Absolute best Scopa play through video. The visual setup around the play zone is perfect with little extra plant/coffee/book and the red table mat, which bring a relaxing visual that makes you want to play right away. The explanation white text overlays is just neat and clear. The rules are so clear the way you gave them. Most of it, the interaction you have with Bejamin is so funny he look the kind of kid that is really into the game and enjoys to play(and win) with the family. I've received a Scopa card game and I couldn't understand the game with other play through until I got your. Thumbs up !
Terrific. Used to play this with my Nonna & Zio during my summer holidays in Italy. I lived in England. Back in the 1970s all the oldies used to play in the shade with a nice glass of red. Very nostalgic for me. Anyway, like many on here I forgot how to play. Now l’m back in the game! 😜 Ps in northern Italy (Milano) we used to call the 7 of diamonds “sette bello” not “bello sette”.
I played this 25 years ago, and loved it. Starting back up and forgot the rules of play and scoring. EXCELLENT play through video. Thank you so much. Also, Benjamin is adorable and you're a great dad.
I haven't played Scopa for at least 20 years, and this video was an excellent refresher course. I can now teach my kids this great game. And a big thank you for an explanation of the "simplified" primeira rule. I couldn't remember whether it was all the sevens or most of them. And also for pointing out that you can't do a scopa in the last round 👏👏👏👏
We were cleaning out my nonna and nonno’s house and I took the deck of Italian cards we used to play with. I used this video as a refresher for how to play. Thank you for the thorough video. Trying to remember on my own was just not possible
@@Play-In-Games we used to play with the 1 of coins being an extra point as well! Watching your videos brought back memories from almost 20 years ago just relearning how to play the game. Thank you again
Aww God bless your Nona. I learned this game from my Italian grandparents when I was a child but had forgotten the rules. Thank you for the refresher course!
Awesome channel, I’ve had a scopa deck for many years collecting dust and even though I played in Italy many years ago, I forgot, and I struggled to teach my kids the game because it’s rather complicated. Your videos are fantastic!!
So, I was in Spain and picked up a Spanish deck of cards (40 card) and wondered what I could play. This is great fun. It's opened a whole new avenue of card games.
Learned Scopa and Briscola in High School 30yrs ago. My Italian friends taught it to me. Excited to get back into it. Got my Italian Deck off of Amazon. If my memory serves me right, there was Scopa & Briscola. But a 3rd game we'd use for Gambling amoungst friends? Any idea what that 3rd game might be?
Excellent, glad to hear we got you back into the game. 7 1/2 is the holiday betting game we played, it's very similar to Blackjack. We'd also bet on the horse racing card game. Both of which are right here on the channel. Good luck!
Very interesting, and yes there are many ways to play. The way I learned has a couple of differences: 1. After a card is played from the hand, the top card of the stock is turned over as a "second turn" for the player. It can be used to take cards from the table, or left on the table if no cards can be taken, the same as when playing a card from the hand. Both players do this; when both players' cards in hand are depleted, then three more cards are dealt to each. 2. Primiera is simplified: All of the face cards (cards higher than 7) in the hand are ignored. The remaining cards, 1-7, have their face value, then the highest card of each suit is chosen. The points are added and the player with the highest number of points wins the primiera point. Having all 7s is an automatic primiera win since 7 is the highest card available. Having a tie score eliminates the primiera point.
@@Play-In-Games I learned Scopa when I visited my pen pal in Italy way back in 1982. At that time he lived in Piombino (Livorno/Tuscany). I don't know if this style is from that area, or that was just his family's way of playing. I'd also learned Briscola at that time, but had forgotten how to play until I watched your video. Also, I never knew about Tresette until I saw your video, but that game looks the most interesting to me and I hope I find others to play it with (a little difficult since I now live in Taiwan).
Oh nice. I hope you can find someone to play Italian cards with. Perhaps there is an authentic Italian restaurant, they’re always willing to play a round of Briscola before opening. 🤷♂️Thanks for sharing the info!
So what a strange order of events. My wife wanted to watch the Hallmark movie Always Amore because she is an old movie fan and Patty McCormick plays the mother. ("Give me those shoes"). In the movie there is a scene where she plays Scopa. Never heard of Scopa. Searched on Amazon and ordered a deck. Played last night and enjoyed it. Was looking for a video this morning to watch to make sure we followed the rules. We played wrong when for example a 8 is played and there is an 8 on the table but I picked up a 5,2,1. Great video. Love the way you explain. And then I was like "wait...what?" My wife and I love watching Clara. She is so cute. Pasta and Peas. Yummy! Thanks again.
That’s very interesting I’ll have to check out the film. I’m glad the video was helpful for learning Scopa. I played countless games of Scopa with my Nana and it really is one of the most enduring Italian card games. Thanks for watching!
Thank you for the good explanation of this fun game! I do have one question concerning the last hands: - if one player can pick up at least one card, s(he) gets all of them. - if not: what happens then? Will the cards be disregarded? I feel like the second player always gets the last cards, but that feels wrong...
Thanks! Yes it is in face the last player to pick up any amount of cards. As you play more you'll notice that positioning does matter quite as much as luck and holding back the right cards. Keep playing!
Chris this awesome! I just thought I'd see if i could find a video to play Scopa because I got a Triestine deck and we used to play this at your Nanas. Can't wait to check out the rest of the videos. Thanks for putting these together! Hope the Fam is well ❤
Tommy! You can count yourself as one of the lucky ones to have played this with Nana. I miss those days in her kitchen. I’d did my best to preserve this and her other games. I look forward to seeing you soon and I’ll have my cards with me 🃏. Say hi to the whole fam for me!
🔥🔥🔥This video is a fabulous tool to go back to when learning this game! As a beginner I have had to go back to this video for reference. I would love for you to please do a quick video if possible regarding: How to count the Primeiras! Also I clicked onto the link you have down below and I don't see this version of Italian cards. Thank you and hope to see another game play with your son without showing us your cards. Maybe a live video where we can hear the Italian banter that goes on between the two of you during a real game! 🤣🤣 Happy Sunday!
@@Play-In-Games I have played Scopa numerous times but I am introducing the game to new players and your video was just excellent, very comprehensive and comedic but in a laid-back style. Would you have any advice for 4 player games, I have never actually played with 3 others and don't understand fully the dynamics.
