The Spanish deck explained
The baraja española has four suits: oros (coins), copas (cups), espadas (swords) and bastos (clubs). Each suit has number cards and three court cards – the sota (jack, 10), the caballo (knight, 11) and the rey (king, 12). There are no queens and no jokers in the traditional deck.
The 40-card deck leaves out the 8s and 9s and is the one used for brisca, tute, mus and chinchón. The 48-card deck includes them and is used for games such as the Spanish version of solitaire. Switch between them with the deck size option.
Uses for a virtual Spanish deck
Use it to settle who deals first, practise counting points in brisca, teach children the suits, or play a quick game when no real deck is at hand. You can deal 1, 3 or 5 cards and choose whether drawn cards go back into the deck.
Frequently asked questions
How many cards are in a Spanish deck?
Either 40 or 48. The 40-card deck has 1–7 plus sota, caballo and rey in each suit. The 48-card deck adds the 8s and 9s.
What are the suits of the Spanish deck?
Oros (coins), copas (cups), espadas (swords) and bastos (clubs).
Is there a queen in the Spanish deck?
No. Instead of a queen it has the caballo (knight), which sits between the sota and the rey.