Sueca is a highly popular trick taking card game from Portugal, and in fact the most commonly played game in that country. It is also quite popular in Brazil (see the variation sections below for the differences in the Brazilian version), as well as in Angola and the Azores. The game is designed for play by four players playing in two partnerships of two players each.

The game is played using a 40 card deck which can be created by removing all cards in the ranks of 8, 9, and 10 from a standard deck. The ranking of the cards in this deck follow the ranking common in many Portuguese games, as follows (from highest to lowest): Ace, 7, King, Jack, Queen, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.

Determination of partnerships and first dealer can be determined using any number of methods. One such way is for each player to draw a card from the face-down shuffled deck and the players drawing the two highest cards play as partners against the two players drawing the two lowest cards. Each partner should sit directly across from his partner at the table. The player drawing the highest ranked card of all is set as the first dealer. Thereafter, the role of dealer rotates in a counter-clockwise direction after each hand.

Once the dealer has been determined and the players seated the player at the dealer's right then thoroughly shuffles the deck and passes the deck back to the dealer who then offers it to the player at his left for the cut. After the cut, the dealer then begins distributing the cards around the table. He deals each cards a batch of 10 face-down cards, starting with the player at his immediate right and continuing in a clockwise rotation from player to player. The bottom card in the dealer's ten card packet is turned face-up. This card, and all other cards of that same suit are set as the trump suit for the hand. After each hand, the role of dealer rotates in a counter-clockwise direction around the table.

After the cards have been dealt and the players have examined their hands, play of the hand can begin. The player to the immediate right of the dealer has the first play, leading the first card to the first trick. Each other player, in a counter-clockwise direction, in turn, then also plays one card to that same trick, until each player has played one card to the trick.

The leader to a trick can play any card of choice to start the trick. Each subsequent player, when playing to that trick must play a card of the suit originally led to that trick if they have one. If they have no such card of that suit, they may play any card remaining in their hand to the trick, including a card from the trump suit. After each player has completed play to the trick, it is determined who has won that trick.

The player of the highest card in the trump suit to the trick is considered the winner. If no cards of the trump suit have been played to the trick, the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick is considered the winner. The cards won in a trick should be set aside by the player winning it, face-down and out of play, later to be examined during scoring of the hand. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

Unlike in many similar games of the Point-Trick or Ace-Ten family of card games, in Sueca partners are disallowed from using signals or other methods to express to their partner information about their hand.

Once all ten tricks have been played and won, potential scoring for the hand is then determined. Each partnership combines all the cards won by that partnership during the hand. The partnerships then calculate the number of cards points captured during the hand. This number of card points is based on point values from cards won in tricks during the hand. Each card in the deck has a corresponding card point value, as per the following chart:

Card	Card Point Value
Ace	11 Points Each
7 (Called Manhila)	10 Points Each
King	4 Points Each
Jack	3 Points Each
Queen	2 Points Each
6, 5, 4, 3, 2	0

Based on these values, a team can win one or more Game Points from each hand:

• If one team manages to win every trick during the hand, that team earns four Game Points, and thus the entire game (called dar uma bandeira).
• If one team manages to capture 91 or more Card Points, that team earns two Game Points.
• If one team captures 61 or more card points, but fewer than 91 card points that team earns one Game Point.
• If both teams capture exactly 60 card points during the hand, neither team earns any Game Points on that hand. However, the team winning the next hand earns one extra Game Point.

The game is played in rubbers, with the first team to score 4 or more Game Points declared the Game winner and said to have won one rubber. The game is usually scored in one of two ways, both featuring the use of a special diagram drawn on with pen and paper on a score sheet or using chalk and a slate. The first and more traditional method consists of the drawing of two large "+" shaped diagrams, one labeled "Nós" (for "Us") and another labeled "Eles" (for "Them"). For each Game Point earned during the course of play, a dot is drawn at the extreme end of one of the four lines in that team's diagram. The first team to fill all four lines with a dot is thus the winner of that rubber. For each rubber a new set of such diagrams would be then drawn. The second, and somewhat newer method of recording the score consists of a comb shaped diagram. In this method, a two-sided comb is drawn, with the upper half labeled "Nós" and the bottom half labeled "Eles". Each rubber is represented by a series of four lines on this comb, and as each team wins a game in that rubber a dot is drawn at the extreme end of these vertical lines in the comb.

Variations, Optional Rules, and Related Games

Sueca as played in the Azores: Sueca is also very popular in the Azores islands. The game, as played in the Azores is identical to standard Sueca as described except for the following differences:

• The first difference is in the makeup and ranking of the cards in the deck. In Sueca, as played in the Azores, the deck is created by removing all cards of rank 7, 8, and 9 from a standard 52 card deck. The usual ranking of the cards in this deck are as follows (from highest to lowest): Ace, 10, King, Jack, Queen, 10, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
• Because of this modification to the deck and the ranking of the deck as used in this version, the tens obtain a card point value of 10 points.
• The last card dealt to the dealer is not exposed to determine the trump suit to use for the hand. Instead, the 12 unused cards from the deck are shuffled, and, after this shuffle the top card from this stack is exposed, with the suit of the card thus exposed determines the trump suit for that hand.

