Cheat sheet for Skat
32-card deck (7-A only, no 2,3,4,5,6)
10 cards to each player, two in the skat
Deal goes 3-3-3-2(skat)-4-4-4-3-3-3 by convention
Rank of suits:
clubs ♣ (high), spades ♠, hearts ♥, diamonds ♦ (low)—think of the word “CaSHeD” going from
top to bottom
Rank and point values in trump suit:
J♣, J♠, J♥, J♦
2
A
11
10
10
K
4
Q
3
9,8,7 (spot cards)
0
Rank and point values in all other suits:
(no jacks, they are always trump, except in NULL)
A
11
10
10
K
4
Q
3
9,8,7 (spot cards)
0
If GRAND is declared, only the jacks are trump and they rank as above.
EXCEPTION: NULL games are played with cards in Poker rank (A,K,Q,J,10,9,8,7) and points
are irrelevant—the declarer contracts to take no tricks.
There are 120 points in the deck.
The skat belongs to the declarer upon his winning the bid auction. He may pick it up and discard
two, or leave it down, known as playing “hand”. Hand games score higher and permit him to
make announcements for additional scoring at higher risk.
Making game:
Declarer needs 61 points (i.e., a clear majority) normally to “make game”, unless there are
announcements or NULL is declared.
Defenders need 60 normally to “set” the declarer, i.e., prevent him from making game.
If declarer announces “schneider”, must get 90 points (75% majority) to “make game.”
If declarer announces “schwarz”, must take all ten tricks to “make game”
If declarer plays “open” (ouvert), must take all ten tricks with cards exposed to make game.
If declarer plays NULL, he must take no tricks at all to “make game”
Matadors:
Highest unbroken sequence in trump held in either the declarer’s twelve cards (10 hand + skat)
or the defenders’ twenty cards (10 hand +10 hand) at the beginning of play. Declarer may play
either “with” or “against” the matadors, with one multiplier for each matador (except NULL).
Multipliers for suit and grand contracts:
Number of multipliers determines bid value and score value in [points for any hand except nulls.
Available multiplers in games using the skat Available multiplers in “hand” games (no skat)
Making game
1
Making game
1
Each matador (with or against)
1 ea.
Each matador (with or against)
1 ea.
Playing “hand”
1
Schneider
1
Schneider
1
Announcing and making Schneider 1
Schwarz
1
Schwarz
1
Announcing and making Schwarz 1
Playing “open” & making Schwarz 1
Multipliers are cumulative—if you get one on the list, you are credited with all those above it.
Example: a successful “grand hand with Schneider announced” with two matadors that actually
makes Schwarz gets credit for:
“With two (2), Game (3), Hand (4), Schneider (5), Schneider Announced (6),
Schwarz (7), Times 24 for grand (7 x 24 = 168 total).”
Points for NULL games:
Simple NULL
NULL “hand” (no skat)
NULL “open” (use skat, then play cards exposed)
NULL “open hand” (no skat and play cards exposed)
23
35
46
59
Scoring and bidding:
Declarer WINS if he accomplishes both:
- “makes game” including any announcements (or successfully executes a declared NULL)
- earns enough multipliers to cover his bid.
Add the total multipliers and multiple by base value to get total score.
Base values are: Grand = 24, Clubs = 12, Spades = 11, Hearts = 10, Diamonds =9.
Overbid losses must account for enough multipliers to cover the bid made in the suit played.
Declarer LOSES if either:
- he does not make game including any announcements or takes a trick in a declared NULL
- he does not score enough multipliers to cover his bid (i.e., overbid). This can happen if you go
against the matadors and a high jack turns up in the skat or if you count on making
Schneider and fail.
Score -2 times your hand’s multipliers when you lose.
NOTE: You can lose way more than you bid if you play a risky game with a high score!!
Even worse, if the defenders Schneider you, that’s another multiplier against you, and if they
Schwarz you, that’s yet another multiplier against you--on top of the one for Schneider.
Bid order: Middlehand to Forehand, who accepts or passes, then Rearhand to winner.
WKT 2009
Multipliers
Each Matador With/Without
Game
Hand
Schneider
Announce Schneider
Schwarz
Announce Schwarz
Ouvert (Open)
Trump
→
Bid ↓
18
20
22
23
24
27
30
33
35
36
40
44
45
46
48
50
54
55
59
60
63
66
70
72
77
80
81
84
88
90
96
99
100
108
110
117
120
1 each
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
♦ ♥ Skat ♠ ♣
Scoring Table
♦
♥
♠
♣
B
0
Diamonds
x2
Hearts
Spades
Clubs
Grand
Null
x2
x2
Simple
x2
x3
x3
x3
Hand
x4
x3
x4
x4
x5
Ouvert
x4
x2
x5
x6
x5
Ouvert Hand
x6
x5
x7
x6
x7
x8
x6
x3
x7
x8
x9
x7
x8
x10
x9
x8
x11
x4
x9
x10
x12
x9
x11
x10
x13
x10
x5