SKAT

OBJECTIVE OF SKAT: Fulfill your contract by winning or losing tricks.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 players

NUMBER OF CARDS: 32 card deck

RANK OF CARDS: J, A,10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7//A, K Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking

AUDIENCE: Adult

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INTRODUCTION TO SKAT

Skat is a popular German trick-taking game that accommodates 3 players. It was created in 1840 in Altenburg, Germany by Brommesche Tarok-Gesellschaft members. The game is a mixture of Schafkopf, Tarok (Tarot), and l’Hombre. Skat is not to be confused with the American card game Scat. Skat uses three hands with 3 active players, the fourth being the dealer who sits out. There are three different ways to play skat, which change the value of the cards: suit games, grand, and null. 

THE CARDS

The game was traditionally played with German cards which use different kinds of suits. Below outlines the corresponding suits. 메이저사이트추천

French       German

 – Clubs          Acrons (Eichel)

 – Spades       Leaves (Grün)

 – Hearts         Hearts (Roz)

 – Diamonds    Bells (Karo)

K  – King              King (König)

Q – Queen           Ober (Ober)

J – Jack               Unter (Unter)

Card Ranking

Card rankings depend on which game the declarer wants to play.

Suit Games

No matter the suit chosen for trumps, the four Jacks are top trumps. Jacks rank in this order:    

Trumps Ranking: J, J, J, J,  A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7 

Nontrumps Ranking: A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7

Grand Games

The four jacks are the only trumps, ranking in this order:    

Nontrumps Ranking: A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7

Null Games

No trumps. Cards rank: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7

In suit and grand games, cards have the following point values:

J: 2   A: 11  10: 10   K: 4   Q: 3   9: 0   8: 0   7: 0

There is 120 total points.

THE DEAL

The first dealer is chosen randomly, the deal passes left. The dealer shuffles and then the player to their right cuts the deck. The dealer deals 3 cards to each player, 2 cards to the center (this is the skat), then 4 cards to each player. If the dealer is the fourth player, they deal to each other player and sit out.

THE AUCTION/THE BID

A bid is a possible value of points that are available within the game. For example, 20, 25, 33, 60 points, etc. The lowest bid is 18 points.

The player to the left of the dealer is the forehand (F), the player to the left of the forehand is the middlehand (M), and the player to their left is the rearhand (R). If there are only 3 players, the dealer is the rearhand. F is senior to M and M is senior to R. Senior players only have to match the bid of their junior’s to win the bid. Junior players must exceed the bids of seniors to win.

Auctions begin with F and M. M bids first, either passing or bidding (typically bidding the minimum of 18). F may either pass, and decide to not have the opportunity to be declarer, or say yes and match M’s bid. If F says yes, M may either pass or increase their bid. F decides whether to pass or match M;s bid again. This continues until either F or M drops out by passing. If a player passes they can no longer bid on the hand.

The second portion of the bid is between R and the winner of F and M’s bid. R must increase their bids as the junior, to which F or M must match. Whoever does not pass becomes the declarer, or the winner of the bid.

If M and R both pass, F may be declarer by bidding 18 or cards are thrown in and re-dealt.