GAME
| BÔNUS | PENALTIES
| HINTS | OPTIONAL BÔNUS
"Escopa", also known as 15 "Escopa",
a game of Italian origin, introduced in Brazil by Italian
immigrants in the beginning of the nineteenth century, is
still very popular in the so-called "Italian" neighborhoods
in São Paulo. It is played by two, three or even four people;
however, in this case, it is played in partnership. The
cards of the deck numbered 8, 9 and 10 are removed (therefore,
a 40-card deck is used) and each numbered card is ranked
at its own face value; by convention, the King, Jack and
the Queen are ranked 10, 9 and 8 points respectively and
the Ace is ranked 1. Before the game begins, the players
decide whether it will be worth 21 or 31 points. The number
of hands is not preset; as many hands as necessary are played
to obtain the points initially established. The purpose
of this game is making the largest number possible of tricks
and "escopas", so as to be the first one to reach the preset
number of points. The trick is made when one can make 15
points, through a combination of a card in his hand and
one or various cards on the table. When a player obtains
15 points, he captures all the cards used in the trick and
place them by his side, face down. The "escopa" 9 (sweep)
is made when the discarded card, added to all cards on the
table, totals 15 points. Whenever one makes an "escopa",
one of his cards is turned face up, so that, at the end,
the number of "escopas" is easily identified throughout
the game. The ranking system adopted for scoring purposes
at the various rounds was that: for each "escopa" (sweep)
- 1 point for having all of the Diamonds cards - 2 points
for having most of the Diamonds cards - 1 point for having
the Diamonds 7 (or "Guindis") - 1 point for having the four
7 cards, including the "Guindis" - 3 points for having most
of the cards - 1 point for having most of the 7 cards -
1 point if the oponent has less than 10 cards - 2 points
As observed, the individual rank of each card is totally
meaningless for the scoring of points; only the total of
15 points during the rounds is important.
GAME
A player is chosen, the one who picks the
smallest card; and shuffles the cards, the player on the
left cuts them and deals the cards, one at a time, three
cards per player. Afterwards, the dealer puts four cards
in the center of the table, face up.
The remaining cards of the deck lie on
the right, face down. The game follows counterclockwise,
from the dealer. The shifting of dealers at each round also
follows the same pattern. The game is therefore started
by the player on the right of the dealer, who discards one
of the cards, so as to capture 15 points by combining it
with one or more of the four cards initially put on the
table. If the player has a King, a Jack and a Three and
the cards on the table are Ace, 2, 3, 6 and Queen, he/she
can score 15 points by playing the Jack over the 6. The
same number of points can also be scored by playing the
3 over the Queen, 3 and Ace. Or even by playing the King
over 2 and 3. Although the combinations may vary, its best
to score 15 points with the largest number possible of cards
on the table; and if possible, with all of them.
If none of the cards adds up to 15 points
when combined with one or more cards on the table, the player
will choose a card from his/her hand to be discarded, face
up, next to the other cards on the table. After that the
player on the right will play. The game goes on this way,
each player trying to discard one card that adds up to 15
points combined with the ones on the table, so as to capture
a trick or an "escopa".
Upon discarding the first three cards,
the dealer changes and a new dealing of three cards will
be processed by the same system.
When the last dealing occurs, the dealer
must announce: "The last ones". The cards that
remain in the center of the table will go to the player
who wins the last trick.
The cards that remain on the table necessarily
add up to 10, 25, 40 or 55 points. Otherwise, some mistake
must have been made along the dealing of the hands. If the
cards do not add up to the points mentioned above, the players
shall carefully check all tricks of all players, to apply
the corresponding penalty.
BÔNUS
If the four cards initially distributed
on the table add up to 15 or 15 + 15, combined two by two,
they must be collected by the dealer who will then make
one or two "escopas", as applicable. Example:
when opening the four cards on the table, the dealer picks
a King, a 5, a Joker and a 6 and he/she will have made two
"escopas": King and 5 add up to 15; the same happens
to Jack and 6 (9 + 6).
If the opened cards are an Ace, 6, 5 and
3, he will have made an "escopa".
When the dealer makes one or two "escopas"
this way, the cards on the table are not replaced. The first
player after the dealer will be responsible for opening
the table, by putting one of the cards from his/her hand,
face up.
PENALTIES
The player who erroneously collects a trick,
if the error is found out at the final checking, will lose
four extra points besides the points corresponding to all
the tricks that the other players made in that hand. The
sum of these points will be taken off the total number of
points scored by the violator.
If a player discards a card without noticing
that it adds up to 15 points on the table, when turning
to the next player he/she will lose the right to the trick.
The next player may collect the trick for himself.
HINTS
When the game is in pairs or in groups
of three, it is important to notify your partners when you
have the Diamonds 7 ("Guindis"), so that they
can discard a card it can be used with. The traditional
sign to indicate the "Guindis" is winking the
left eye. To indicate you have any other seven, you wink
the right eye.
OPTIONAL BONUS
In "Escopa", upon the final scoring,
it is also usual to do the "First" scoring. This
is done by checking among the cards of a player who has
a set of four cards, one of each suit, which adds up the
largest number of points. In the "First", 7s are
worth eleven points, 6s are worth 8 and Aces are worth 6
points each. The figure cards have no value. The other ones
keep their nominal value. The player who obtains the most
points in the "First" will receive two points,
which will be added to the ones he had already obtained
in the game.
