How to Play Briškula: Croatia's Traditional Coastal Card Game

If you spend any time on Croatia's coast, especially in Dalmatia, you will quickly notice that card games are a way of life. While many visitors are familiar with trešeta or bela, one game stands out for its simplicity and competitive spirit: briškula (pronounced brish-koo-la). Played in cafés, on terraces, and at family gatherings, briškula is easy to learn but offers endless depth. Here's how to play.

What you need

Briškula is played with a traditional Italian-suited deck of 40 cards, known in Croatian as šporke karte. The deck has four suits: cups (kupe), coins (dinari), swords (špade), and clubs (baštoni). Each suit has cards ranked from ace down to 2. You can find these decks at most newsagents and souvenir shops along the coast.

Card values and ranking

Unlike standard card games, briškula uses a non-intuitive ranking and point system. The cards from highest to lowest are:

• Ace (as) – worth 11 points
• Three (tri) – worth 10 points
• King (kralj) – worth 4 points
• Knight (konj) – worth 3 points
• Jack (fanat) – worth 2 points
• All other cards (7, 6, 5, 4, 2) – worth 0 points

The total points in the deck add up to 120. The goal is to capture more than half of them, so 61 points or more.

Setting up the game

Briškula is typically played by two players, but it can be played by four in partnerships (sitting opposite each other). To start, shuffle the deck and deal three cards to each player. Then turn over the next card and place it face up next to the remaining stock. This card determines the trump suit for the round, known as briškula. The rest of the deck is placed face down as the draw pile.

Playing a trick

The player who did not deal leads the first card. The opponent must follow suit if possible. If they cannot follow suit, they may play any card, including a trump. The trick is won by the highest card of the led suit, unless a trump is played, in which case the highest trump wins. The winner of the trick collects the two cards and places them face down in their scoring pile. Then, the winner draws a card from the stock, followed by the loser, so each player has three cards again. The winner of the trick leads the next trick.

This continues until the stock is exhausted. At that point, players play out the remaining three cards in their hands, following the same rules. After all tricks are played, players count the points in their scoring piles. The player or team with 61 or more points wins the round.

Strategy tips for beginners

Briškula rewards memory and careful play. Here are a few simple tips:

• Remember which high-point cards (aces and threes) have been played.
• If you have a high trump, save it for capturing an opponent's ace or three.
• Leading a low card from a suit you are weak in can force your opponent to waste trumps.
• Pay attention to the trump card that is turned over; it remains in play until the end and can be captured by anyone.

There is also a common variation called briškula u par (partnership briškula), where four players form two teams. The rules are the same, but partners sit across from each other and combine their scores.

Where to find a game

The best way to learn is by watching locals. In many coastal towns, you will see older residents playing briškula in the late afternoon, often with a cup of coffee or a glass of wine. Don't be shy to ask if you can observe—most players are happy to explain the rules. And if you are lucky, you might even be invited to join.