@junker154 Great question. Scopa, Briscola and Tressette all have very popular 4 player version. For 4 player Scopa you can just follow the same rules if you plan on playing "every player for themselves." If you want to play in 2 teams of 2, the rules will change. There is a version of Scopa called Scopone, perhaps I'll do a video on team play for these game... if I can get around to it! Thanks for watching!
Bought my deck to play Scopa at a small shop in a village near Benevento Italy. The deck was literally locked away in a cabinet. Only cost 5 Euro. Locked up? As a visiting American I thought that was hilarious.
I’ve been playing scopa since I was 8. Love it but I forgot how to properly play with 4 or 6 people can you explain the rules ? For 2 people I understand fully
Thanks for watching! You can use these same rules to play individually with 2, 4, or six people. If you play with odd numbers of players, most people remove a low card to accommodate the deal. If you want to play in teams of two the same rule apply, however you can use strategy to set up your partner, as you will combine your won cards at the end of each round. There are many other variations of team play however. Scopone being the most common team variation. In that version, two teams of two are dealt nine cards instead of three (4 face up cards go in the middle on the open, like standard Scopa) and you play one long hand until everyone’s hand is depleted. There is a lot more strategy involved in Scopone and it’s quite fun. Another variation is Scientifico in which the four players get ten cards at the start, with no open face cards in the pot to start. Since Scopa has so many regional variations, the best way to learn new rules is to find Italians and ask them to show you how they like to play. Thanks again for watching!
@@Play-In-Games I understand perfectly thanks so much! I think I am gonna try to play Scopone sientifica with my friend sounds much more fun. Can you explain a little bit more into detail the one of odd number players ? Which card shall I remove and how shall they be seated and all that . What I understand from scopone is that you play in partners and seating facing each other. But I can’t find on the web how to play with 5 or 6 people … and I don’t have many Italian friends haha
@@LacayoDe I believe the best card to remove is a non-diamond/soldi "2." That way it won't effect the overall points too much. Yes in Scopone the team members sit opposite one another. I've not played with more than 4 players, but just experiment with it and see what seems to work best. I suspect the game will play faster since the deck will deplete very quickly.
@@Play-In-Games I’ve also read about using 2 decks . The scopone scientifico (basically start with no cards 🃏 in the table) sound very cool since it could have way way more Scopas at the beginning , and it’s all about remembering which cards where already played .
Great video I love to see all the cards. I am from Argentina and we played a little bit differently, for us it's " escoba de 15", So basically we add to get 15, we don't pair, but all the reat is the same, and calculate at the en just like you did. Interesting right?? Thanknyou so mu, I love the way you talk, so calm, my son is like that, and your son so cute, how nice playing together both of you!! I watched all your grandma's videos ❤
I would like to see a list with the names of the cards with their pictures and value. I recognize the type of deck it is based on the Tarot decks I have seen which are 78 cards. Your SCOPA deck is only 40 cards. The king is 10 points Is there a Queen/10 points The horses/pages/jacks in the tarot deck/8 points Then I can see the clubs/wands Coins/diamonds Swords/spades Cups/hearts Where can I buy this deck? I am assuming all my questions will be answered in the instructions. Thanks, great video.
Thanks for your comment! Last question, first, Amazon of course is a place you can buy if you're in the US. If you make it to Italy, they sell them in every “Tabacchi” or Tobacco shop. Look out for a hanging sign with the letter "T." Is this deck based on the Tarot deck? Actually it's the other way around. The Tarot deck was an expanded version of the 40 card Italian playing deck. More on this in my video on the history of face cards, check it out! The card and point values change from game to game, but in almost every game the "face" cards go, low to high, Fante (what we call a Jack. They can be depicted as either male or female), Cavallo (horse, valued like a Queen) and Re (King). Thanks so much for watching!
Thank you for this video. It brought me some great memories of playing scopa with my grandmother and how she would scream of joy when she got the 7 Bello. Is there a variation called scopa 15, where you add one card of your hand and as many cards from the table to add to 15? Also, my Dad had this deck of Sicilian cards and I don't know what happened to it. Thank you for the link, I will definitely buy some decks and gift to my cousins, sister and son.
Thanks for the awesome video! I totally got a Siciliane Modiano deck and have used your videos to start to learn how to play, and I love this game. I have a question, though. At the end of the hand, let's use your hand at 33:12. What would happen if Benjamin didn't have a card to play and he had to play a card to the pot? Would those cards in the pot be left out of scoring? Also, when we played, the other player played their last card and captured a trick, and then it was my turn. I couldn't capture anything, so would I just play my card to the pot and not count towards scoring, or will it just go to the other player? Thanks again for teaching a great game and keeping the traditions alive, and yes I do play with your grandmother's teaching of the Ace of Denari counting as a point and no scopa on the last hand, hahaha!
Thanks for the nice comment. Good question too. The remaining cards in the pot got to the last player to pick up a trick. They get everything that’s left.
FYI i'm from sicilian descent and i have never heard of the ace being a point. But more importantly, the last sweep CAN DEFINITELY be a scopa. I have vivid memories of older people enjoying themselves so much by saying something (as from your last move) like "sette bello e SCOPAAAAAAAA" because it was the very last move and they got two points out of it.
While the ace as a point is considered a variation and not official, it was how my Nana played so it’s probably the correct way 😂. As for a scopa on the very last hand, non si fa così! But play how you like, the most important thing is to keep the game alive. Thanks for watching!
What if, towards the end, I am dealing but there's not an even number of cards left for 4 players? Example: I have 3 cards left in the deck to distribute, but there are 4 of us. Does 1 person simply not get a card? Or are the 3 remaining cards discarded?
