Cassino
What Is Cassino?
Cassino — also spelled Casino — is one of the oldest fishing card games still played, with roots going back centuries. Players use cards from their hand to capture cards lying face-up on the table, either by matching a single card’s value or by matching the combined sum of multiple table cards. Special cards score bonus points. Sweeping the entire table clean in one move earns a bonus. The player who captures the most valuable cards wins.
What You Need
- One standard deck of 52 playing cards
- Two to four players — works best with two or four in two teams
- Score pad
Card Values in Cassino
- Ace = 1
- 2 through 10 = face value
- Jack = 11 (for building purposes only — Jacks cannot be used in numerical builds)
- Queen = 12 (same as Jack — only used for direct matching)
- King = 13 (same — only for direct matching)
For capturing purposes, only Aces and number cards 2 through 10 can be used to form sum combinations. Face cards can only be captured by matching them directly with another face card of the same rank.
Setting Up the Game
- Shuffle all 52 cards.
- Deal four cards face-down to each player and four cards face-up to the center of the table.
- Place remaining cards face-down as the stock — more cards will be dealt in later rounds.
- Players pick up their four hand cards and look at them.
How to Play — Step by Step
The player to the left of the dealer goes first. Play moves clockwise. On each turn you play exactly one card from your hand.
Option 1 — Capture by Matching
If your card’s value exactly matches one or more table cards, you may capture them. Place your card on top of the matching table card and take all of them into your capture pile face-down. Example: you play a 7 and there is a 7 on the table — you capture it. If there are two 7s on the table, you capture both with your one 7.
Option 2 — Capture by Summing
If your card’s value equals the SUM of two or more table cards added together, you may capture all of those cards at once. Example: you play a 9 and the table shows a 4 and a 5. Since 4 + 5 = 9, you capture both. Or if the table shows a 2, 3, and 4, and you play a 9, you capture all three since 2 + 3 + 4 = 9. You can also combine a direct match and a sum: a 9 captures a single 9 AND a 4+5 combination all at once.
Option 3 — Building
You may create a build by placing a card from your hand onto a table card, announcing the combined sum, and declaring you will capture it on your next turn. Example: there is a 3 on the table. You place a 5 from your hand on it and say ‘Building 8’ — meaning you plan to capture both cards next turn with an 8 from your hand. Your opponent can steal your build if they also hold an 8.
Option 4 — Trail
If you cannot or do not want to capture or build, you must trail — place a card from your hand face-up onto the table, adding it to the available cards. Your turn ends.
A Sweep — The Bonus
If your play captures every single card currently on the table, leaving it completely empty, that is a Sweep. Take a card from your capture pile and place it face-up on top of the pile as a sweep marker. Each sweep scores 1 bonus point at the end.
Dealing New Cards
When all players have played their four hand cards, the dealer deals four more cards to each player from the stock — but does not deal any new cards to the table. Play continues until the stock is exhausted. Any cards still on the table after the final hand go to the last player who made any capture.
Scoring
- Most cards captured: 3 points
- Most Spades captured: 1 point
- Big Casino — the 10 of Diamonds: 2 points
- Little Casino — the 2 of Spades: 1 point
- Each Ace captured: 1 point (4 Aces = 4 points total)
- Each Sweep: 1 point
Winning
First player or team to reach 21 points across multiple rounds wins. Or play until the deck runs out and add up scores — highest wins.
Tips for New Players
- The 10 of Diamonds is worth 2 points alone — always capture it when possible and protect it when you hold it.
- Look for sum captures that take multiple table cards at once — capturing three cards with one play is far better than capturing one.
- Building is risky if your opponent has the capturing card — only build when you can capture on your very next turn.