How To Play Spanish Playing Cards

1. How To Play Spanish Playing Cards
2. How To Play Spanish Playing Cards
3. The Spanish Playing Cards Painting

This page is based partly on a contribution from Hernan A. Iannella.

• The Play - Capturing - Escobas

The total number of cards melded must be 11 at the end. Conquian is played by two or more players with Spanish playing cards or a 40-card pack of French playing cards either by removing the courts or by removing the 8s, 9s and 10s. Play online - cards - http://www.alphastamps.com/CollageSupplies-P. Many people have heard of using tarot cards for divination, but not many know that you can use a standard deck of playing cards as well. Knowing how to divine with playing cards is in fact, helpful when trying to learn tarot cards. This website was created for anyone interested in learning the art of playing card divination.

Introduction

Playing cards have always been of enormous importance throughout the ages, due to the huge popularity that their use has created. Card games have been passed down from generation to generation. There are a vast number of games with.

Escoba is popular in Spain, and also in Argentina and Chile. The name of the game means 'broom', and no doubt refers to the bonus point scored for sweeping the table clean by capturing all the face up cards. Escoba is very similar to the Italian game Scopa - specifically to the variation Scopa da Quindici and indeed Escoba is sometimes known as Escoba de Quince.

Players and Cards

Escoba is a game for two, three or four players - four can play individually or in partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other.

Traditionally, a 40 card Spanish deck is used. This has suits of Coins, Cups, Batons and Swords, the cards of each suit being 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, Sota (Jack), Caballo (Horse) and Rey (King). For the purpose of capturing:

• the numbers 1 to 7 have their face values
• the Sota (jack) counts as 8
• the Caballo (horse) counts as 9
• the Rey (king) counts as 10

In North America, Spanish cards can be obtained from TaroBear's Lair.

This can be extremely confusing for new players, because the picture cards of a Spanish deck normally have numbers printed on them that are different from their values in this game.

• The Sota is labelled 10, though it is worth only 8.
• The Caballo is labelled 11, though it is worth only 9.
• The Rey is labelled 12, though it is worth only 10.

The Deal

The first dealer is chosen by some random method, such as cutting the cards. The player designated as the dealer continues to deal until all the cards of the pack have been dealt and played; then the turn to deal passes to the right.

The dealer shuffles and the dealer's left hand opponent cuts.

Three cards are dealt face down to each player (counterclockwise, beginning with the player to dealer's right), and after everyone has their three cards, four additional cards are dealt face-up on the table. For the sake of clarity we will call this procedure the opening deal. The remaining cards are placed in a face down stack by the dealer ready to be dealt later.

The Play

The player to dealer's right plays first, and the turn to play passes anticlockwise, until all the cards have been played.

A turn consists of playing one card face up to the table, which may capture one or more table cards. In the event of a capture, both the played card and the captured card(s) are taken and stored face down in front of one of the members of the team that made the capture, like a trick. If there is no capture the played card remains face up on the table. In either case the turn then passes to the next player.

Once all the players have played all three of their cards, the dealer deals three new cards to each player (but none to the table) and the play continues. This procedure is repeated until the pack is exhausted. When everyone has played their last three cards (after 6 deals if there are two players, or after three deals if there are four), any cards remaining face up on the table are taken by the last player or team that made a capture. This does not count as an escoba - see below. The points scored by both sides are then totalled and the pack is reshuffled and passed to the next dealer for a new round of play, beginning as before with the opening deal.

The capture

The capturing rules are as follows:

• The card played captures any one set of cards which, together with the played card, add up to 15. For example if the table cards are A, 3, 4, 7 and you play a 4, it captures either the 4 and the 7 or the Ace, 3 and 7 at your choice.
• There is no obligation to play a card which makes a capture - it is legal (and sometimes better play) simply to add a card to the table; however if the played card does make a capture, the captured cards must be taken even if the player would prefer to leave them on the table.

Escobas (sweeps)

An escoba occurs when you play a card which captures all the table cards, leaving the table empty. This is worth an extra point to the team that makes the capture. Traditionally, the capturing card is placed face up in the trick-pile of the capturing side, so that the number of escobas made by each side can easily be seen when the scoring is done at the end of the play.

