How to count the primiera
The primiera is the trickiest point to count in Scopa, but a little table is all you need. Here's how it's done, with examples.
How much each card is worth
| Card | Primiera value |
|---|---|
| 7 | 21 |
| 6 | 18 |
| Ace | 16 |
| 5 | 15 |
| 4 | 14 |
| 3 | 13 |
| 2 | 12 |
| Jack, knight, king | 10 |
How to do the count
- Look at the cards you've captured and sort them by suit: coins, cups, swords, clubs.
- For each suit keep only the card worth the most in the primiera.
- Add up the four values.
Whoever has the highest total gets one point. If the totals are equal, the point goes to nobody.
An example
Among other cards, you captured the 7 of coins, the 6 of cups, the ace of swords and the king of clubs: 21 + 18 + 16 + 10 = 65.
Your opponent has the 7 of cups, the 7 of swords, the 5 of coins and the 3 of clubs: 21 + 21 + 15 + 13 = 70. The primiera is theirs, even though you have the settebello.
Things to remember
- The highest primiera is 84: all four 7s.
- If you're missing a suit you can't make the primiera.
- 7s count double: they're worth 21 in the primiera and they matter for the settebello. That's why, at the end of a hand, whoever has three 7s usually wins the primiera.
- Face cards are worth little: for the primiera a 2 is better than a king.
The game counts it for you
On FantaCarte, at the end of each hand the scoreboard shows both players' primiera, with the totals. There's also a daily challenge: win the primiera with four 7s. The rest of the count is in Scopa scoring.