail can actual y make a

capture, it must do so.

ScopaA sweep (scopa) is made when only one card is on the table

and a player captures it by pairing, or when al the cards on the

table are captured by summing. This is a scoring feature and is

marked by placing the capturing card face up instead of face down

in the pile of won cards. When a player makes a sweep the next in

turn can only trail.

EndingPlay continues until no cards remain in hand or stock. Any

cards remaining on the table then go to whoever made the last

capture, but this does not count as a sweep, even if they are al

validly captured.

ScorePlayers sort through their won cards and score, where relevant,

as fol ows: