Quick Rules
Escoba (say "es-KOH-bah") is the sweeping game played in cafés and kitchens all over Spain. It is a "fishing" game: you fish cards off the table with a card from your hand. The magic number is 15.
- The cards. 40 cards: an ordinary deck with the 8s, 9s and 10s taken out. Ace counts 1, 2 to 7 their number, Jack 8, Queen 9, King 10.
- The deal. Three cards each and four face up on the table. If the four table cards add up to 15 or 30, the dealer takes them straight away.
- Your turn. Play one card. If it adds up to exactly 15 with one or more table cards, take them all. If not, your card stays on the table.
- Escoba! Taking every card on the table at once is an escoba, a sweep, worth 1 point.
- More cards. When both hands are empty, three more cards each, until the deck runs out. Whoever captured last takes whatever is left on the table.
- Scoring. 1 point per escoba, and 1 each for the most cards, the most diamonds, the 7 of diamonds and the most sevens. First to 15 points wins.
How to Play on This Page
Under every card is a small number: what that card counts. You never need to remember that a Queen is worth 9. Your cards that can capture something are outlined and marked Can take.
Tap one of your cards and the game shows every way it can make 15. Each way gets a letter, its cards are raised and outlined on the table, and a big button spells out the sum, for example 9 + 3 + your 3 = 15. Tap the button to take those cards. If nothing makes 15, tap Lay It on the Table. Each player's tally shows the cards, diamonds, sevens and escobas captured so far, so you always know where the points are going. Not sure? Tap Hint. Beside each computer play there is a Why? button that explains its thinking.
Tips for Winning
- Grab the 7 of diamonds. It is a point all by itself, and it also counts toward diamonds and sevens.
- Mind the total you leave behind. If the table adds up to anything from 5 to 14, one card can sweep it. Try to leave more than 15, or very little.
- Don't lay a 7 if you can help it. Sevens win the sevens point, and a 7 on the table is easy to capture.
- Count the picture cards. Kings, Queens and Jacks are the only cards worth 8, 9 and 10, so once you have seen them go, you know what can no longer be made.
- Take more cards when the choice is even. The most-cards point is often decided by just two or three cards.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Escoba free to play here?
Yes. Play as many games as you like for free, with no account, no download and no ads over the game.
Why are there no 8s, 9s or 10s?
Escoba is played with a 40-card Spanish deck, which has no 8s or 9s and whose picture cards are numbered 10, 11 and 12. Many people play it with an ordinary deck by taking out the 8s, 9s and 10s, and that is what this game does. The Jack counts 8, the Queen 9 and the King 10, and diamonds stand in for the Spanish gold coins.
How do I capture cards?
Tap one of your cards. Every set of table cards that adds up to 15 with it is outlined and given a letter, and a big button appears for each one, for example Take 7 and Ace: 7 + 1 + your 7 = 15. Tap the button to take those cards. If nothing makes 15, tap Lay It on the Table.
What is an escoba?
Escoba means broom. When your capture takes every card on the table, you have swept it clean: that is an escoba, worth one point at the end of the hand. If the four cards dealt to the table add up to 15 or 30, the dealer takes them at once, and that counts as an escoba too.
How is Escoba scored?
When the deck runs out, each player scores 1 point for every escoba, and there is 1 point each for the most cards, the most diamonds, the 7 of diamonds and the most sevens. A tie for most cards, diamonds or sevens scores nothing. The first player to reach 15 points wins; you can choose 21 or 31 in Settings.
Does the computer cheat?
No. The computer sees only its own cards, the table and the cards everyone has captured, which are all taken in plain sight. It never sees your hand or the order of the deck. On Hard it remembers which cards have been played, so it can work out what is still out, just as a careful player at a real table would. Tap Why? beside any computer play to read its reason, and after each hand you can open Show All Cards. Every game has a deal number you can replay to check that the deal was fair.
Can I play with more than one computer?
Yes. Escoba is usually played by two, but you can choose two or three computer players in Settings. Everyone still gets three cards at a time and the same scoring applies.
Does the game save my progress?
Yes. Your game is saved in your browser after every move, so you can close the page and continue later on the same device.
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