PRICE TWENTY-FIVE CENTS Skat Up To Date By R. F. FOSTER NEW YORK Dick & Fitzgerald SKAT UP TO DATE BY R. F. FOSTER AUTHOR OF ''THE GIST OF BRIDGE" " COMPLETE PINOCLE," Etc. COPYRIGHT, 1909, BY DICK & FITZGERALD NEW YORK DICK & FITZGERALD 18 ANN STREET Two cepies Received JAN 13 1909 1 copyniErt Entry -J I ^ COPY a. _ SKAT UP TO DATE. Owing to the efforts of the German and the American Skat Leagues, working in harmony, the game of Skat is now redueed to a uniform system and it is probable that there will be little or no further change in the principles of play or the methods of scoring. Skat is played with a thirty- two -card pack, the rank of the cards being Ace, Ten, King, Queen, Nine, Eight, Seven. The four Jacks are always the best trumps, no matter what the trump suit may be, and these four Jacks always outrank each other in the same order: — Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds; Clubs being the best. There are several ways of determining what the trump suit shall be in each deal, each method making a distinctive game as it is called. The Players. Each player is for himself, and the object is to secure an indivi- dual score for the greatest number of points won. These points have a value previously agreed upon. In the big tournaments it is a fourth of a cent. There are only three active players in each deal, one of whom se- cures the privilege of playing against the two others by outbidding them. The successful bidder is called \h.Q player, and he names the game that shall be played in that hand ; and it is the value of that game which he wins from (or loses to) each of the others at the table. Four or five persons can belong to the table, taking turns to sit out for one deal, but still sharing in the fortunes of the hands that they do not actually play, winning from or losing to the successful bidder. Each deal is a game in itself, but there must be an equal number of rounds, so that each player at the table shall deal the same number of times. In tournaments, twenty rounds are played, which makes eighty deals with four at the table ; sixty deals with three only. Any one can deal the first hand, after which the deal passes to the left. The score-keeper should sit on the right of the first dealer, so that his deal shall mark the end of a round. 4 SKA T. Dealing. After the pack is shuffled, it is presented to the player at the dealer's right hand to be cut, and at least five cards must be left in each packet. Ten cards are given to each active player ; three at a time the first round, then two cards face down for the skat, then four to each player, and finally three to each. No trump is turned. When there are four at the table, the dealer takes no cards him- self. When five play, the dealer gives cards to the two players on his left and the one on his right. Bidding. The cards dealt, the bidding begins, the object being to determine which player of the three who hold cards has the most valuable game and is willing to play it against the two others combined as partners. The bidding is by figures, which represent the minimum number of points that the bidder will undertake to win. As a rule, all bids start with ten, as that is the least any player can make on a hand ; but each higher bid must be the value of some possible game. The highest bidder engages himself to play a game which is worth at least as much as he bids. It may be worth a great deal more, but it is not necessary for him to bid more than enough to secure the privilege of playing the game he wants. This is the position of the players at the table, with their names : — Mittelhand Vorhand Hinterhand Dealer When there are only three players at the table, the deale'r is al- ways Hinterhand. Vorhand has the first privilege to name any game he pleases ; but he must name something. If any other player wishes to take this privilege from Vorhand, he must ask Vorhand how much his game is worth ; and if the one who asks makes a better bid, Vor- hand must allow him to play it. To bid a game of equal value is not enough ; it must be worth more, or Vorhand will retain his privilege. SKAT. 5 Mittelhand makes the first bid, Hinterhand saying nothing until either Mittelhand or Vorhand passes, when he can bid to the sur- vivor in case he has a still better game to offer than the survivor. The bids are made by naming a certain figure, which is supposed to be a question. Mittelhand starts by saying, "Ten?" which means, " Is your game worth ten ? " If Vorhand has a. game that he is willing to play, he says, "Yes," and Mittelhand must then bid higher, or pass. There is no limit to the number of times that Mittelhand may increase his bid if Vorhand continues to say "Yes "; but the moment that Vorhand says " No " or passes, it means that \i\s game is not worth as much as is bid, or else