Sueca rules: how to play

How do you play Sueca?

Sueca is a card game for four players, in two teams, played with a 40-card deck. Each player gets ten cards, and one suit is trump. In each trick, everyone follows the suit of the first card. The ace is worth 11 points and the seven 10. The team that takes more than 60 of the 120 points wins.

Goal of the game

The goal is to win tricks that hold cards worth points. The deck has 120 points, and the team that collects more than 60 wins the hand.

This page teaches traditional Portuguese Sueca, with a match of four games. Partners sit across from each other. They may not show cards or agree on signals.

Setup and deal

• Remove the 8s, 9s, 10s and jokers from the deck. That leaves 40 cards: ace, 2 to 7, jack, queen and king of each suit.
• Form two teams. Partners sit across from each other, with an opponent on each side.
• Draw to see who deals the first hand. The dealer shuffles, and another player cuts the deck.
• In traditional Sueca, play goes to the right, counterclockwise.
• The dealer starts with the player to their right and gives ten cards at once to each player. The last ten are the dealer's own.
• The last card of the deck, which belongs to the dealer, is turned face up for all to see. Its suit is trump for that hand. Then it goes back into the dealer's hand.
• For the next hand, the deal passes to the player to the dealer's right.

How to play

1. The player to the dealer's right goes first and plays any card from hand, face up in the middle of the table.
2. The other three play one card each, in order, to the right. The four cards make a trick.
3. Following suit is required. A player who holds a card of the suit that was led must play one of them, high or low.
4. A player with no card of that suit plays any card they like. They may play a trump to try to win the trick, but they do not have to.
5. If nobody played a trump, the highest card of the suit that was led wins the trick. A card of another suit that is not trump never wins.
6. If somebody played a trump, the highest trump wins the trick.
7. The winner of the trick picks up the four cards and keeps them face down in the team's pile. That player leads the next trick.
8. A hand has ten tricks. After the last one, each team adds up the points on the cards it won.
9. Not following suit while holding a card of it is called a revoke. Agree on the penalty before you start. In some rule sets the other team wins the match at once, and at some tables the team that revoked loses two games.

Card values and scoring

• Card order in each suit, from highest to lowest: ace, 7, king, jack, queen, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2.
• Ace: 11 points.
• Seven, called manilha or bisca: 10 points.
• King: 4 points.
• Jack: 3 points.
• Queen: 2 points.
• 6, 5, 4, 3 and 2: no points.
• Each suit adds up to 30 points, and the whole deck adds up to 120.
• A team with 61 to 90 points marks 1 game.
• A team with 91 points or more marks 2 games.
• A team that wins all ten tricks marks 4 games.
• A 60 to 60 tie: nobody marks a game for that hand, and the next hand is worth one extra game.

End of the game

The hand ends after the tenth trick. The teams count their points, mark the games on paper, and the cards are dealt again.

The match ends when a team reaches 4 games. That team wins.

Common variations

• Queen above jack: at some tables, the queen is worth 3 points and beats the jack, which is worth 2.
• Trump from the first card: the dealer may start the deal with themselves. In that case, trump is the first card dealt.
• Direction of play: in Brazil, many tables play to the left, clockwise. What matters is using the same direction to deal and to play.
• A 60 to 60 tie: at some tables the tied hand is simply void, and the next hand has its normal value.
• Single hand: for a quick game, play just one hand. The team that takes more than 60 points wins.
• Winning on points: in some regions, a team that takes all 120 points wins the match at once, even without winning all ten tricks.
• Match length: the number of games needed to win can be different, agreed on beforehand.

Tips to play better

• Count the trumps that have been played. There are ten in all.
• Keep an eye on the aces and sevens. Together they are worth 84 of the 120 points.
• If your partner is winning the trick, add a card that is worth points.
• If an opponent is winning the trick, play a card with no points.
• Be careful when you lead a seven if the ace of that suit has not shown up yet. An opponent may hold the ace and take your 10 points.
• Save trumps for tricks with many points, when you do not have the suit that was led.

Frequently asked questions