An introduction to Carte Triestine
On the shores of the Adriatic — in Istria, Dalmatia, and of course Italy — card culture looks very different from the rest of Europe. Poker decks do not rule here. Triestine cards (Carte Triestine) do. These cards are rooted in Mediterranean tradition: the smell of the sea, local taverns, and temperamental games.
Triestine cards are a regional variant of Italian cards, recognizable by their drawings, format, and smaller pack. The design is rustic, full of detail, and tells the history of northern Italy and the Venetian Republic.
Mexico Club hosts Mexico (Meksiko), not Briscola — this page is a guide to the Adriatic deck that sits beside that same café culture.
Deck structure and Italian suits
Unlike the French deck, Triestine cards have only 40 cards. There are no eights, nines, or tens in the usual sense. They are divided into four unique suits (zoga) that come from the old Mamluk (Arab) pack:
Spade (swords)
Justice, the army, and nobility. The swords are curved, like sabers.
Coppe (cups)
The clergy, religion, and love — richly decorated cups.
Denari (coins)
Merchants, wealth, and the economy, often with geometric motifs.
Bastoni (clubs)
Workers and peasants — interlaced wooden staves.
Each suit has 10 cards: ranks 1 (Ace, Asso) through 7, plus three figures: Fante (Jack, value 8), Cavallo (Knight on horseback, value 9), and Re (King, value 10). The absence of a Queen is typical of Italian and Spanish decks.
The high cards from the Mexico Club Triestine pack — Ace, King, the court figures, and 10:
What makes the Triestine design distinct
What sets Triestine cards apart from other Italian packs (such as Napoletane or Siciliane) is that the figures are double-headed, like modern poker cards, so you cannot hold a card “upside down.” The design also shows a light Habsburg influence: richer colors and more precise drawing. The cards have a characteristically narrow format, comfortable when you hold a large hand.
Briscola and Tressette: queens of the Mediterranean
Triestine cards are inseparable from two iconic games that are more than entertainment — they are a way of socializing and proving yourself:
Briscola (Briškula): a game in which trump (the briscola) changes every deal. The Ace is the strongest card (11 points), followed by the Three, which is unique to this game. The goal is to collect as many as possible of the 120 points.
Tressette (Trešeta): a highly tactical game without trump (except in special variants). It demands excellent memory of cards already played and a specific, quiet communication between partners (so-called “accusing” or signaling).
If you are planning a holiday on the Adriatic or want the feel of the Mediterranean, a pack of Triestine cards from Modiano (the oldest and best-known maker from Trieste) is the classic choice. Mexico Club does not sell decks — we play Mexico online.