that he does not care to risk playing it. It then becomes Hinterhand's turn to bid to Mittelhand. If Mittelhand had passed, Hinterhand bids to Vorhand. The successful bidder becomes the player for that deal, and he may name any game that is worth as much as he has bid or said "Yes" to; but he cannot name a cheaper game. If he has bid twenty-four, he cannot play a game which is worth twenty only ; but he can play one which is worth sixty or eighty, if he likes. The Games. There are three varieties of games played and two ways of de- termining each of them. The successful bidder can name a whole suit for trumps, which will include the four Jacks ; or he can name the Jacks as the only trumps ; or he can play with no trumps at all. He may determine the trump suit by turning up either of the skat cards, or he may name the suit that he finds best fitted to the hand dealt him, without touching the skat cards. If he turns up one of the skat cards and it suits him for the trump, he shows it to the other players at once, before touching the second skat card. If it does not suit him, he can put it into his hand without showing it and turn up the second card. This must then be the trump, even if it does not suit him as well as the first card. If he should put both cards into his hand without showing either of them, his opponents name the trump suit after he has discarded. If he names the trump suit, with or without using the skat cards, there will be eleven trumps in play, four of which will be Jacks, with three plain suits of seven cards each. If he makes Jacks trumps, there will be five suits ; four plain suits of seven cards each and one trump suit of four cards only. These four Jacks will still outrank each other in their order : — Clubs, Spades, Hearts, and Diamonds. When the player turns up one of the skat cards to make the trump, the game is called a tournee. If he does not like the first card and takes the second, it is called a passt-mir-nicht. When a 6 SKA T. passt-mir-nicht game is lost, it costs double. When the trump suit is named without touching the skat cards, it is called a solo. "When Jacks are the only trumps, it is called a solo grand. The usual announcements are : Club (or Spade, &c. ) solo; or, grand. When the card shown in a tournee is a jack, the player ina.y msLke Jacks trumps, or he may choose the suit to which the Jack be- longs. If he prefers to have Jacks only for trumps, it is called a tournee grand, to distinguish it from a solo grand. When there are no trumps at all, the game is known as nulla. The Skat Cards. When the successful bidder uses the skat cards to make the trump, he takes both into his hand before playing, and he must then discard two cards, so as to reduce his hand to ten. In solos, the skat cards remain untouched until the end of the play. They then belong to the player. Cards laid away in the skat by discarding, or cards found in the skat at the end of a solo, count for the player. It is, therefore, to his advantage to discard cards of counting va-lue. Trumps found in the skat will sometimes alter the value of the player's game. GUCKSERS. Sometimes the player would like to try a grand, but is not quite strong enough, or has some unguarded cards. He can then announce guckser, in which he is allowed to take both the skat cards into his hand without showing either of them, and to lay out any two in their place. This is called a. guckser grand a.n6. Jacks are the only trumps. If a. guckser is lost, it costs the player double, like passt- mir-nicht. The Play. The gatne to be played having been determined, Vorhand leads for the first trick, no matter who is the successful bidder. Each player in turn must follow suit if he can ; but there is no obligation to head the trick. The single player gathers in his own tricks, and either of the partners may gather for their side. Game, Schneider, and Schwarz. The object of the game is not to win tricks, but to get home points in the tricks won. There are 120 of these points to be played for in each deal; 30 in each suit. Aces count ii, Tens 10, Kings 4, Queens 3, and Jacks 2 each. The single player must get home 61 of these points, or his game is lost; 60 is not enough. If he gets 91, he makes his adversaries SKAT. Schneider. If he gets every trick, he makes them schwarz. If his opponents get 60, they beat him. If they get 90, they make him Schneider. If they get every trick, they make him schwarz and the j/^a/ cards belong to them instead of to ihQ player. Unit Values. The value of the game that is won or lost depends upon the suit which is made the trump, each suit having a different value. This value varies again according to whether the suit is turned up or is played as a solo. When Jacks are the only trumps, the values again differ. These are called unit values and are shown in the following table : TRUMP SUIT. TOURNEE. SOLO. JACKS TRUMPS. Diamonds. . Hearts . . Spades . . Clubs . . . I I 9 ID II 12 Tournee Grand . . . 