Skat Rules: Germany's National Card Game

Skat is a popular card game originating from Germany, designed for 3 or 4 players. The game requires a standard deck of 32 cards, which can be either German or French-suited cards.

Objective

Skat is a trick-taking game for three active players. Each hand begins with an auction, and the winner of the bidding becomes the declarer, playing alone against the other two in temporary partnership. Some cards carry point values, and the pack holds 120 card points in all: the declarer has to take at least 61 card points in tricks plus skat to win, while the opponents win if their combined tricks hold at least 60.

Two things must not be confused in Skat. Card points decide whether the declarer wins or loses the hand. Game points, which depend on the contract chosen, the position of the top trumps and whether the declarer used the skat, decide how much that hand is worth on the score sheet.

Card ranking and values

In a suit game, the four jacks are the top four trumps whatever suit is named, followed by the seven remaining cards of the trump suit, for eleven trumps in all: J of clubs, J of spades, J of hearts, J of diamonds, then A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7. The three other suits rank A, 10, K, Q, 9, 8, 7.

Instead of naming a trump suit, the declarer may play Grand, where the four jacks are the only trumps, or Null, where there are no trumps, the suits rank A K Q J 10 9 8 7, and the declarer's aim is to lose every trick.

In suit games and Grand the cards are worth: jack 2, ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, and nothing for the 9, 8 and 7 — 120 card points in the pack.

Setup

The first dealer is chosen randomly, and the turn to deal rotates clockwise. The dealer shuffles the cards, and the player to their right cuts the deck. The dealer then deals three cards to each player, followed by two cards face-down in the center of the table to form the Skat, four cards to each player again, and finally three more cards each. If there are four players, the dealer takes no further part in the hand.

How to Play

The Auction

The auction phase determines the contract, the trump suit, and the declarer. The player to the dealer's left is called Forehand (F), the player to their left is Middlehand (M), and the player to their left is Rearhand (R). With three players at the table R is the dealer; with four, R is the player to the dealer's right. Throughout the bidding F is senior to M, who is senior to R.

During the auction, each bid represents the value in game points of a possible contract. The possible bids range from 18 to 60 and above, with the bidder promising to achieve at least the stated value in game points. The principle is that a senior player only has to equal a junior player's bid to win the auction, while a junior player must bid higher than a senior player to win.

The first part of the auction takes place between F and M. M speaks first, either passing or bidding a number. If M bids a number, F can either pass or compete by saying "yes," which means that F bids the same number that M just bid. This continues until either F or M drops out of the auction by passing.

The second part of the auction is similar to the first part, but takes place between R and the survivor of the first part (i.e., whichever of F and M did not pass). As the junior player, R either passes or bids a succession of numbers, the first of which must be higher than any number mentioned in the first part of the auction. To each number bid by R, the survivor must answer "yes" or "pass." The winner of the second part of the auction becomes the declarer, and the bid is the last number the declarer said or accepted.

The Play

The declarer has the right to pick up the two skat cards to improve their hand, discarding two cards face down in their place, and then announces the contract: a trump suit, Grand, or Null. A declarer who prefers to leave the skat untouched plays a Hand game, and the two skat cards still count for the declarer at the end.

Forehand always leads to the first trick, whoever the declarer is. Each of the three players plays one card, so a trick contains three cards and a deal is ten tricks long. Players must follow the suit led if they can; a player unable to follow may play any card, including a trump. Remember that in a suit game the jacks belong to the trump suit, not to the suit printed on them. The highest trump wins the trick, or the highest card of the suit led if no trump was played, and the winner leads to the next trick.

Once the ten tricks are played, the declarer adds the card points taken in tricks to those of the two skat cards. At least 61 of the 120 card points means the contract is made. The declarer generally wins the value of the game in game points if successful, and loses twice the game value if unsuccessful.

