Tresette: Defending Against Three’s

My Picture of The Trevi Fountain in Roma

Player 1	tre di coppe	tre di denari	tre di spade
	sei di coppe	sette di denari
Player 2	asso di coppe	asso di denari	asso di spade
	cinque di coppe	sei di denari

In Tresette the most powerful card during play is the three (il tre). The most valuable card is the Ace (il asso). The Ace scores 1 point. All other cards score 1/3 of a point. The player who takes the last trick of the games scores an additional point.

In this example, Player 1 holds the more powerful hand. It is Player 2’s lead.

Player 2 sacrifices his asso di spade. Player 1 must play his tre di spade. He picks up 1 1/3 points (cinque figura). Now Player 1 leads.

Player 1	tre di coppe	tre di denari
	sei di coppe	sette di denari
Player 2	asso di coppe	asso di denari
	cinque di coppe	sei di denari

If Player 1 were to play his sette di denari, Player 1 could play his asso di denari and pick up 1 point.

If Player 1 were to play his tre di denari, Player 2 could play his sei di denari.

Player 2 picks up 1/3 of a point (current total 1 2/3) but Player 2 is assured of keeping his asso di denari (the ace beats the seven).

Player 1 picks up 1/3 of a point (current total 1 2/3).

If Player 1 were to play his sette di denari, Player 2 could play his asso di denari.

Points: 1 1/3 to 1

Player 2 has the lead. He plays his sei di denari. Player 1 must play his tre di denari and lead the next hand.

Now Player 2 is in a position to keep his asso di coppe. If Player 1 were to play his tre di coppe, Player 2 plays his cinque di coppe.

Now Player 1 will win the last hand of the game, keep his ace and pick up 2 points.

If Player 1 were to play his sei di coppe, Player 2 could play his asso di coppe, and pick up 1 point.

Another Example

Player 1	tre di coppe	tre di denari	tre di spade
	sei di coppe	due di denari
Player 2	asso di coppe	asso di denari	asso di spade
	cinque di coppe	sei di denari

In this example, Player 1 has the due and tre di denari. Given that a 2 is more powerful than an Ace (in Tresette, during play) there is no way for Player 1 to keep his Ace.

If your opponent holds the more powerful cards and you hold the Ace you must try to force him to play those cards.

For example, if in the opening deal, your opponent were to draw the tre di denari (and no other denari), and you were to draw the quattro di denari and the asso di denari, you could play your quattro di denari. Your opponent is forced to play his tre di denari. Now only one card threatens your ace (the 2, il due di denari) but that card is still in the deck and you might pick it.

Stripping your opponent of 3 and 2, in the early hands, and holding on to weak cards for the end game, (so you can force your opponent to lead the next hand) are defensive Tresette techniques.

A Tresette End Game

 

 

Player 1
denari	spade	bastoni	coppe
fante	asso	tre	fante
		due
		re
		cinque
Player 2
asso	due	sette	tre
re
sette
cinque

There are seven cards left to play. If Player 2 led, he could open with his due di spade. Player 1 is forced to play his asso di spade and Player 2 picks up cinque figura (1 1/3 points). Now Player 2 plays his asso di denari. Player 1 is forced to play his fante di denari. Player 2 picks up cinque figura (1 1/3 points). {current total 2 2/3 points, or dieci figura}.

Now Player 2 has a chance to strip Player 1 of three bastoni because Player 1 cannot follow suit. Player 2 plays his re, then his sette, then his fante. Assuming Player 1 responds with his cinque di bastoni, then his re di bastoni and then his fante di bastoni, Player 2 picks up and additional 3 figura or 1 point. ). {current total 3 2/3 points, or quattordici figura}.

Player 1
denari	spade	bastoni	coppe
		tre	fante
Player 2
		sette	tre

Now Player 2 plays his sette di bastoni. Player 1 wins with his tre di bastoni. Now it is Player 1’s lead. He plays his final card, the fante di coppe. Player 2 has the tre di coppe. Player 2 wins the final hand and another point and 1 figura. {final total 5 points}.

If it were Player 1’s lead he should hold on to this bastoni for as long as possible. Let’s assume he opens with his fante di coppe. Player 1 has to follow suit. He plays his tre di coppe, picks up due figura and takes the lead. If Player 2 then played his due di spade to pick up Player 1’s asso di spade, Player 2 would have 1 3/4 points (the asso di spade and 3 figura).