Thanks, that's a great question. If you are playing with 2, 3, or 4 players, you will always have enough cards to distribute 3 cards to each player on every round. Remember the deck has 40 cards and on the first hand you place 4 cards face up in the middle, leaving 36 cards in the deck. 36 is divisible by 3 (as well as 2 and 4). With a 2 player game, that will give you 6 rounds (of 3 cards per player/round), a 3 player game will give you 4 rounds and a 4 player game will give you 3 rounds. If you happen to play with 5 players, you'll run into an issue as 36 is not divisible by 5. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
Hi Benjamin - could you ask your Dad a question, or perhaps you can answer it. It's regarding the end of the round - ex - there are no cards left to deal out, a few cards are in left the middle, each of the 4 players has an assortment of cards. Does the person who plays to the end collect all the cards in the middle or any cards left in the other players hands. The video is really well done and we picked thing up pretty quickly. but we're struggling with the end of the game (perhaps too much grappa), thanks for the help
I haven't made a video for those yet, but hope make one in the future. I've left you a link in the description for a site that describes several of the variations. Thanks for watching!
on the last round - how do you deal the last of the cards if they are an odd number? for example, there’s still cards face up on the table, my partner and i go through the 3 cards we each have, and when i go to deal out again, there are only 5 cards left to deal
I recently bought a Italian/Spanish style deck of 40 cards and although they have all the same suits (cups, clubs, swords, coins) my deck also has numbers printed on them. They go 1-7 skip 8 and 9 and the face cards are labeled 10,11,12. When playin Scopa should I ignore those values and count them 1-10 as you did in the video or would the game work with the printed face values up to 12 minus the 8 and 9
That’s interesting. Yes you are correct to ignore the numbers for the Italian games and count them 1-10. I wonder if the numbers are used for Spanish games? Let me know if you find out why they go up to 12. Thanks for watching!
It's on the Triestine pack. In the Dal Negro app, they count them as 8, 9 and 10 - but are numbered 11,12,13 - can get confusing if you dont pay attention!
I played this game with my Tato when I was a kid. I thing I do not recall so I hope you can help me. What happens after a scopa? Do you deal more middle cards? Or does the next player place a card in the middle with play continuing as normal?
Great question. The next player must add a card to the middle. Other than the first 4 cards dealt to the middle, the dealer does not deal any more cards to the middle. Hope that helps!
I'd like to purchase a Spanish style Italian deck like yours. The ones I can find online are by Modiano and are nice looking but seem small at 3.5"x2". Is that what you're using?
I believe there size is the normal size Italian decks are printed at. I got a Spanish suited deck from modiano and the cards seem to be of a good quality.
My question is how do they get the value of each card for Primiera Points... that never made sense to me... I always played whoever got all the 7s got the point
I need clarification from n what to do during the end of a round. Let’s say we’re playing with two players and we each have three cards. Let’s also assume there are only two cards remaining face up in the middle, and there are no more cards to draw from to replenish the middle cards. Let’s say there is a 3 and a 2 in the middle, and I put down a 5, collecting the 3 and the 2 in the process. What happens in the game now. Do I, or the person that ended up getting the last scopa, collect all of the players cards, or does the next player simply put down any of their cards in the middle and play continues. I welcome feedback from the group on how you end a round in this situation.
Not sure I completely understand but I can try to help. Firstly you should never replenish the middle card from the draw deck. Four cards are placed there at the beginning of a round but never replenished until the next rounds dealers deal. In terms of who picks up the last cards, it is always the last player to make a valid pick up. It doesn’t matter if it was a scopa or a smaller pick up, play continues until all players have played out their final card and then whoever made the most recent/last pick up gets any cards remaining in the middle. Hope that this helps!
Great video. I used to play with my Nonni growing up and want to revive it in my family. A few questions, if I have a scopa but me and my opponent still have say 1 remaining card each. Do I just put 4 more cards on the board and play with our remaining 1 card each? If so, after that one card is gone then I would deal out three new cards a piece, correct? My second question, if I have a scopa on the last hand but say there a 4 remaining cards left in the deck. Do those cards get disregarded or does someone win those cards and have them go towards their points? Grazie!
Sure happy to help clear it up. If there is a scopa the pot is cleared and the next player will have to lay one of their cards down rather than be able to pick up. The only time cards are added from the deck to the pot is at the very top of a round. You re-up players with 3 cards after everyone has played out the 3 cards from that hand. There shouldn't ever be just 4 cares left in the deck, the math doesn't work out. Make sure to only deal 3 cards to each player and only after all players have played their cards, that should fix any odd number of cards left in the deck. I hope this helps and I'm so happy to hear that you're keeping your tradition alive!
True, but it's very likely you'll have one at least one in every suit. From that point you'll have to pull out the highest valued Primera point card in each suit. Follow the chart for the values. Then you add those four cards up and compare them with the other players. Who ever has the highest Premiera score wins the one Premiera point for that round.
maybe i missed it but what happens after you get a scopa? the next player is forced to place a card in the center without taking any? you never fill the middle from the deck after the set up right?
Ciao, I have another question. Say you just finished the last hand of a round of scopa. Your opponent put out his last card and did not score. You put your last card out and didn't score and now the deck is empty. Neither player scored the last had but there are say 4 cards left on the board. Does anyone claim those? Or are those just put to the side and not counted when adding up your points? Grazie!
You must play one and only one card from your hand on your turn. If you can't pick up a card, then you have to put one of your cards face up in the middle pot.
Hmm the math should work out: 40 card deck. 4 cards in the middle to start (this only happens once) and deal 3 to you and the other 3 players. That’s 4+12= 16. Leaving 24 cards. Means you get 2 more rounds of 3 new cards dealt (12 cards distributed between all 4 players each time). After the final deal you should be out of cards. If there aren’t enough cards count the deck maybe someone is hiding 7s up their sleeve!
ok, here's another question- whats the ettiquet for putting down your card to pick up something from the middle? do you just pick up without showing your card trustingly? do you just flash your card to the other players as proof? or is there somewhere specific that you place your card face up, then pick up the matching cards from the pot? I know this seems trivial but i don't want to get into bad habitts?
Hello! halfway through this video, so forgive me if you're about to explain, but at the end of the round, what if you don't have enough cards in the deck to deal 3 each?
As long as you play 2-4 players you will have enough cards for each player until the last hand. After the deck is depleted, you play out the remaining cards. The last player to make a successful pick up, also collect the cards (if any) that remain in the pot. Hope that helps!
@@Play-In-Games thanks! I was going to delete this comment as I figured it out this morning! 3 cards in each hand, 10 on the table so 30 left in the deck!
@@BenCrowden91 exactly right, and well put. In a two player game you have 30 left in the deck. In a 3 player game you would have 27 left in the deck and 4 players gives you 24 cards in the deck. All of those are divisible by three giving a perfect deck count for all scenarios.
How did you end up dealing out 3 cards each for the last round? each deal uses up 6 cards so after the 6th deal, shouldnt you have just 4 cards left for the last deal, also if you play with 3 players, again don't you end up with 4 cards left? and how do you split them between 3 players? do you just discard the last 1?
