Tressette
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tressette is an Italian card game, played with a standard Italian 40-card deck. There are many variants depending on the region of Italy the game is played in. A standard 40 card Italian card deck is used.
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[edit] Gameplay
The cards are ranked as follows from highest to lowest: 3-2-Ace-King-Knight-Knave and then all the remaining cards in numerical order from Ten down to 4. The game may be played with four players playing in two partnerships, or in heads-up play. In either case, ten cards are dealt to each player. In one on one play, the remaining twenty cards are placed face down in front of both players. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible until a score of 21 is achieved. Players must follow suit unless that suit does not remain in their hand, and players must show the card they pick up off the card pile to their opponent.
[edit] Scoring
Points are scored by collecting the face cards (King, Horse, Queen), threes, and twos; each of this cards scores ONE THIRD of a point. An ace scores one point on its own. Each player can only score an integer number of points; the thirds of point "in excess" go to the player who scored the last trick. There are 10 and ⅔ points in a deck; the player that scores the last trick is awarded another ⅓ of points, so for each hand 11 points will be scored. The match continues until a score of 21 is achieved.
[edit] Strategy
Basic strategy in tressette revolves around gathering as many Aces as possible because they are worth three times the value of any one face card. As such, players typically attempt to "strip" their opponent of the Three and Two in the suit in which they themselves hold an Ace; at that time, the ace may be played safely and a point scored in their favour. Hence, when holding several lower ranked cards in a suit plus the ace you may play the lower ranked cards in the hope your opponent is forced to play the three or two of the suit allowing you to play the ace. Obviously, holding Ace, Three and Two of a suit (called a "Napolitana" or a "Napola") is a particularly powerful holding as it allows you to play the Ace with impunity, careful not to surrender it to an off-suit card. As picking up the last hand garners a point, players try to organize their card play for this purpose near the end of a round.
[edit] Variations
[edit] Napolitana
One variation scored up to 31 is to use bonusses during game play. When you gather three Aces, three Twos, three Threes or any Napolitana (A same suit grouping of an Ace, Three and Two) and decide to play one of the group of cards, you declare that you have that grouping in your hand and score three points. A group of four (four threes, twos, aces) also scores three points. As well, the bonus may be repeated if having played one of the grouping, you happen to pick up a card that makes the grouping in your hand yet again. To keep track of all this, players traditionally turn one card in their collected cards face up, as it is done in scopa
[edit] Ciapanò
Ciapanò is a variation where the goal is to score the least points. The game ends when a player has 21 or more points, and the player with the least points wins. It is possible to do "cappotto", i.e. collecting all the 11 points, in which case the player scores 0 points and everybody else scores 11.
Ciapanò can be played by more than two players: if the players are 4 or 5 each one plays on his own, and they receive 10 or 8 cards respectively. If the players are 2, the normal rules apply. If the players are 3, two players receive 13 cards and the one at the right of the dealer is dealt one more card. Before starting to play, he chooses one of his cards and passes it to the player at his right, who takes it and then passes one of his cards to the last player. The last player puts then one of his cards aside, to be taken by the player who wins the last trick.
