Tressette Rules: The Italian Classic

Tressette Rules: The Italian Classic

Tressette is a classic Italian card game enjoyed by four players in partnerships. It is a trick-taking game with unique card values and no trumps, making it a thrilling and strategic game to play.

Game Overview

Tressette has its roots in Italy and requires four players in partnerships. The game is played with a 40-card deck, usually with the Italian suits: swords, batons, cups, and coins. The cards have point values: each ace is worth 1 whole point, each 3, 2 and picture card is worth 1/3 of a point, and there is 1 whole point for winning the last trick. In each suit, the cards rank in the following order from highest to lowest: 3, 2, A, Re, Cavallo, Fante, 7, 6, 5, 4 (lowest). In some regions, a French suited 40-card pack or an international 52-card pack without the 10s, 9s, and 8s may be used.

Objective

The objective of Tressette is to score points by taking tricks containing valuable cards, with the ultimate goal of reaching 21 points to win the game.

Setup

The game is dealt anticlockwise, with each player receiving 10 cards, 5 at a time. The deal then passes to the right after each hand.

How to Play

Tressette is played without trumps. The player to the dealer's right begins the game by leading any card, and the other players must play a card of the suit led if they have one. A player with no card of the suit led may play any card. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads to the next trick.

There are certain card combinations that score points when held in the hand of one player:

Four 3's, four 2's, or four aces: 4 points
Three 3's, three 2's, or three aces: 3 points
Napoletana (3, 2, and ace of a suit): 3 points

A player may declare these combinations at the end of the first trick and score immediately. When declaring a Napoletana, the suit must be specified, and when declaring three of a kind, the suit that is missing must be stated. It is possible to use the same card in a Napoletana and another combination.

During the play, certain remarks or signals are allowed:

Busso ("I knock"): This indicates that you want your partner to play their highest card in the suit you led, and lead the suit back if it wins. Instead of saying busso, you can strike the table (or the led card) with your fist.
Volo ("I fly") (or piombo - "I fall"): This indicates that you have no further cards of the suit led. Instead of saying volo, you can throw the card so that it glides onto the table.
Striscio (or liscio) ("I stroke" or "I smooth"): (not allowed by all players) This indicates that you have, besides the card you are leading, one or more low cards (king or lower) of the suit led. Instead of saying striscio, you can slide the card led onto the table.

Scoring and End of Game

At the end of each hand, each side scores the value of cards they have won in tricks, plus the point for winning the last trick if applicable. The total points available amount to eleven and two-thirds, but fractions are disregarded in scoring, so the total points scored on each deal (apart from any points for declarations) are actually 11.

The side that first reaches 21 points wins. A player can stop the play at any time and claim to have reached 21 points with the tricks already won up to that point. If the claim is correct, that side wins (irrespective of the other side's total), and if it is incorrect, they lose.

There are several ways of winning the game outright:

Cappotto (or collada): if one team wins all 10 tricks, they win two games.
Stramazzo: if one team wins all the points but not all the tricks - that is, if the trick(s) won by their opponents contains less than one point (the point for the last trick does not count in this case), they win three games.
Cappottone (or colladone): if a single player wins all 10 tricks, that player's team wins six games.
Stramazzone: if a single player wins all the points, with the other three players together winning less than one point, that player's team wins eight games.

Common Variants

There are several variants of Tressette for four players, including Tressette con la Chiamata del Tre, in which the partnerships are determined by the player right of the dealer calling a three, and Mediatore, a version with simple bidding and a monte (a talon of undealt cards that can be used by the winner of the bidding).

A Fun Fact or Record

Tressette is a popular game in Italy, with many players enjoying it in social settings. It is a game of skill and strategy, with each decision a player makes having the potential to significantly impact the outcome of the game.

Where to Get the Game

You can find Neapolitan playing cards for Tressette on Amazon at this link

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

Neglecting to pay attention to the card combinations that score points: Remember to keep an eye out for 3's, 2's, aces, and the Napoletana combination, as these cards can help you score extra points.
Failing to communicate with your partner: Make use of the allowed signals and communicate openly with your partner to maximize your chances of winning.
Ignoring the possibility of winning outright: keep an eye on the number of tricks and points won by both teams, and consider going for a Cappotto or a Stramazzo if the opportunity is there.
Confusing rank with value: the 3 is the highest card in a suit, but the ace is the one that carries a whole point — and the point for the last trick is worth just as much as an ace.

FAQ

Q: Can I play Tressette with a different number of players? A: Tressette proper is designed for four players in partnerships, but there are close relatives for other numbers: Spizzichino (also called Tressette in Due) for two, Terziglio — formerly known as Calabresella — for three, and Quintiglio for five.

Q: Can I use a different deck of cards to play Tressette? A: While a 40-card deck is traditionally used, you can also use a French suited 40-card pack or an international 52-card pack without the 10s, 9s, and 8s.

Q: Is there a way to practice Tressette without playing against others? A: Yes, there are freeware Tressette programs available online that you can use to play against the computer or other players over a network.