Great questions. On the first deal, you give out 3 cards to each player (6 cards for a 2 player game) and deal 4 face up in the middle (10 cards total have been dealt). That means there are now 30 cards left in the deck. At the end of each had, 3 more cards are given to each player (6 cards again for a 2 player game). Note: don't add more to the middle, that only happens on the first hand. So from the 30 cards you will get a total of 5 hands after the initial deal. Does that make sense? Now when playing with an odd number of players, such as 3, you will first deal out 3 cards to each player (9 cards) and 4 in the middle, dealing out a total of 13 cards. That leaves 27 cards in the deck. 9 goes into 27 three times, which means you'll be able to deal out 3 hands after the initial hand. Again it's 3 cards to each player after the hands are depleted. 3 players, 3 cards, 9 cards total for each hand. 9x3=27. It's pretty magical math the inventors of Scopa came up with. Thanks for watching!
I didn’t get a chance to make it, since it’s a 4 player game and tricky, but scientific scopa is fun. Perhaps I’ll get around to it if there’s enough interest. Thanks for watching and the comments!
Is this a specifically Sicilian version? I have a pack and the 3 "face' cards have "12" "11" and "10" marked at the corners- do these score differently to your "10" "9" and "8"? if i were to score it your way those numbders become treally confusing
Great question. The rules I know allow for the full round to be played and if more than one player has scored over 11 points, the player with the highest score is the winner. If it’s a tie, more rounds are played until there is a winner.
You contradict yourself. In second 119 of your short tutorial you correctly say that if have a card of the same value as one card on the table you must take that one card, but in this one you suggest that a player can take a combination instead. I think you're wrong in this video and correct in the short one. Some players are good enough to remember the play. If this is a variation make that clear and it should also be made clear to an opponent, especially since this can result in a scopa. Not accurate on the primera either, since it requires the highest card you have in each suit.
Thanks for your comment and yes that rule can be tricky so let me clear up any confusion. No player is required to match a card from their hand if they have another card they can and want to play instead. The rule I believe you’re thinking of is that if in the middle (not in your hand) there are a few ways to match a card in your hand, for example you have a five and there is both a five card in the middle and a combo of a two and three, they player must take the five card not the two and three. Matching the face value cards first. If on your next play you have another five and the two and three are still on the table then you can pick up those of you wish. This rule is not to be conflated with forcing a player to take that five if they didn’t want to. For example if the player also had a seven, they mostly likely would have used it to pick up the five and two rather than taking a five with a five. Does that help you understand it better now? As for Primiera point, I do clearly describe the two styles of play. The proper way is a bit tricky so if you want to play using that rule I would suggest watching it a few times. Thanks for watching and enjoy playing Scopa!
Ms Meeple in Italian th-cam.com/video/ZSXNItw3VSI/w-d-xo.html Look at the end of the second minute. If you go to the 7th minute in her video I think she gets to a variant that's played the way you play, but if you're playing a variant you need to make that clear to your opponents. But it doesn't look like she's active anymore to answer my question about that. I think what you're saying is you can't play a number that matches one on the table to take other cards on the table, but you can play a different card to take multiple cards even if you have a card that matches one on the table. Maybe that's true. I have a local expert I can check with next week. As far as the primiera I know that proper way. but the some of the people I play with who refuse to use it are the same people who follow your advice that you can take multiple cards when you have an exact match for one... so ...
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Absolute best Scopa play through video. The visual setup around the play zone is perfect with little extra plant/coffee/book and the red table mat, which bring a relaxing visual that makes you want to play right away. The explanation white text overlays is just neat and clear. The rules are so clear the way you gave them. Most of it, the interaction you have with Bejamin is so funny he look the kind of kid that is really into the game and enjoys to play(and win) with the family. I've received a Scopa card game and I couldn't understand the game with other play through until I got your. Thumbs up !
Hey thanks, I really appreciate it! It's such a classic game, my hope was to give it the explainer it deserves. Keep playing!
Terrific. Used to play this with my Nonna & Zio during my summer holidays in Italy. I lived in England. Back in the 1970s all the oldies used to play in the shade with a nice glass of red. Very nostalgic for me. Anyway, like many on here I forgot how to play. Now l’m back in the game! 😜
Ps in northern Italy (Milano) we used to call the 7 of diamonds “sette bello” not “bello sette”.
This is one of the best card game explanation videos I’ve ever seen.
It makes me so happy to see that you have preserved all of these games in the US!
Thank you so much!
too right! so good @@Play-In-Games
THANK YOU! I accidentally bought a deck of Italian cards and had no idea how to play them. After your video Scopa is my new favourite game!!
My pleasure, thanks for checking it out! I just added a video all about the Italian playing cards, hope it helps add more value to your new purchase.
By FAR the best Scopa play through I've seen. Thank you!
Thanks so much and I'm glad you enjoyed it!
I played this 25 years ago, and loved it. Starting back up and forgot the rules of play and scoring. EXCELLENT play through video. Thank you so much. Also, Benjamin is adorable and you're a great dad.
Thank you!
I haven't played Scopa for at least 20 years, and this video was an excellent refresher course. I can now teach my kids this great game.
And a big thank you for an explanation of the "simplified" primeira rule. I couldn't remember whether it was all the sevens or most of them. And also for pointing out that you can't do a scopa in the last round 👏👏👏👏
I’m glad it helped and happy to hear that you’re passing it on to the next generation!
We were cleaning out my nonna and nonno’s house and I took the deck of Italian cards we used to play with. I used this video as a refresher for how to play. Thank you for the thorough video. Trying to remember on my own was just not possible
Happy to hear it, you’re back in business now!
@@Play-In-Games we used to play with the 1 of coins being an extra point as well! Watching your videos brought back memories from almost 20 years ago just relearning how to play the game. Thank you again
How Fun! I love finding games I can play with my grandchildren.
Glad to hear it, let’s keep passing these games on. Thanks for watching!
Found my cards after about 35 years. Thanks so much, both of you, for this explanation. Makes a difference when you can see the cards...LOL Fantastic!
They don’t make ‘em like that anymore, enjoy!
Aww God bless your Nona. I learned this game from my Italian grandparents when I was a child but had forgotten the rules. Thank you for the refresher course!
Glad to hear it, keep playing!
I am totally editing this comment after watching more of the video. This is very similar to a game I played as a kid but with some major differences.
