About Free Printable Cassino Rules
No. In classic Cassino, face cards capture only by pairing, and only one matching face card per play even if several are on the table. In Royal Cassino, Jack = 11, Queen = 12 and King = 13, and aces may count 1 or 14, so they can combine and build.
By the ToolFluency team · Updated October 2026
Cassino is a fishing card game for 2 to 4 players (four play as two partnerships) using one standard 52-card deck with no jokers. You play cards from your hand to capture matching cards or sums from a face-up layout, scoring for most cards, most spades, the aces, Big and Little Cassino, and sweeps. The first player or side to reach the agreed target of 11 or 21 points wins, usually in 20 to 45 minutes. The full printable rules sheet, with capture and build diagrams, is on this page.
How to play Cassino
- Cut for deal (high card deals). Deal 4 cards to each player and 4 face up to the middle of the table, then set the rest aside as the stock. The player to the dealer's left starts and play goes clockwise.
- On your turn, play exactly one card and either capture, build or trail.
- Capture by pairing (an 8 takes any 8s) or by combining (a 9 takes a 4 and 5 together), and you may do both in one play. Aces count as 1. Jacks, Queens and Kings capture only by pairing, one matching face card per play.
- Build by adding a card from your hand to table cards and announcing the total, such as a 4 on a 5 for "building 9". You must already hold a card that can capture that value, and you must keep it until the build is taken.
- Trail by laying a card face up on the table without taking anything. You may not trail while you own an uncaptured build.
- Clearing every card off the table with one capture is a sweep, worth 1 bonus point. Mark it by turning the capturing card face up across your pile.
- When hands are empty, deal 4 more cards to each player, with no new table cards, until the stock runs out. After the last play, any cards left on the table go to whoever made the last capture; this is not a sweep.
- Score the round: 11 points are always on offer (see the table) plus any sweeps. Keep playing rounds, with the deal passing left, until someone reaches the agreed 11 or 21.
Cassino scoring per round
| Category | Points | How it is awarded |
|---|
| Most cards | 3 | 27 or more of the 52 cards; a 26-26 tie scores nothing |
|---|
| Most spades | 1 | 7 or more spades; with 3 players a tie scores nothing |
|---|
| Big Cassino (10 of diamonds) | 2 | Whoever captures it |
|---|
| Little Cassino (2 of spades) | 1 | Whoever captures it |
|---|
| Each ace | 1 each | Up to 4 points |
|---|
| Each sweep | 1 each | No limit |
|---|
Examples
Strategy tips
- Count spades and cards as you go. The 3 points for most cards and 1 for most spades are often decided by one or two captures late in the round.
- Guard the 10 of diamonds and the 2 of spades. If you hold one, try to capture with it or build onto it rather than trailing it where your opponent can take it.
- Avoid trailing a card that lets your opponent sweep. For example, if the only table card is a 3, trailing a 4 lets a 7 clear the table.
- Use builds to lock up cards you want: putting a 3 from your hand on a table 2 of spades and calling "building 5" keeps Little Cassino in a pile that only a 5 can take.
- Remember that your opponent can capture your build if they hold the matching card, so build values you think they are unlikely to have.
- Late in the round, try to make the last capture, because every card left on the table goes to that player.
Example: a capture and a build
The table shows 4, 5, 9 and 2. You hold a 9 and a 7. Playing the 9 captures the 4 and 5 together and the loose 9, leaving the 2. Alternatively, you could play the 7 onto the 2 and announce "building 9", then take the whole build with your 9 on your next turn, as long as your opponent does not capture it first.
Frequently asked questions
Can a Jack, Queen or King capture by adding cards together?
No. In classic Cassino, face cards capture only by pairing, and only one matching face card per play even if several are on the table. In Royal Cassino, Jack = 11, Queen = 12 and King = 13, and aces may count 1 or 14, so they can combine and build.
Can my opponent take my build?
Yes. Any player holding a card of the build's value may capture it, and opponents may add to it as well. Raising a single build is allowed, but a multiple build, such as an 8 together with 5+3 called "eights", is locked at that value.
Do I have to capture my build on my next turn?
On your next turn you must capture something, add to a build or make another build; you cannot trail while you own a build. You must also keep a card that can capture it until the build is taken.
Do leftover table cards at the end count as a sweep?
No. They go to the player who made the most recent capture and count toward most cards and most spades, but not as a sweep. Some groups vary this rule when the final card played is a face card, so agree before the round.
What happens if the cards are tied 26-26?
Nobody scores the 3 points for most cards that round. Aces, Big Cassino and Little Cassino are still scored by whoever captured them.
What is Draw Cassino?
Instead of dealing new 4-card hands, each player draws one card from the stock after every play, so you always hold 4 cards. It changes the timing of builds and rewards remembering which cards are gone.
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