12 Guckser Grand ... 16 Solo Grand .... 20 Open Grand ... 24 In an open grand, the player lays his hand face up on the table before a card is led, and guarantees to win every trick. These unit values are always multiplied by i for the game, 2 for Schneider, 3 for schwarz, and I for each matadore. The product of this multiplication is what goes down on the score sheet as won or lost by the single //a^y^r. The Matadores. The matadores are the trumps held by either side in unbroken sequence with the Club Jack. The Club Jack is always a matadore, so that one side or the other must have one, and the lowest multi- plication must be I for the game, and i matadore; twice the unit value. If the single //^jj/ points. If the single player should lose it,* he would be charged as many times the value of the game as there are players at the table besides himself. Four at the table, the Spade solo "against two" would cost him 99 points. Laws of Skat. The following are the Official Rules for tournament play, revised to 1908, and published by the North- American Skat League : 1. Cards must be dealt in the following order, viz.: Three- Skat- Four-Three. (See penalties.) 2. Cards must be cut by the player to the right of the dealer. 3. If all cards are dealt, the game must be played, even if the dealing was done out of turn ; in such case the next deal must be made by the one who should have dealt before, and then proceed as if no mis-deal had been made ; however, omitting the one who SKAT. II has dealt out of his turn, thus each player deals but once during one round. 4. Bids must be made in numbers, the value of which occur in some possible game. 5. Plays or bids below ten points are not permitted. 6. In games in which the aid of the Skat is required, the player must discard two cards, (See penalties.) 7. Schneider or Schwarz cannot be announced in any game in which the aid ot the Skat was required. 8. The Skat must not be looked at by any participant before the ,end of a game, except by \\\.q player when playing a game with the aid of the Skat. (See penalties.) 9. In case a card is served face up, a new deal must be made. 10. The player to be out of Schneider must have at least 31 points, and must have at least 61 points to win his game. The opponents need but 90 points to Schneider th&player and 60 points to defeat his game. 11. In all games that are played Onvert, the player must expose his cards and play openly, meaning that he lay his ten cards, face up, on the table for the observation of his opponents and playing thus from them. 12. If any player leads wrongly (plays out of his order) or neg- lects to follow suit, such error shall terminate the game and the same is to be considered as lost for the side having made the error. (See penalties.) 13. A player bidding ten or more'must play sonxQgame the value of which amounts to the number of points bid by him ; and in case he loses the game, he loses its full value. 14. Ramsch must be played when all participants have passed or failed to bid. 15. If 2, player has overbid his hand, the next higher value of the respective game is counted and charged against the player. (See penalties.) 16. In case a player^ having overbid his hand, plays his game and either of the opponents commits an error, the value of such game is credited to the player and deducted or charged against the opponent who made the error. (See penalties.) 17. Examination of tricks taken, or the counting of the points of such tricks (except the last trick made) shall terminate the play. (See penalties. ) 12 SKA T. i8. Participants have the privilege to examine the last trick made. (This must be done, however, before the next card is played. ) 19. All participants must keep their respective tricks in the order in which the cards were played, so that each trick in a game can be traced at the end of the game. 20. If a player has not heard or misunderstood the bidding of another player, and thereupon has turned one of the cards in the Skat^ the other player shall not be deprived of his rights, provided one of the other players corroborates his statement that he had not passed. The dealer shall then mix the two cards in the Skat, the bidding shall be continued and the player bidding highest shall have the right of playing tournee or any other game. 21. If 2i player, when turning, accidentally sees both cards with- out having announced Fasstnicht, he. shall be compelled to turn the top card and loses the right to play Passt nicht. 