Free online card games: Burraco, Scala 40, Scopa and Solitaire
A game of cards with friends is one of the simplest and most fun table games there is. Online you can do it at a distance too: on FantaCarte you play Burraco, Scala 40 and Scopa, three of the best-loved Italian card games, for free and with nothing to download.
Why Burraco
Burraco has won Italy over because it combines luck and reasoning: the cards arrive at random, but whoever knows how to use them best wins. You learn it in one game, it's played with two or with four in pairs, and every round is different. It's the perfect card game for an evening with friends, a challenge with your partner or passing the time on your own against the computer.
Burraco, Canasta, Pinnacola and Scala 40: the differences
They're all "runs and sets" games: you draw cards and lay melds on the table. Here's what sets them apart.
| Game | How it works |
|---|---|
| Burraco | Two decks with jokers, 11 cards each. You meld runs and sets; jokers and pinelle (the 2s) are wild cards. Halfway through the round you take the pozzetto, 11 extra cards. Played with 2 or 4. |
| Canasta | The "relative" Burraco comes from. In the classic version you only meld cards of the same rank, not runs, and there's no pozzetto. |
| Pinnacola | A runs-and-sets game very popular in Italy, with its own rules and scoring. |
| Scala 40 | Two decks with jokers and 13 cards each; to open you must meld at least 40 points. Whoever runs out of cards wins the round. |
For a more detailed comparison read Burraco and Canasta: differences and origins.
Then there are the games played with the 40-card Italian deck, like Scopa, Briscola and Tressette, which work differently: you capture cards or win tricks. On FantaCarte, besides Burraco and Scala 40, you can play Scopa with Neapolitan cards.
Why Scala 40
Scala 40 is the card game of family evenings: thirteen cards, runs and sets, and the challenge of opening with 40 points before your opponent. On FantaCarte it's played one against one, round by round: whoever reaches 101 points loses. The rules are in Scala 40 rules.
Why Scopa
Scopa is the most Italian card game there is: forty Neapolitan cards, captures made with the right sum and the satisfaction of sweeping the table. On FantaCarte it's played one against one to 11 or 21 points, with four in pairs in Scopone scientifico, or in the Scopa d'assi and Cirulla variants. To practise you can challenge Luca, the computer player, at three levels. The rules are in Scopa rules; to play straight away there's free online Scopa.
Why Solitaire
When there's nobody to play with there's free online Solitaire: Klondike, the classic solitaire (also three cards at a time), and Pyramid, both with French cards or Neapolitan cards. You play on your own, with nothing to download: there's undo, hints, statistics and every day the daily game, with the same deck for everyone, to challenge your friends on time.
How to play cards online on FantaCarte
- Free: you join as a guest, without signing up, with a nickname; if you like you save your profile with Google or an email address.
- In the browser: on phone, tablet or computer, without downloading apps.
- With friends: open a private table and send the code or the link on WhatsApp. How to play with friends.
- On your own: you can start a game against the computer straight away.
- With new opponents: in the rooms you sit at open tables and play with other enthusiasts.
- Truly random cards: deck shuffled every round with a cryptographic generator, every card drawn chosen at random. Nobody sees your cards.
First time?
Read the Burraco rules, the Scala 40 rules or the Scopa rules in five minutes, or try the guided game: a game against the computer that explains the moves one at a time. When you're ready, take a look at the tips to win at Burraco, Scala 40 and Scopa.
A game of cards, right now. Free, with friends, on phone or computer.
Play on FantaCarte