BEFORE YOUR FIRST GAME
How to play Sobe e Desce
Players and cards
Sobe e Desce is a game for four players, each playing for themselves.
The deck has only 40 cards: the 8s, 9s and 10s are removed from a standard deck.
The cards in each suit rank from highest to lowest as follows:
Ace
Bisca
King
Jack
Queen
6
5
4
3
2
In Sobe e Desce, the aim is to win tricks worth 1 or 2 points each. Individual card values do not matter.
Each player starts with 20 points. The first to reach 0 wins.
Getting started
Play runs anticlockwise.
The dealer gives three cards to each player in playing order, starting on their right. The player who receives the first card chooses trump.
After trump is chosen, the dealer gives two more cards to each player in the same order.
Each player starts with 5 cards.
Suits with special effects:
- Hearts — everyone must play
- Clubs — tricks are worth double (2 points each)
Choosing trump and assessing the risk
When choosing trump, the player may select any available suit or ask to turn up the next card they would receive.
If they choose to turn up a card, its suit becomes trump and all opponents see it. The player keeps that card.
After trump is chosen, players decide whether to play (unless trump is hearts) and may exchange cards.
All 5 cards may be exchanged.
Exchanging cards commits the player to playing.
Players must also play if they:
- Chose trump;
- Have 5 points or fewer;
- Sat out twice in a row.
If only one player plays, they are deemed to have won all 5 tricks and scoring begins immediately.
This decision and exchange phase is especially important because taking no tricks incurs a penalty (see scoring below).
Playing the game
Players who sit out wait for the others to finish.
The player who chose trump leads first. All 5 tricks follow these rules:
- The player leading a trick must play the ace of trump if they have it.
- Players must follow the suit led unless they have no cards of that suit.
- Without the led suit, players must play trump unless they have none or their trump is lower than one already played.
- If trump has been played and the player cannot follow the original suit, they must play a higher trump whenever possible.
The winner is determined as in Sueca: the highest card of the led suit wins if no trumps were played; otherwise the highest trump wins.
Scoring
Count each player’s tricks and award points.
If trump is clubs, tricks are worth double: 2 points each.
Players who won at least one trick subtract the points earned from their total score.
Players who won no tricks:
- Add 10 points if trump is clubs
- Add 5 points for any other trump suit
This scoring system gives Sobe e Desce its name (Up and Down).
If a player reaches 0 points or fewer, the game ends and that player wins.
The winner receives X+Y+Z RISCOS, where X, Y and Z are the losing players’ final scores. Each loser loses N RISCOS, where N is their final score.
Example:
| Player | Final score | Ranking marks awarded |
| 1 | 0 (winner) | +18 (=11+2+5) |
| 2 | 11 | -11 |
| 3 | 2 | -2 |
| 4 | 5 | -5 |