Tressette is a two-player Italian card game played with 40 cards in four suits (denari, coppe, spade, bastoni). Each player receives ten cards and twenty more sit in the draw pile (monte). There is no trump: you must follow the led suit if you can, and the strongest card of that suit wins the trick. The Ace counts one full point; the 2, 3, Jack, Queen and King count a third of a point each; the last trick adds another point. Every deal totals exactly 35 thirds — 11⅔ points — so one player always wins.
Play now — it's freeTressette uses the complete Italian 40-card deck: ranks 1 (Ace) through 7 plus the Fante (Jack), Cavallo (Queen/Knight) and Re (King) in each of the four suits — Denari (coins), Coppe (cups), Spade (swords) and Bastoni (batons).
Only two players sit at the table. Each is dealt ten cards (the "metà mazzo", half the deck), and the deal runs for twenty tricks.
The strength order for winning tricks is: 3, then 2, then Ace, then King, Queen, Jack, then 7, 6, 5, 4. This surprises many beginners: the 3 and the 2 beat the Ace in trick play even though the Ace carries the highest point value.
Point values are counted in thirds (one third = ⅓ of a point):
| Card | Point value | Thirds |
|---|---|---|
| Ace (A) | 1 full point | 3 |
| 2 | ⅓ point | 1 |
| 3 | ⅓ point | 1 |
| Jack (J) | ⅓ point | 1 |
| Queen (Q) | ⅓ point | 1 |
| King (K) | ⅓ point | 1 |
| 4 – 7 | worthless | 0 |
The whole deck is worth 10⅔ points (32 thirds); the last trick adds one more point, fixing every deal at 11⅔ points.
Each player is dealt ten cards and the remaining twenty form the monte, the draw pile. After every trick both players draw one card from it — the trick's winner draws first — so hands stay topped up until the monte runs dry.
A deal therefore consists of twenty full tricks: ten with monte replenishment, then ten more played from the remaining hand cards until both hands are empty.
On your turn you must play a card of the led suit if you hold one; if you are void in that suit, you may play anything.
The trick goes to the strongest card of the led suit only — cards thrown from other suits never win, no matter how strong they are. The trick's winner leads the next trick.
The final trick of the deal carries a special bonus: one extra full point (3 thirds) for whoever takes it.
Captured card values are tallied in thirds: the Ace is three thirds (a full point), each of the 2, 3, Jack, Queen and King is one third, cards 4 through 7 count nothing, and three more thirds go to the last trick.
Every deal sums to a fixed 35 thirds — 11⅔ points — split between the two players, and the player with more thirds wins the deal.
Because 35 is an odd number, an exact split is impossible: Tressette has no ties. Every deal produces a winner and a loser.
Learn the golden rule first: the 3 and the 2 beat the Ace for winning tricks, so never trade your 3 away chasing an Ace.
Your Ace is a guaranteed full point if you time it — cash it when its suit is exhausted from the opponent's hand, not on a random early trick.
Cards 4 through 7 are worth nothing; shed them on tricks you are not fighting for and keep your point cards for the decisive tricks.
Watch the last trick from mid-deal onward: a full bonus point can flip a close result, and most deals are decided by a whisker.
Forty Italian cards: ranks 1 through 7 plus Jack, Queen and King in each of the four suits (denari, coppe, spade, bastoni).
Just two, playing head-to-head. Each receives ten cards per deal.
No. Tressette is a no-trump game: the strongest card of the led suit wins the trick, and cards from other suits never win.
3 > 2 > Ace > King > Queen > Jack > 7 > 6 > 5 > 4 — the 3 and the 2 beat the Ace.
The Ace is one full point (3 thirds); the 2, 3, Jack, Queen and King are a third of a point each; cards 4–7 are worthless. The last trick adds one full point.
Always 35 thirds, i.e. 11⅔ points: 10⅔ from card values plus one for the last trick. Since the total is odd, a tie is impossible.
You may play any card, but your discard can never win the trick.
Twenty undealt cards form the monte. After each trick both players draw one card — the trick winner draws first — until the monte is exhausted.
Yes — you can play Tressette online free at tressette.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required.