Player 1
denari	spade	bastoni	coppe
fante		tre
		due
		re
		cinque
Player 2
asso		sette
re
sette
cinque

Now each player has five cards left. Player 2 commands in denari, Player 1 commands in bastoni. Player 2 should play his asso di denari. Player1 must play his fante di bastoni. Player 1 cannot win the final and but he can pick up and additional 3 figura by playing his re, sette, and cinque di denari in succession. Player1 cannot follow suit. Player 1 wins the final hand and 1 point with his tre di bastoni.

If Player 2 were to play his sette di bastoni Player 1 could take the card with his re, due or tre di bastoni. Player 1 would have 3 bastoni remaining in his hand. Player 2 has no bastoni. This would enable Player 1 to pick up an additional 4 figura or 1 point. Player 2 would take the final hand with his asso di bastoni.

In Qunidici you must take cards whose combined total is 15. The scoring is the same as Scopa. In the example above there are 3 denari. (3 Diamonds in your regular deck of playing cards.)

Player One could lead with his cinque di spade. He would take the quattro di denari, and the sei di denari  5 + 4 + 6 = 15.

Player One has acquired 2 denari and 3 cards.

Player Two leads with his sei di spade. He does this to set up his next play, taking the sei di spade back with his cavallo di denari 9 + 6 = 15. Player One has two kings, (due re) each representing 10, there is no way for Player one to pick up a 15 point combination. Player Two has created an opportunity for himself.

If it were Player Two’s lead he could take the sei di denari with his cavallo di denari. This would give him two cards and two denari.

Now Player One cannot use his cinque di spade to make that 3 card combination and if Player One played his cinque di spade, Player Two would have another chance to pick up cards.

Can you see it?

If Player One leads with a King, what could Player Two do?

A Tresette Opening

		Player One
due di coppe	asso di spade		asso di denari	cavallo di bastoni
re di coppe	re di spade		re di denari
cavallo di coppe	cavallo di spade		cavallo di denari
		Player Two
asso di coppe	fante di spade		fante di denari	asso di bastoni
fante di coppe	quarto di spade		cinque di denari	re di bastoni
quarto di coppe				fante di bastoni
				cinque di bastoni

Player One has the Ace of Swords (il asso di spade). Player Two does not have the 3 of Swords or the 2 of Swords. Therefore given that in Tresette a player must follow suit if he can, Player One can play his Ace of Swords. Player Two is likely to play his 5 of Swords and so Player One will pick up 1 point (or quattro figura).

Player One would get to pick first (from the deck) and lead the next hand. Assuming Player Two does not draw the 2 or 3 of Coins / denari (the 2 or 3 of Diamonds in a standard deck) then Player One could play his Ace of Coins (il asso di denari). Player Two would likely respond with his 5 of Coins (his cinque di denari). Player One picks up another point.

If Player One were to lead with his cavallo di bastoni (the Queen of Clubs in your standard deck) Player Two would be free to play his asso di bastoni (his Ace of Clubs).

If Player One were to lead with his 2 of Cups, his due di coppe (the 2 of Hearts in your standard deck) Player Two would likely play his quattro di coppe. Player One will only win 1/3 of a point and unless he were to draw the tre di coppe, Player Two is very likely to hold on to il asso di coppe (the Ace of Hearts) and pick up 1 point.

If Player 2 went first he could play his asso di bastoni (the ace of clubs in your standard deck). Player 1 is forced to play his cavallo di bastoni (the queen of clubs in your standard deck). Player 2 picks up
1 1/4 points (cinque figura) picks first and leads the next hand.

Player 2 has three bastoni remaining in his hand. The most powerful cards in the suit, the 3 and 2 are yet to be picked by either player and so, assuming Player 1 does not pick up either the 3 or 2 (after Player 2 has won the first hand and pick the top card from the deck) then Player 2 could lead the next hand with his king (his re di bastoni). Player 1 cannot follow suit and would be forced to play one of his other cards. As long as Player 1 cannot respond with a bastoni, Player 2 will control the game.

When you evaluate your hand you must look at the rank of every card in your hand and compare them to the cards your opponent has. You must consider how the control will shift, on a suit by suit basis, before you play a card. You must also consider what cards have yet to be dealt and if those outstanding cards would pose a threat to your cards should they fall into the hand of your opponent.

If you were Player Two and it was your lead, which card would you play?