It's great seeing a child that can play well. 👏
Great video! Im always looking for new fun card games to play and this channel opened up alot more options
Thank you! I hope to cover more games that aren’t as widely known in the US.
Awesome channel, I’ve had a scopa deck for many years collecting dust and even though I played in Italy many years ago, I forgot, and I struggled to teach my kids the game because it’s rather complicated. Your videos are fantastic!!
Thanks so much! Keep playing and teaching it!
Nice to see you in a different context :) What a fun game!
Thank you and thanks for watching!
So, I was in Spain and picked up a Spanish deck of cards (40 card) and wondered what I could play. This is great fun. It's opened a whole new avenue of card games.
You’ve come to the right place! Enjoy the new cards and all the historical games you can now play. Thanks for watching!
Learned Scopa and Briscola in High School 30yrs ago. My Italian friends taught it to me. Excited to get back into it. Got my Italian Deck off of Amazon.
If my memory serves me right, there was Scopa & Briscola. But a 3rd game we'd use for Gambling amoungst friends?
Any idea what that 3rd game might be?
Excellent, glad to hear we got you back into the game. 7 1/2 is the holiday betting game we played, it's very similar to Blackjack. We'd also bet on the horse racing card game. Both of which are right here on the channel. Good luck!
That was delightful thank you. I grew up playing Cassino, when I was about Benjamin's age. It"s a very similar game, though the details are different.
Thank you! Yes Cassino is a great game too, and a very close cousin to Scopa, perhaps I’ll get around to covering it too.
Very interesting, and yes there are many ways to play. The way I learned has a couple of differences:
1. After a card is played from the hand, the top card of the stock is turned over as a "second turn" for the player. It can be used to take cards from the table, or left on the table if no cards can be taken, the same as when playing a card from the hand. Both players do this; when both players' cards in hand are depleted, then three more cards are dealt to each.
2. Primiera is simplified: All of the face cards (cards higher than 7) in the hand are ignored. The remaining cards, 1-7, have their face value, then the highest card of each suit is chosen. The points are added and the player with the highest number of points wins the primiera point. Having all 7s is an automatic primiera win since 7 is the highest card available. Having a tie score eliminates the primiera point.
Wow, those are some new ones for me. I’ll give them a try next time I play. Would you happen to know what region they come from? Thanks!
@@Play-In-Games I learned Scopa when I visited my pen pal in Italy way back in 1982. At that time he lived in Piombino (Livorno/Tuscany). I don't know if this style is from that area, or that was just his family's way of playing. I'd also learned Briscola at that time, but had forgotten how to play until I watched your video. Also, I never knew about Tresette until I saw your video, but that game looks the most interesting to me and I hope I find others to play it with (a little difficult since I now live in Taiwan).
Oh nice. I hope you can find someone to play Italian cards with. Perhaps there is an authentic Italian restaurant, they’re always willing to play a round of Briscola before opening. 🤷♂️Thanks for sharing the info!
Awesome video Chris
This video was so helpful for me to refresh my memory, thank you so much!
You’re very welcome!
So what a strange order of events. My wife wanted to watch the Hallmark movie Always Amore because she is an old movie fan and Patty McCormick plays the mother. ("Give me those shoes"). In the movie there is a scene where she plays Scopa. Never heard of Scopa. Searched on Amazon and ordered a deck. Played last night and enjoyed it. Was looking for a video this morning to watch to make sure we followed the rules. We played wrong when for example a 8 is played and there is an 8 on the table but I picked up a 5,2,1. Great video. Love the way you explain. And then I was like "wait...what?" My wife and I love watching Clara. She is so cute. Pasta and Peas. Yummy! Thanks again.
That’s very interesting I’ll have to check out the film. I’m glad the video was helpful for learning Scopa. I played countless games of Scopa with my Nana and it really is one of the most enduring Italian card games. Thanks for watching!
❤ Thank you Christopher and Benjamin 😊
Thank you for the good explanation of this fun game!
I do have one question concerning the last hands:
- if one player can pick up at least one card, s(he) gets all of them.
- if not: what happens then? Will the cards be disregarded?
I feel like the second player always gets the last cards, but that feels wrong...
Thanks! Yes it is in face the last player to pick up any amount of cards. As you play more you'll notice that positioning does matter quite as much as luck and holding back the right cards. Keep playing!
Ok thanks. So this means that
1. the last player always picks up all cards, no matter if he matches or not;
2. no cards are disregarded.
True?
Chris this awesome! I just thought I'd see if i could find a video to play Scopa because I got a Triestine deck and we used to play this at your Nanas. Can't wait to check out the rest of the videos. Thanks for putting these together! Hope the Fam is well ❤
Tommy! You can count yourself as one of the lucky ones to have played this with Nana. I miss those days in her kitchen. I’d did my best to preserve this and her other games. I look forward to seeing you soon and I’ll have my cards with me 🃏. Say hi to the whole fam for me!
🔥🔥🔥This video is a fabulous tool to go back to when learning this game! As a beginner I have had to go back to this video for reference. I would love for you to please do a quick video if possible regarding: How to count the Primeiras! Also I clicked onto the link you have down below and I don't see this version of Italian cards. Thank you and hope to see another game play with your son without showing us your cards. Maybe a live video where we can hear the Italian banter that goes on between the two of you during a real game! 🤣🤣 Happy Sunday!
Thanks, yes a break out video for Primiera would probably be helpful for us all! Thanks for watching!
Amazing video, loved the reference to the "unclean" scopa use. Had a good laugh.
Thanks so much for watching. Yes, there is indeed a torrid side to this otherwise family friendly game... you just never know!
@@Play-In-Games I have played Scopa numerous times but I am introducing the game to new players and your video was just excellent, very comprehensive and comedic but in a laid-back style. Would you have any advice for 4 player games, I have never actually played with 3 others and don't understand fully the dynamics.
@junker154 Great question. Scopa, Briscola and Tressette all have very popular 4 player version. For 4 player Scopa you can just follow the same rules if you plan on playing "every player for themselves." If you want to play in 2 teams of 2, the rules will change. There is a version of Scopa called Scopone, perhaps I'll do a video on team play for these game... if I can get around to it! Thanks for watching!
Bravo! Buon video! I finally understand Primiera. 🤣
Excellet! I know, it's a tricky concept and most people just give up on it. I hope this helps keep the proper rule alive. Thanks for watching!
Bought my deck to play Scopa at a small shop in a village near Benevento Italy. The deck was literally locked away in a cabinet. Only cost 5 Euro. Locked up? As a visiting American I thought that was hilarious.