If the values of the four cards that were dealt face-up on the table in the opening deal add up to exactly 15, the dealer inmmediately captures these four cards before any cards are played. This counts as an escoba, and the player to dealer's right then plays the first card to an empty table. If the cards in the initial four card layout add up to 30, the lucky dealer takes them and scores two escobas.

Scoring

There are four fixed points available to be won on each deal:

• Cartas (the Cards). The point is won by whichever player or team takes the majority of the cards. If the cards split 20-20 the point is not awarded.
• Oros (the Coins). The point is won by whichever player or team takes more cards of the coins suit. If they split 5-5 the point is not awarded.
• Siete de Velo or Guindis (the Seven of Coins). The point is won by whichever player or team takes the 7 of coins.
• La Setenta (the Prime). The point is won by the player or team with the best prime. In practice this is usually the player or team with more sevens, but the actual rule is as follows. A prime consists of one card of each suit, ranking as follows:

  Sevens (highest), 6s, As, 5s, 4s, 3s, 2s, pictures (lowest).

  Whichever team can construct the better prime wins the point. If each team has two sevens, the highest cards held by each team in the other suits are compared. For example a teams' prime of 7,7,6,5 beats the opponents' 7,7,A,A prime, because 6 is better than ace. 7,7,6,A beats 7,7,6,5 because the best three cards are equal and the ace beats the five. If both teams' primes are equal - for example each team has 7,7,6,6 - then the prime point is not awarded.

In addition to the points mentioned above, you or your team also wins a point for each escoba, as indicated by the cards stored face up in the piles of captured cards.

Winning the game

The first team to have 21 or more points at the end of a hand wins. If both sides reach 21 in the same hand the side with more points wins. If both are equal, further hands are played until one side has more points at the end of a hand.

Variations

Some play that

How To Play Spanish Playing Cards

• a player or team that captures more than 30 cards, the opponent(s) having fewer than 10, scores 2 points for cards instead of 1
• a player or team that captures all 10 cards of the coin suit scores 2 points for coins instead of 1
• a player or team that captures all four sevens scores 3 points instead of just 2 for setanta and 7 of coins

Strategy

When making a capture you should consider the following:

• You should avoid playing a card of value five or higher when the table is empty, as this risks giving away an escoba to the opponent. An exception be when you know that your opponent cannot hold the complementary card - for example if three sixes have already been played and you hold the fourth, it is safe to play a caballo to the empty table.
• You should aim to win the 7 of coins if at all possible since it is worth a point by itself and contributes to all the other three points.
• The next priority is to capture other sevens (for the prime), and also sixes, which come in useful if sevens are split.
• Coins are good to collect as well.
• Finally it does no harm to have the greater bulk of cards.

How To Play Spanish Playing Cards

The values of all the cards in the pack add up to 220, 10 more than a multiple of 15 (210), so at the end of the play there will be 10, 25, 40 or 55 points left on the table. Knowing this can be very helpful in working out what cards the other players have left in the last deal.

Index:

Other Card Games in the net:

Other of my Games pages in the net:

The Spanish Pack

The Spanish Playing Cards Painting

This game is played with a 40 cardsSpanish Pack ,'Las Barajas Españolas' (or 'Naipes Españoles') whichconsists of 10 cards in each of the following suits: Swords('Espadas'), Coins ('Oros'), Batons ('Bastos') and Cups ('Copas'). Ineach suit the rank is 1 (high), 3, 12, 11, 10, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 (low).There are no eights or nines in this Spanish Deck. The point valuefor the cards in each suit is as follows: the 1, or Ace ('el As' or'el Uno' ) is worth 11 points; the 3 is 10 points; the 12, or King('el Rey') is 4 points; the 11, or Horse ('el Caballo') is 3 points;and the 10, or Valet ('la Sota') is 2 points. Other cards don't scoreany points. The highest score possible in a single game is 120points, and draws of 60 points are possible.

Alternatively, a Spanish deck can be made from the modern 52-cardpack by discarding all eights, nines and tens. Then seven is insequence with the jack, and in each suit the rank is A (high), 3, K,Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4, 2 (low).

Briscas

Players: Two or three play each by themselves. Four, two againsttwo as partners, facing each other.

