This Italian game for four players is a variant of Tressette, using the same rules of play, and the same distinctive card ranking and values, the 3, 2 and Ace being the top cards. The chief difference is that instead of the partnerships being fixed, the teams are different for each deal, as determined by the bidding. The final bidder plays alone against a team of three, or chooses a partner by calling a card, so that two play against two. Another difference is that there is a "monte" of four undealt cards which can be used to improve the bidder's hand.
There are four players, and the deal and play are anticlockwise.
A 40-card Italian pack is used. This could be any of the Italian regional patterns, with either Latin or French suits. When Latin suited cards are used, the cards of each suit, from highest to lowest, and their values are as follows.
| Card | Value |
|---|---|
| 3 | ⅓ |
| 2 | ⅓ |
| 1 (ace) | 1 |
| Re (king) | ⅓ |
| Cavallo (horse) | ⅓ |
| Fante (jack) | ⅓ |
| 7 | 0 |
| 6 | 0 |
| 5 | 0 |
| 4 | 0 |
When French suited cards are used, usually the Donna (queen) replaces the horse.
In addition the last trick is worth 1 card point, so that there are 11⅔ card points to play for. Since there are always two teams and fractions of a point are rounded down, the points scored by the two sides always add up to 11.
The dealer shuffles and the player to dealer's left cuts. The cards are dealt out in batches of three, anticlockwise, beginning with the player to the dealer's right, until everyone has a hand of nine cards. The dealer places the last four cards face down to the middle of the table. These cards form the monte, which can be used to improve the bidder's hand.
The turn to deal passes to the right after each hand.
The players speak in anticlockwise order, beginning with the player to dealer's right. Each player in turn may pass or bid, and each bid must be higher than the previous bid. When no one has yet bid players generally pass by saying "passo" (I pass), after a bid they pass by saying "sta bene" (it's OK). If all four players pass the cards are thrown in and the next player deals. If someone bids, the bidding continues for as many circuits as necessary until three players pass in succession.
The possible bids, in ascending order, and their consequences if all the other players then pass, are as follows.
The player to dealer's right (il mano) leads any card to the first trick. Players must follow suit. Those unable to follow suit may play any card. There are no trumps. The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, and the winner leads any card to the next trick.
Unlike Tressette, this game has no declarations (accuse) of high cards in the hand of a player. However, there are some signals or remarks that a player is allowed to make when leading to a trick:
When all the cards have been played, the four cards of the monte (the cards discarded by the bidder, or the original monte if the bidder did not use it) are given to the team that won the last trick. Each team then adds up the value of the cards it has won - see card values above. The team that has at least 6 of the available 11⅔ card points wins.
The scores for the various bids are as follows. Either the players can pay in cash or chips after each deal, or the cumulative score of each player can be recorded on paper, in which case the scores of the four players should always add up to zero.
If a player or team wins capotto (all the tricks) the payments are increased by 2 units. That means for example that a bidder playing alone will receive a total of 6 extra units for a capotto, and that if the bidding team win all tricks in a chiamo, the bidder will receive 7 units and the bidder's partner 5.
With the advantage of calling a partner and taking the monte, it is rather easy to win a chiamo. To make it harder, some play that in a chiamo, the bidder does not look at the monte: it remains untouched until the end of the play, when it belongs as usual to the winners of the last trick. In this variant, if the called card is in the monte, everyone, including the bidder, will be unaware at first that the bidder is playing alone.
Some play that the monte is always shown to all the players, so that if the called card is in the monte, everyone knows from the start. Others play that the monte is never shown to the other players, neither in chiamo not in mediatore nor in solo.
Some impose restrictions on what card can be called. Some only allow a 3 to be called, some allow a 3 or a 2, and some allow the bidder to call any card except an Ace.
Some play that in Solissimo the bidder is not allowed to see the monte. In this version Solissimo is the highest bid: there is no Arcisolissimo.
Some play that the lead to the first trick is made by the bidder, not the player to dealer's right, if the bid is Arcisolissimo or Solissimo. Some also allow the bidder to lead to the first trick in a Solo. Some play that the bidder always leads to the first trick, whatever the bid.
Some players use a different code of signals from the one described above. When leading to a trick, a player may say:
Some play with different scoring schedules. For example: