Escoba (Broom) and Scopa: the differences

The main difference between Spanish Escoba (Broom) and Italian Scopa is how you capture cards: in Escoba, you combine a card from your hand with cards on the table to make exactly 15, while in Scopa your card captures another of the same value or a group that adds up to its exact face value.

What they have in common

• A 40-card deck with Latin suits.
• Four face-up cards on the table at the start and three cards for each player.
• A reward for clearing the table: an escoba (a sweep, literally ‘broom’), or scopa, which also means ‘broom’ in Italian.
• Points at the end for having the most cards, the most oros (coins), or denari, and the siete de oros (seven of coins).

How they differ

• The total: 15 in Spain; the value of your card in Italy.
• The court cards: in Escoba, the sota (jack) is worth 8, the caballo (knight) 9 and the rey (king) 10; in Scopa, the values are similar, but they are used differently.
• The ‘primiera’: in Scopa, there is a special point for the best combination of cards from each suit.

Which is harder?

Escoba involves more adding up, so it calls for a little more mental arithmetic. If you want to get started, take a look at the basic rules of Escoba. And to meet the rest of the Italian family, explore the Italian cousins.