The Deal: Dealer gives each player three cards, one at a time inorder to his right (counter-clockwise), instead of to the left as inmost other games. In the three-player version, a four (of any suit)is removed from the pack, thus playing with only 39 cards.

Stock and Trump Suit: The undealt remainder of the pack is placedface down in the center of the table, forming the stock. Its top cardis turned face up and placed partially underneath the stock. Thiscard fixes the trump suit ('la Vida' or 'el Palo del Triunfo' ).

The Play: The object is to get the highest score by wining themost point scoring tricks (tricks where there are 'Briscas' (1s or3s) or, 12s, 11s and 10s). Each trick consists of a card led by oneplayer plus a card played by each other player in turn. The player atthe dealer's right makes the first lead, and thereafter the winner ofeach trick leads to the next. Players may lead and play cards of anysuit, as they are not required to follow suit ('asistir'). A trickis won by the highest card played of the suit led, or if it containsa trump ('una Vida' or 'un Palo del Triunfo' ), by the highest trumpit contains.

The Draw: At the end of each trick, and before the start of thenext trick, the winner of each trick draws a card from the top of thestock, and the other players follow in order to his right(counter-clockwise). For the last drawing round, the last player todraw will draw the trump suit card.

The Win: When all tricks have been played (20 tricks in 2-playergames, 13 in 3-player, and 10 in 4-player) each player or team scoresthe points in his/their won tricks. Player or team with highest scorewins the game, and draws are possible.

Exchanging the trump suit card rule: The use of this rule isoptional and is generally agreed between the players before playstarts.

When the trump suit card is a 10 or better (11, 12, 1 or 3) , itcan be exchanged by the 7 of the same suit by any player holding it,and before the very first hand is played, it can be exchanged by the2 of the same suit by any player holding it. Before the first hand isplayed, exchanging the trump suit card with the 2 has precedence overexchanging it with the 7.

When the trump suit card is a 7 or less (4, 5 or 6), it can beexchanged with the 2 of the same suit at any time.

Alcalde

Players: Three players, one playing by himself , the Alcalde(Mayor), and the other two playing as partners, facing the Alcalde,and if they wish, they can see each other's cards. In each game theirobject is to defeat the Alcalde. Each time the Alcalde wins, he dealsand plays the Alcalde again in the next game. When the Alcalde loses,the player to his right becomes the Alcalde for the next game. In thevery first game, the player to play the Alcalde is chosen at random.

The Deal: The Alcalde gives each of his opponents three cards, andsix to himself, one at a time in order to his right(counter-clockwise), and two at a time to himself.

Stock and Trump Suit: Like in Briscas, the undealt remainder ofthe pack is placed face down in the center of the table, forming thestock. Its top card is turned face up and placed partially underneaththe stock. This card fixes the trump suip.

The Play: The object is to get the highest score by wining themost point scoring tricks (tricks where there are 'Briscas' (1s or3s) or, 12s, 11s and 10s). Each trick consists of a card led by oneplayer plus a card played by each other player in turn, except thatin each of the Alcalde's turns, he will play two cards. The player atthe Alcalde's right makes the first lead, and thereafter the winnerof each trick leads to the next. Players may lead and play cards ofany suit, as they are not required to follow suit ('asistir'). Atrick is won by the highest card played of the suit led, or if itcontains a trump, by the highest trump it contains.

The Draw: Like in Briscas, except that each time the Alcaldedraws, he draws 2 cards.

The Win: When all tricks have been played (10 in all) the Alcaldeand his oponents score the points in his/their won tricks. If theAlcalde wins or draws, he plays the Alcalde again in the next game,and if he loses, the player to his right plays the Alcalde in thenext game.

Exchanging the trump suit card rule: Like in Briscas.

Alcalde Variation

Players: Three players, one playing by himself , the Alcalde(Mayor), and the other two playing as partners to depose the Alcalde.In this variation the Alcalde's oponents do not see each other's cards. In each game their object is to defeat the Alcalde. Each time the Alcalde wins, he dealsand plays the Alcalde again in the next game. When the Alcalde loses,the player to his right becomes the Alcalde for the next game. In thevery first game, the player to play the Alcalde is chosen at random.