Concrete Example

Take a three-player table where R is the dealer, F sits to the dealer's left and M to F's left. M speaks first and bids 18; F answers "yes", meaning F is willing to play a game worth at least 18. M passes, so F survives the first part of the auction. R, as the junior player, must now bid higher than anything already said: R bids 20, F answers "pass", and R becomes the declarer with a bid of 20.

R now has to play a contract whose game value is at least 20 — the bid is a promise about game points, not about card points. If R takes at least 61 card points in tricks plus skat, the game is won and R scores the value of that game; if R falls to 60 card points or fewer, the game is lost and R scores twice that value as a minus.

Scoring and End of Game

Only the declarer scores on a given hand: a successful declarer adds the game value to their score, while a failed one subtracts twice that value. The two opponents record nothing for the hand — their reward is the minus written against the declarer. Because the declarer changes from deal to deal, a session is played over an agreed number of deals, and the player with the highest total at the end wins.

The game value itself is never the same as the card points. It is worked out from the contract chosen, the position of the top trumps (the matadors) and whether the declarer used the skat or played a Hand game, and it must be at least as high as the number the declarer bid in the auction.

Common Variants

Social games gather a long list of extras: tournament scoring, Kontra and Rekontra, Ramsch, Bockrounds and Ramschrounds, Schenken, Spitze, open contracts, Rum, and playing with a pot. Regional forms exist as well — Texas Skat, which stays fairly close to the German game, Tournée Skat, played in Wisconsin until the late 20th century and reflecting the Skat brought over by 19th-century immigrants, and Danish Skat. The description above follows the official German and international rules revised on 1 January 1999, which is how the game is played in German Skat clubs.

A Bit of History

Skat was invented around 1810 in Altenburg, a town some 40 km south of Leipzig, by members of the Brommesche Tarok-Gesellschaft. They took the local game Schafkopf and grafted onto it features of Tarok and l'Hombre, both popular at the time. Altenburg is still regarded as the home of the game and has a fountain dedicated to it.

The game is known throughout Germany, with one notable exception: in Bavaria regular players are relatively few and Schafkopf remains dominant. Skat is also popular in Silesia, in southern Poland, and has smaller followings in Denmark, Austria, eastern France, Switzerland, and in German communities overseas, notably in Namibia. One warning for English speakers: Skat is not the American game Scat, a simple draw-and-discard game about collecting 31 points in a three-card hand.

Where to Get the Game

German Skat Card Game on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not understanding the seniority system during the auction: Remember that senior players only have to equal a junior player's bid to win the auction, while a junior player must bid higher than a senior player to win.
2. Mishandling the skat: the declarer takes both skat cards and then discards two cards face down. Those discards still count as card points for the declarer at the end, so throwing away an ace or a ten is a costly habit.
3. Not paying attention to the trump suit: The trump suit can help the declarer win tricks even when they don't have the highest card of the led suit. It's crucial to remember the trump suit and use it effectively.

FAQ

1. What can you actually bid?

   • Bids are the game values that contracts can take, so they follow a fixed sequence: 18, 20, 22, 23, 24, 27, 30, 33, 35, 36, 40, 44, 45, 46, 48, 50, 54, 55, 59, 60 and upwards. The lowest possible bid is 18, and there is no advantage in bidding higher than you need to.

2. Can I play Skat with more than four players?

   • No, Skat is designed for 3 or 4 players. If you have more players, you can split into multiple tables or play a different game.

3. Can I use a deck of 52 cards to play Skat?

   • No, Skat requires a deck of 32 cards, which can be either German or French-suited cards. Using a deck of 52 cards will result in an incorrect distribution of cards and potentially incorrect gameplay.

4. Can I play Skat online?

   • Yes, there are several online platforms that allow you to play Skat against other players. You can find these platforms by searching for "online Skat games."

5. What is the relationship between Skat and Schafkopf?

   • Skat grew out of Schafkopf: the Altenburg players who invented it around 1810 adapted that local game by adding features of Tarok and l'Hombre. The two belong to the same family, and Schafkopf is still the dominant card game in Bavaria, the one part of Germany where Skat never really took hold.

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