In all other aspects the version of Sueca as played in the Azores is identical to that as described above.

Brazilian Sueca: As mentioned above, Sueca is also commonly played and quite popular in Brazil. The game is played identically to the Portuguese version as described, with only the following differences:

• The dealing of the cards, rotation of the dealer role, and gameplay are all in a clockwise direction in the Brazilian version. However, despite this difference in the direction of the deal, the player to the right of the dealer shuffles the cards and the player at the left of the dealer is offered the cut.
• If, after the deal, the player to the immediate left of the dealer finds that he has, in his hand, less than a sum of 10 total Card Points, he may (but is not required to) declare a spoil (melar) of the deal. In this case, all the cards are thrown in, reshuffled and redealt by the same dealer.

Other than these two differences, Brazilian Sueca is played identically to the Portuguese variant as described above.

Sueca Italiana: Sueca Italiana is an Italian version of Sueca which features bidding and several other differences to standard Sueca. As evidences by it's name, this variant is commonly found in Italy.

Sueca Italiana is most commonly played by 4 or 5 players, each playing for himself (although temporary partnerships will be formed during each hand). This variant uses the same 40 card deck as is used in standard Sueca with the same card rankings and card point value for each card in the deck.

The designated dealer for each hand deals the cards to each player in a counterclockwise direction around the table, starting with the player at the dealer's right. If four players are participating, the dealer deals each layer 10 cards and if there are five players, he deals out 8 cards to each player.

After the cards have been dealt and the players have reviewed their hands, a round of bidding occurs. The dealer is the first to bid, with the bidding continuing in a counter-clockwise direction around the table. A bid is a player's declaration to earn at least the number of card points as bid, on that hand. The dealer starts the bidding, and he must make a bid of at least 61. The bidding continues around the table with each player either making a higher bid than any previous bid or passing. Once a player passes, he may no longer bid during this hand. The bidding continues around the table until all players but one have passed. The player having made the highest bid is thus set as the Bidder for the hand. This high bidder is then entitled to name any suit of his choice as the trump suit for the hand. In addition to this privilege, he also has the option to call for a card. He does this by naming any card in the deck, by rank and suit. Whichever player has this called card then becomes the temporary partner of this player for the hand. He should make no indication however, that he has this card or is playing in partnership with the high bidding player. The other players will also form a temporary partnership against the dealer and the currently unknown partner. If the high bidder calls a card he already has in his hand, he plays alone without the aid of an partner during this hand.

After the trump suit has been declared and a card called, play of the hand can begin. The high bidder has the option of making the first play (leading the first card to the first trick). However, he may also request his previously unknown partner to make the first lead instead, which will of course reveal the identity of this player once the lead is made.

The leader to a trick may play any card of choice to the trick. Each other player, in a counter-clockwise direction around the table in turn, also plays a card to the same trick. In playing to a trick led by another player, a player must play a card of the suit originally led to the trick if they have such a card. If they have no cards of the suit originally led, they may play any card remaining in their hands, including a card from the trump suit. After each player has played one card to the trick it is determined who has won the trick.

The highest card of the trump suit played to the trick wins the trick. If no cards of the trump suit have been played to the trick, it is won by the player of the highest card originally led to the trick. Cards won in tricks should be set aside by the winner, for later use in potential scoring for the hand. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all the tricks have been played, scoring on the hand occurs. The high bidder combines all cards won with his partner (if any) for that hand, adding all the applicable Card Points from the cards thus captured. If they managed, between them, to earn at least as many points as the high bid, both of these players earn a number of points equal to the number of Card Points earned on that hand. However, if they captured a fewer number of Card Points on that hand than the bid, they must subtract from their ongoing, cumulative score the amount of the bid. Each member of the temporary opposing team is entitled to add to their ongoing score a number of points equal to the failed bid.

After a set amount of time, or perhaps some set number of total deals, the player with the highest total is declared the game session winner.

Six Player Sueca Italiana: Sueca Italiana is sometimes also played by six participants. The game is played identically to standard Sueca Italiana, however in this version the eights and nines are added back to the deck, making a 48 card deck. The ranking of the cards in this deck are as follows: Ace, 7, King, Jack, Queen, 9, 8, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2. The value for the card points is also the same as in the standard game, with the eights and nines, like the lower ranked cards having a Card Point value of zero. Each player is dealt a total of eight cards, which should exhaust the deck. In all other aspects this variant of Sueca Italiana is played identically to the four/five player variant described directly above.

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