Lovely demonstration thanks very much 😁
Thank you!
I’ve been playing scopa since I was 8. Love it but I forgot how to properly play with 4 or 6 people can you explain the rules ?
For 2 people I understand fully
Thanks for watching! You can use these same rules to play individually with 2, 4, or six people. If you play with odd numbers of players, most people remove a low card to accommodate the deal. If you want to play in teams of two the same rule apply, however you can use strategy to set up your partner, as you will combine your won cards at the end of each round. There are many other variations of team play however. Scopone being the most common team variation. In that version, two teams of two are dealt nine cards instead of three (4 face up cards go in the middle on the open, like standard Scopa) and you play one long hand until everyone’s hand is depleted. There is a lot more strategy involved in Scopone and it’s quite fun. Another variation is Scientifico in which the four players get ten cards at the start, with no open face cards in the pot to start. Since Scopa has so many regional variations, the best way to learn new rules is to find Italians and ask them to show you how they like to play. Thanks again for watching!
@@Play-In-Games I understand perfectly thanks so much! I think I am gonna try to play Scopone sientifica with my friend sounds much more fun. Can you explain a little bit more into detail the one of odd number players ? Which card shall I remove and how shall they be seated and all that . What I understand from scopone is that you play in partners and seating facing each other. But I can’t find on the web how to play with 5 or 6 people … and I don’t have many Italian friends haha
@@LacayoDe I believe the best card to remove is a non-diamond/soldi "2." That way it won't effect the overall points too much. Yes in Scopone the team members sit opposite one another. I've not played with more than 4 players, but just experiment with it and see what seems to work best. I suspect the game will play faster since the deck will deplete very quickly.
@@Play-In-Games I’ve also read about using 2 decks .
The scopone scientifico (basically start with no cards 🃏 in the table) sound very cool since it could have way way more Scopas at the beginning , and it’s all about remembering which cards where already played .
Those cards are gorgeous
Great video I love to see all the cards. I am from Argentina and we played a little bit differently, for us it's " escoba de 15", So basically we add to get 15, we don't pair, but all the reat is the same, and calculate at the en just like you did. Interesting right?? Thanknyou so mu, I love the way you talk, so calm, my son is like that, and your son so cute, how nice playing together both of you!! I watched all your grandma's videos ❤
Thank you so much! Keep playing!
Thank you very very much
I would like to see a list with the names of the cards with their pictures and value.
I recognize the type of deck it is based on the Tarot decks I have seen which are 78 cards. Your SCOPA deck is only 40 cards.
The king is 10 points
Is there a Queen/10 points
The horses/pages/jacks in the tarot deck/8 points
Then I can see the
clubs/wands
Coins/diamonds
Swords/spades
Cups/hearts
Where can I buy this deck?
I am assuming all my questions will be answered in the instructions.
Thanks, great video.
Thanks for your comment! Last question, first, Amazon of course is a place you can buy if you're in the US. If you make it to Italy, they sell them in every “Tabacchi” or Tobacco shop. Look out for a hanging sign with the letter "T." Is this deck based on the Tarot deck? Actually it's the other way around. The Tarot deck was an expanded version of the 40 card Italian playing deck. More on this in my video on the history of face cards, check it out! The card and point values change from game to game, but in almost every game the "face" cards go, low to high, Fante (what we call a Jack. They can be depicted as either male or female), Cavallo (horse, valued like a Queen) and Re (King). Thanks so much for watching!
would love to see a 3 player cut throat game and a 4 player team game playthrough
I like how Benjamin is not pretending not to see the cards in this demo 😂
Thank you for this video. It brought me some great memories of playing scopa with my grandmother and how she would scream of joy when she got the 7 Bello. Is there a variation called scopa 15, where you add one card of your hand and as many cards from the table to add to 15? Also, my Dad had this deck of Sicilian cards and I don't know what happened to it. Thank you for the link, I will definitely buy some decks and gift to my cousins, sister and son.
Thank you I’m glad you liked it. Nothing beats playing this with family. Make sure to pass it on!
Scopa with my fanmade deck
Suits:stars(yellow),hearts(red),diamonds(cyan) and clovers(purple)
Ranks:A234567F
Cards:32(Latin or fanmade suits)
Sicilane is def my fav and i think its napolitane or briscola ( its very similar)is a close second
The rest of the patterns just look weird
Why not taking the equals ones first? isn't it a Rule?
Thanks for the awesome video! I totally got a Siciliane Modiano deck and have used your videos to start to learn how to play, and I love this game. I have a question, though. At the end of the hand, let's use your hand at 33:12. What would happen if Benjamin didn't have a card to play and he had to play a card to the pot? Would those cards in the pot be left out of scoring? Also, when we played, the other player played their last card and captured a trick, and then it was my turn. I couldn't capture anything, so would I just play my card to the pot and not count towards scoring, or will it just go to the other player? Thanks again for teaching a great game and keeping the traditions alive, and yes I do play with your grandmother's teaching of the Ace of Denari counting as a point and no scopa on the last hand, hahaha!
Thanks for the nice comment. Good question too. The remaining cards in the pot got to the last player to pick up a trick. They get everything that’s left.
@Play-In-Games , I appreciate it. Thank you! The first game played I ended up with 13 points, and my friend got 3 points. We both absolutely loved it.
FYI i'm from sicilian descent and i have never heard of the ace being a point. But more importantly, the last sweep CAN DEFINITELY be a scopa. I have vivid memories of older people enjoying themselves so much by saying something (as from your last move) like "sette bello e SCOPAAAAAAAA" because it was the very last move and they got two points out of it.
While the ace as a point is considered a variation and not official, it was how my Nana played so it’s probably the correct way 😂. As for a scopa on the very last hand, non si fa così! But play how you like, the most important thing is to keep the game alive. Thanks for watching!
What if, towards the end, I am dealing but there's not an even number of cards left for 4 players? Example: I have 3 cards left in the deck to distribute, but there are 4 of us. Does 1 person simply not get a card? Or are the 3 remaining cards discarded?