The Deal: The Alcalde gives each of his opponents three cards, andfour to himself, one at a time in order to his right(counter-clockwise), and an extra card to himself to make it four cards.

Stock and Trump Suit: Like in Briscas, the undealt remainder ofthe pack is placed face down in the center of the table, forming thestock. Its top card is turned face up and placed partially underneaththe stock. This card fixes the trump suip.

The Play: The object is to get the highest score by wining themost point scoring tricks (tricks where there are 'Briscas' (1s or3s) or, 12s, 11s and 10s). Each trick consists of a card led by oneplayer plus a card played by each other player in turn. The player atthe Alcalde's right makes the first lead, and thereafter the winnerof each trick leads to the next. Players may lead and play cards ofany suit, as they are not required to follow suit ('arrastrar'). Atrick is won by the highest card played of the suit led, or if itcontains a trump, by the highest trump it contains. After the last trick is played, the Alcalde will have one card left over which he willkeep and add to his tricks won. Naturally, the Alcalde tries to save himself an ace or a three for his 'automatic trick'.

The Draw: Like in Briscas. At the end of each trick, and before the start of thenext trick, the winner of each trick draws a card from the top of thestock, and the other players follow in order to his right(counter-clockwise). For the last drawing round, the last player todraw will draw the trump suit card.

The Win: When all tricks have been played (13 in all) the Alcaldeand his oponents score the points in his/their won tricks. If theAlcalde scores 31 points or more he wins, and he plays the Alcalde again in the next game. If he loses, the player to his right plays the Alcalde in the next game.

Exchanging the trump suit card rule: Like in Briscas.

Credits: I want to thank Carlos García for providing this variation of Alcalde which he and his sister learned from their nanny Lolin in Saturcein the late 1960's.

Spanish Game Terms:

'Las Barajas Españolas' (or 'Naipes Españoles'): Spanish Pack or Spanish Deck
'Espadas' Spades
'Oros' Gold Coins
'Bastos' Batons or Clubs
'Copas' Cups
'el As' or 'el Uno' the 1 card or Ace
'el Rey' King (the number 12 card)
'el Caballo' Horse (the number 11 card)
'la Sota' the Valet or Jack (the number 10 card)
'la Vida' or 'el Palo del Triunfo' the trump suit
'palos' suits (i.e. Espadas, Oros, Bastos, Copas)
'bazas' tricks
'mano' the player who leads to a trick
'postre' the player who plays last to a trick
'baceta' stock (of cards)
'asistir' to follow suit
'montar' to play a higher card (of the same suit) than the suit lead in a trick
'fallar' to play a trump suit card on a trick lead by a non-trump suit card
'pisar' to play a higher trump suit card than the highest trump suit card already played on a trick
'contrafallar' to play any card that won't do any of the following: 'asistir', 'montar', 'fallar' or 'pisar'
'arrastrar' to lead a trick with a card that will force (in some games) the other players to follow suit. (i.e. Tute: players are forced to follow the trump suit. When a player leads with the trump suit, he is 'arrastrando')
'¡arrastro en bastos!' a player leads clubs (the trump suit) and the remaining players must follow suit (i.e. in Tute)
'Capote' the situation in some games (i.e. Tute) where a player wins all the final (remaining) tricks after the stock is exausted, and therefore wins the game (regardless of the points scored). After the stock is exausted, a player may calls for 'Capote'. He is indicating his intention to win the game by winning all the final remaining tricks. If he wins ALL the remaining tricks, he wins the game (regardless of the points scored). If he doesn't he automatically loses.

Other Spanish Pack Games in the net:

• Briscas (in Spanish)
• Tute (in Spanish)
• Tresillo, Rules in Spanish from the Fournier site.
• Rocambor Book: 'ROCAMBOR un juego olvidado' (published in 2007) by Carlos García Granthon
• L'Hombre (Denmark), Rules in Danish from the Dansk L'Hombre-Union site.
• Voltarete - 1834 Book by José B. Morando (Portugal))
• Conquián, Book: 'Cooncan (Conquián): A Game of Cards Also Called Rum' (published in 1913) by Frederick A. Stokes

If you know of any other games played with the Spanish Deck, Iwould love to hear from you. Please send me anemailwith the details.

How To Play Spanish Playing Cards