Card Games Played with 40 Cards

A 40-card deck = standard 52-card deck minus 8s, 9s, 10s (or minus face cards, depending on region). Common in Italy, Spain, Latin America, and parts of France/Germany.

Traditional 40-Card Games (Italian/Spanish Suits)

• Briscola — Italy's national game. Trick-taking, trump suit, points for specific cards (Ace=11, 3=10, King=4, Queen=3, Jack=2). 2–4P (teams).
• Scopa — Italian fishing game. Capture table cards by matching rank. Scopa = sweep table. 2–4P (teams).
• Tressette — Partnership trick-taking. 3s high, then 2, A, K, Q, J, 7, 6, 5, 4. Declarations (Napola, Accusa). 4P (2v2).
• Mus — Basque/Spanish. 4P (2v2). Betting rounds (Grande, Pequeña, Pares, Juego). Bluffing heavy.
• Tute — Spanish trick-taking. Similar to Briscola but must follow suit. 2–4P.
• Siete y Media — "7.5" Blackjack variant. Face cards = 0.5. Bust >7.5. 2+P.

Standard Deck Adaptations (Remove 8,9,10 → 40 Cards)

• Rummy / Gin Rummy — Works perfectly. Fewer cards = faster games.
• Canasta — Use two 40-card decks (80 total). Adjust meld minimums.
• Pinochle — Traditionally 48-card (2×24). 40-card variant exists: remove 8s,9s from pinochle deck.
• Crazy Eights — 8s are wild; if removed, designate new wild (e.g., Jacks).
• Hearts / Spades — Playable but distribution changes (fewer low cards).

DIY 40-Card Game Ideas

• Memory/Concentration — 20 pairs.
• War Variants — 3-way war, addition/multiplication war.
• Story Builder — Cards = characters, places, objects, events. Draw 5, tell story.
• Math Fluxx-style — Number cards + operation cards, target number changes.

Get a 40-Card Deck: Buy Briscola or Scopa decks (Italian suits: Cups, Coins, Clubs, Swords) or strip a standard deck.