Thanks, that's a great question. If you are playing with 2, 3, or 4 players, you will always have enough cards to distribute 3 cards to each player on every round. Remember the deck has 40 cards and on the first hand you place 4 cards face up in the middle, leaving 36 cards in the deck. 36 is divisible by 3 (as well as 2 and 4). With a 2 player game, that will give you 6 rounds (of 3 cards per player/round), a 3 player game will give you 4 rounds and a 4 player game will give you 3 rounds. If you happen to play with 5 players, you'll run into an issue as 36 is not divisible by 5. Hope that helps and thanks for watching!
I agree i got like 4 scopas in a row before ( it gets out of hand for real)
Is there any way to play poker or Gin Rummy using Italian deck of cards? 👉👈
There must be!
Hi Benjamin - could you ask your Dad a question, or perhaps you can answer it. It's regarding the end of the round - ex - there are no cards left to deal out, a few cards are in left the middle, each of the 4 players has an assortment of cards. Does the person who plays to the end collect all the cards in the middle or any cards left in the other players hands. The video is really well done and we picked thing up pretty quickly. but we're struggling with the end of the game (perhaps too much grappa), thanks for the help
So the final cards in the middle pot are given to the last player to make a pick up before the ending of the round.
Can you link the video to scopa variations because it won’t pop up for me.
I haven't made a video for those yet, but hope make one in the future. I've left you a link in the description for a site that describes several of the variations. Thanks for watching!
on the last round - how do you deal the last of the cards if they are an odd number? for example, there’s still cards face up on the table, my partner and i go through the 3 cards we each have, and when i go to deal out again, there are only 5 cards left to deal
I recently bought a Italian/Spanish style deck of 40 cards and although they have all the same suits (cups, clubs, swords, coins) my deck also has numbers printed on them. They go 1-7 skip 8 and 9 and the face cards are labeled 10,11,12. When playin Scopa should I ignore those values and count them 1-10 as you did in the video or would the game work with the printed face values up to 12 minus the 8 and 9
That’s interesting. Yes you are correct to ignore the numbers for the Italian games and count them 1-10. I wonder if the numbers are used for Spanish games? Let me know if you find out why they go up to 12. Thanks for watching!
@@Play-In-Games there is a popular and traditional card game in argentinia and brasil called “truco”, they use numbers up to 12
It's on the Triestine pack.
In the Dal Negro app, they count them as 8, 9 and 10 - but are numbered 11,12,13 - can get confusing if you dont pay attention!
When playing with 4, do you prefer Scopone over Scopa?
Always Scopone when you have a trusted partner. Never Scopone if they’re a dud, lol.
I played this game with my Tato when I was a kid. I thing I do not recall so I hope you can help me. What happens after a scopa? Do you deal more middle cards? Or does the next player place a card in the middle with play continuing as normal?
Great question. The next player must add a card to the middle. Other than the first 4 cards dealt to the middle, the dealer does not deal any more cards to the middle. Hope that helps!
I'd like to purchase a Spanish style Italian deck like yours. The ones I can find online are by Modiano and are nice looking but seem small at 3.5"x2". Is that what you're using?
I believe there size is the normal size Italian decks are printed at. I got a Spanish suited deck from modiano and the cards seem to be of a good quality.
@@obscuredictionary3263 Thanks! I picked up the Sicilian deck. Smallish but lots of fun for the family.
My question is how do they get the value of each card for Primiera Points... that never made sense to me... I always played whoever got all the 7s got the point
We are loving the game, but a question came up. On the last play who gets the cards on the table if there is any left in the middle?
Great question. The last player to make a pick up gets the remaining rounds face up cards. Hope that helps. Keep playing!
Ace of dinerie is a point in my family too( siciano)
I need clarification from n what to do during the end of a round. Let’s say we’re playing with two players and we each have three cards. Let’s also assume there are only two cards remaining face up in the middle, and there are no more cards to draw from to replenish the middle cards. Let’s say there is a 3 and a 2 in the middle, and I put down a 5, collecting the 3 and the 2 in the process. What happens in the game now. Do I, or the person that ended up getting the last scopa, collect all of the players cards, or does the next player simply put down any of their cards in the middle and play continues. I welcome feedback from the group on how you end a round in this situation.
Not sure I completely understand but I can try to help. Firstly you should never replenish the middle card from the draw deck. Four cards are placed there at the beginning of a round but never replenished until the next rounds dealers deal. In terms of who picks up the last cards, it is always the last player to make a valid pick up. It doesn’t matter if it was a scopa or a smaller pick up, play continues until all players have played out their final card and then whoever made the most recent/last pick up gets any cards remaining in the middle. Hope that this helps!
Good thing that Italians (kind of) use Hispanic Playing Cards (by suits).
Absolutely, the Spanish suited decks are very popular in Italy!
Great video. I used to play with my Nonni growing up and want to revive it in my family. A few questions, if I have a scopa but me and my opponent still have say 1 remaining card each. Do I just put 4 more cards on the board and play with our remaining 1 card each? If so, after that one card is gone then I would deal out three new cards a piece, correct? My second question, if I have a scopa on the last hand but say there a 4 remaining cards left in the deck. Do those cards get disregarded or does someone win those cards and have them go towards their points? Grazie!
Sure happy to help clear it up. If there is a scopa the pot is cleared and the next player will have to lay one of their cards down rather than be able to pick up. The only time cards are added from the deck to the pot is at the very top of a round. You re-up players with 3 cards after everyone has played out the 3 cards from that hand. There shouldn't ever be just 4 cares left in the deck, the math doesn't work out. Make sure to only deal 3 cards to each player and only after all players have played their cards, that should fix any odd number of cards left in the deck. I hope this helps and I'm so happy to hear that you're keeping your tradition alive!
That made everything clear. Grazie
Is it my understanding that Primiera can only be scored if you have won cards in each of the four suits?
True, but it's very likely you'll have one at least one in every suit. From that point you'll have to pull out the highest valued Primera point card in each suit. Follow the chart for the values. Then you add those four cards up and compare them with the other players. Who ever has the highest Premiera score wins the one Premiera point for that round.
@@Play-In-Games Many thks! Primiera is usually not very well explained. Ps any plans to do a vid on Madrasso?
maybe i missed it but what happens after you get a scopa? the next player is forced to place a card in the center without taking any? you never fill the middle from the deck after the set up right?
Exactly correct, the next player must play a card from their hand to the middle, repopulating the middle.
I could not find the Scopa variations video
Ciao, I have another question. Say you just finished the last hand of a round of scopa. Your opponent put out his last card and did not score. You put your last card out and didn't score and now the deck is empty. Neither player scored the last had but there are say 4 cards left on the board. Does anyone claim those? Or are those just put to the side and not counted when adding up your points? Grazie!