22. If, after the termination of a game and after the cards have been thrown together a difference of opinion arises as to which side has won the game, then it shall be the privilege of the player to an- nounce the tricks he has made and what each of them counted. If he does not succeed in convincing the opponents that he really had won the game, the value of same shall be deducted from his score as lost. The player should, in his own interest, see to it that the cards are not thrown together before it has been determined whether the game was won or lost. 23. The player has the privilege to throw his game after the first trick, so as to save Schneider. He loses this privilege after two cards of the second trick are on the table. 24. If it occurs during a tournament that a game without mata- dores, entitled to a prize, is won on account of revoke or playing out of order by one of the opponents, a record of the game as it then stood shall be made and submitted to the Skat Master of the section for his approbation. This record shall be attached to the score sheet, and the Prize Committee shall then decide if the game could have been won without the mistake and, therefore, should be enti- tled to a prize. PENALTIES. ALL PENALTIES IN THE NATURE OF RULES ARE TO BE CONSIDERED AS RULES. I. A dealer misdealing shall be charged with ten points and must deal again.* If in the course of a game it develops that cards had _ * Which said points shall be deducted from his total score at the end of a ses- SKAT. 13 been misdealt, i.e., that one or more players had either too many or not enough cards, then the //«j^r loses the game if he did not have the right number of cards, even if the same thing occurred with one of the opponents. But if the player had the right number of cards and one or both of the opponents had too many or not enough, then \)\^player wins, even if he would have lost the game otherwise. The dealer is not fined in this case. Each player should make sure be- fore beginning the game, that he has ten cards, neither more nor less, in his hand. 2. In games in which the aid of the Skat is required, the player will be charged the full value of the g-ame if he neglects to discard the proper number of cards. 3. If a dealer looks at either of the Skat cards before or during the progress of a game, he shall be charged ten points. * 4. In case a participant examines either of the Skat cards (with- out right) before the termination of a game, such persons shall be charged the full value of the game announced, but the opposing person or persons shall have the privilege of continuing the game for the purpose of increasing the value thereof by making Schneider. 5. If, before 2^ game is announced, it is discovered that the Skat cards are missing or they, or any of them, are in the possession or have been seen by any participant, the dealer shall draw out of the hand of the person having the Skat cards, or any of them, sufficient cards to leave said player ten cards, after which the bidding shall proceed as if no mistake had been made, but the player caus- ing this proceeding shall be fined 25 points and is forbidden to participate in the bidding and denied the opportunity to play any game during this particular deal. * 6. A player mis-leading or neglecting to follow suit loses the game, but any one of the participants has the privilege to have such error corrected and proceed with the game to its end for the purpose of increasing the player's loss. If then one of the oppo- nents makes one of these errors the player wins his game but its value is also charged against the opponent making the error. 7. If either of the opponents leads wrongly (plays out of order) or neglects to follow suit, such error shall terminate the game ; in such case the game is won by the player, and its value charged against the opponent who made the error, but the player has the privilege to have such error corrected and proceed with the * Which said points shall be deducted from his total score at the end of a ses- sion. 14 SKA T. game to its end, for the purpose of increasing the value of t)iegame. If he then makes one of the errors mentioned himself, he loses the game, and the first error is fully condoned. 8. If, in playing solo, the player has overbid his game and one of the opponents makes one of the errors mentioned, he wins the value of the game which he has bid and the same value shall be charged against the opponent making such error. 9. If, during the progress of a game, the player places his re- maining cards upon the table and declares his game won, but is found to have erred, he shall have lost his game, even if he might have obtained all remaining tricks. 10. If, during the progress of a game, any one of the opponents places his cards upon the table, declaring thereby to have defeated the player's game, all the remaining cards belong to the player, and the opponent who erred shall be charged with the full value of the game. 11. If a ^/^jj/