Great question, the player who made the last pick up earns any cards left in the pot after the final play.
What do you do when you still have cards in your hand and there are no cards face up in the middle?
You must play one and only one card from your hand on your turn. If you can't pick up a card, then you have to put one of your cards face up in the middle pot.
when I play with 3 people near the end there are not enough cards to deal each player 3 cards for next round. What do we do in this situation?
Hmm the math should work out: 40 card deck. 4 cards in the middle to start (this only happens once) and deal 3 to you and the other 3 players. That’s 4+12= 16. Leaving 24 cards. Means you get 2 more rounds of 3 new cards dealt (12 cards distributed between all 4 players each time). After the final deal you should be out of cards. If there aren’t enough cards count the deck maybe someone is hiding 7s up their sleeve!
ok, here's another question- whats the ettiquet for putting down your card to pick up something from the middle? do you just pick up without showing your card trustingly? do you just flash your card to the other players as proof? or is there somewhere specific that you place your card face up, then pick up the matching cards from the pot? I know this seems trivial but i don't want to get into bad habitts?
That's another great question. Yes, you should most definitely show your card before picking up. It would be bad news to do otherwise!
Hello! halfway through this video, so forgive me if you're about to explain, but at the end of the round, what if you don't have enough cards in the deck to deal 3 each?
As long as you play 2-4 players you will have enough cards for each player until the last hand. After the deck is depleted, you play out the remaining cards. The last player to make a successful pick up, also collect the cards (if any) that remain in the pot. Hope that helps!
@@Play-In-Games thanks! I was going to delete this comment as I figured it out this morning! 3 cards in each hand, 10 on the table so 30 left in the deck!
@@BenCrowden91 exactly right, and well put. In a two player game you have 30 left in the deck. In a 3 player game you would have 27 left in the deck and 4 players gives you 24 cards in the deck. All of those are divisible by three giving a perfect deck count for all scenarios.
How did you end up dealing out 3 cards each for the last round? each deal uses up 6 cards so after the 6th deal, shouldnt you have just 4 cards left for the last deal, also if you play with 3 players, again don't you end up with 4 cards left? and how do you split them between 3 players? do you just discard the last 1?
Great questions. On the first deal, you give out 3 cards to each player (6 cards for a 2 player game) and deal 4 face up in the middle (10 cards total have been dealt). That means there are now 30 cards left in the deck. At the end of each had, 3 more cards are given to each player (6 cards again for a 2 player game). Note: don't add more to the middle, that only happens on the first hand. So from the 30 cards you will get a total of 5 hands after the initial deal. Does that make sense?
Now when playing with an odd number of players, such as 3, you will first deal out 3 cards to each player (9 cards) and 4 in the middle, dealing out a total of 13 cards. That leaves 27 cards in the deck. 9 goes into 27 three times, which means you'll be able to deal out 3 hands after the initial hand. Again it's 3 cards to each player after the hands are depleted. 3 players, 3 cards, 9 cards total for each hand. 9x3=27. It's pretty magical math the inventors of Scopa came up with.
Thanks for watching!
I cannot find the variation video… what variation do you like?
I didn’t get a chance to make it, since it’s a 4 player game and tricky, but scientific scopa is fun. Perhaps I’ll get around to it if there’s enough interest. Thanks for watching and the comments!
Have to pause to go make a Moka pot of coffee. Be right back. ☕
Are you the singer of the band Deafheaven?
Sorry no. I am my Father’s son. I am no one.
Is this a specifically Sicilian version? I have a pack and the 3 "face' cards have "12" "11" and "10" marked at the corners- do these score differently to your "10" "9" and "8"? if i were to score it your way those numbders become treally confusing
sorry, just seen this same question furter down!
It is so confusing. Should I get the chance, I’m going to convince the card makers to fix that. Thanks for watching!
What is napola in scopa?
Numbered cards are betterment
if a player is at 10 and scores a scopa, does the game end immediately?
Great question. The rules I know allow for the full round to be played and if more than one player has scored over 11 points, the player with the highest score is the winner. If it’s a tie, more rounds are played until there is a winner.
I play my lowest cards first too
We usually play to 100 in my family
And sometimes just play as long as we want n whoever got most points at end won
That’s an epic way to play!
You contradict yourself. In second 119 of your short tutorial you correctly say that if have a card of the same value as one card on the table you must take that one card, but in this one you suggest that a player can take a combination instead. I think you're wrong in this video and correct in the short one. Some players are good enough to remember the play. If this is a variation make that clear and it should also be made clear to an opponent, especially since this can result in a scopa. Not accurate on the primera either, since it requires the highest card you have in each suit.
Thanks for your comment and yes that rule can be tricky so let me clear up any confusion. No player is required to match a card from their hand if they have another card they can and want to play instead. The rule I believe you’re thinking of is that if in the middle (not in your hand) there are a few ways to match a card in your hand, for example you have a five and there is both a five card in the middle and a combo of a two and three, they player must take the five card not the two and three. Matching the face value cards first. If on your next play you have another five and the two and three are still on the table then you can pick up those of you wish. This rule is not to be conflated with forcing a player to take that five if they didn’t want to. For example if the player also had a seven, they mostly likely would have used it to pick up the five and two rather than taking a five with a five. Does that help you understand it better now?
As for Primiera point, I do clearly describe the two styles of play. The proper way is a bit tricky so if you want to play using that rule I would suggest watching it a few times.
Thanks for watching and enjoy playing Scopa!
Ms Meeple in Italian th-cam.com/video/ZSXNItw3VSI/w-d-xo.html Look at the end of the second minute. If you go to the 7th minute in her video I think she gets to a variant that's played the way you play, but if you're playing a variant you need to make that clear to your opponents. But it doesn't look like she's active anymore to answer my question about that. I think what you're saying is you can't play a number that matches one on the table to take other cards on the table, but you can play a different card to take multiple cards even if you have a card that matches one on the table. Maybe that's true. I have a local expert I can check with next week. As far as the primiera I know that proper way. but the some of the people I play with who refuse to use it are the same people who follow your advice that you can take multiple cards when you have an exact match for one... so ...
The key thought here is that "you'll think they're cheating" because, when it comes to Sicilians, they most certainly are cheating.
The traditional Sicilian word for a comment like this is: “mid” 😂