Foster's Complete Hoyle: An Encyclopedia of Games / Including all indoor games played to-day. With suggestions for good play, illustrative hands, and all official laws to date

by R. F. Foster

THE LAWS OF SKAT.

THE GAMES.

1. The following are the unit values of the various games:—

Frage shall not be allowed. Tournée in diamonds 5, in hearts 6, in spades 7 and in clubs 8. Solo in diamonds 9, in hearts 10, in spades 11 and in clubs 12, Turned grand 12, gucki grand 16, solo grand 20 and open grand 24. Gucki nullo 15, open gucki nullo 30, solo nullo 20, open solo nullo 40, and revolution, if played, 60. Uno and duo, if played, shall be worth 20, or if played open 40.

2. When there are trumps, the unit value of the game shall be multiplied as follows: 1 for game; 2 for schneider; 3 for announcing schneider, or for making schwarz without having made any announcement; 4 for schwarz after having announced schneider; and 5 for announcing schwarz. To each of these multipliers shall be added one for each matadore, “with” or “without.”

3. In tournées, if the player says “passt-mir-nicht” to the first card and takes the second, he loses double if he loses his game. In guckis, whether grand or nullo, the player loses double if he loses his game.

4. The value of Ramsch shall be 20 points, to be charged to the player losing the game. If one player takes no trick, the loser shall be charged 30 points. If two players take no trick, the loser shall be charged 50 points. The winner of the last trick takes the skat cards. If there is a tie between two for high score, the winner of the last trick shall be the loser. If the last trick is taken by the low score, and the others are tied, the two high scores lose 20 points each. If all three are tied at 40 points each, there is no score.

5. In all games which are played “open,” the hand of the single player must be laid face up on the table before either adversary plays a card; but the adversaries shall not be allowed to consult, neither can they dictate to the player what cards he shall play.

FORMATION OF TABLE.

6. Any number from three to six may form a table, but there shall be only three active players in each deal, and they shall be known respectively as Vorhand, Mittelhand, and Hinterhand. Those who hold no cards shall share the fortunes of those opposed to the single player whose score is put down.

7. There shall be as many deals in each round as there are players at the table, and no person shall be allowed to withdraw from the game during a round unless the others consent to a substitute and such substitute be found.

8. Newcomers can enter the table only after the conclusion of a round and with the consent of the other players. The new candidate for play must take his seat so that he shall have the deal.

9. If seats are drawn for, the lowest skat card shall have the first choice. The next lowest shall sit on his left, and so on. In cutting, the cards and suits rank as in play. The one drawing the lowest card shall deal the first hand, and the score shall be kept by the player on his right.

10. The game shall come to an end only at the conclusion of a round, and any player wishing to stop must give notice before the beginning of a round.

CARDS.

11. There are thirty-two cards in the pack, the rank and value of which are as follows: Jack 2; ace 11; ten 10; king 4; queen 3; the nine, eight and seven having no counting value.

12. The suits shall always outrank one another in the same order; clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds. The four jacks, or Wenzels, which are always the four best trumps, shall outrank one another in the same order.

13. In Nullo, the cards rank: A K Q J 10 9 8 7, and the suits and jacks are all of equal rank.

DEALING.

14. When four or more play at the same table, the dealer takes no cards, but gives cards to the two sitting immediately on his left and to the one next him on his right.

15. When only three play, Hinterhand shall deal the cards.

16. The deal passes in regular order to the left.

17. After being thoroughly shuffled, the pack must be presented to the pone (the player sitting on the dealer’s right) to be cut, and at least three cards must be left in each packet. Any player may demand a right to shuffle the cards before they are dealt, but the dealer shall have the last shuffle before presenting the cards to be cut. If any card is exposed in cutting, there must be a new cut.

18. The dealer shall give each active player cards, three at a time for the first round, face down, beginning on his left. He shall then lay aside, face down, two cards for the skat. Each player shall then receive four cards at a time for the second round, and finally three cards at a time for the last round.

19. If any card is found faced in the pack, or if the pack be proved incorrect or imperfect, there must be a new deal. An imperfect pack is one in which there are duplicate or missing cards, or cards so torn or marked that they can be identified by the backs.

20. Should a player deal out of his turn, the deal must stand if it is complete; otherwise there must be a new deal by the right dealer. When the deal stands, the next deal must be by the player who should have dealt, and subsequent deals must be so arranged that there shall be the right number to each round. A player dealing out of turn may be penalized 10 points.

ERRORS IN DEALING.

21. There are no misdeals. No matter what happens, the same dealer must deal again if it was his proper turn to deal.

22. If a card is exposed by the dealer during the deal, there must be a new deal; or if the cards of the players become confused, so that the dealer cannot separate them.

23. If the dealer gives too many or too few cards to any player, or neglects to lay out the skat cards in their proper turn, or does not give the right number of cards in each round, or gives three to one player and four to another, or fails to present the pack to be cut, there must be a new deal, and the dealer is charged 10 points for the error.

THE SKAT CARDS.

24. Any active player taking up or seeing either or both the skat cards when he is not entitled to do so shall be debarred from bidding that deal. If any but an active player look at either of the skat cards, 10 points shall be deducted from his score.

25. If any Kiebitz (an onlooker not belonging to the table) looks at either of the skat cards, he may be called upon to pay the value of the game.

26. If an active player look at the skat cards during the play, he not having laid out those cards from his own hand, his game is lost if he is the single player. If he is opposed to the player, the player’s game is won, but it may be played out to see if he can make schneider or schwarz.

27. Should an active player take one or both the skat cards into his hand by mistake, before the bidding begins, the dealer shall draw from his hand, face down, enough cards to reduce his hand to ten, and the player in fault shall be charged 25 points penalty, and be debarred from bidding for that deal. If, in three-hand, the player in fault is the dealer, Vorhand shall draw.

28. Should the successful bidder take both the skat cards into his hand together, or pick them up together, he shall be obliged to play a Gucki Grand, unless he has announced to play Nullo. Should he put the first card into his hand without showing it, he shall be obliged to turn up the second card and play Passt-mir-nicht.

29. The player may turn up either of the skat cards; but should he expose both he must play the suit of higher value.

30. Should he turn a jack, he may either play in suit or announce a turned Grand.

31. A player turning up a seven cannot announce a Nullo unless it has been previously agreed to play turned Nullos, which are worth 10 points.

32. The player who takes the skat cards must lay out two cards in their place before a card is led. Should he neglect to lay out for the skat before he plays to the first trick; or should he lay out more or less than two cards, and not discover the error until the first trick has been turned and quitted, he shall lose his game.

BIDDING.

33. All bidding shall be by numbers representing the value of some possible game, and the lowest bid allowed shall be 10.

34. Mittelhand must bid to Vorhand, and Vorhand must either undertake as good a game as that offered him, or pass. If Vorhand passes, Hinterhand bids to Mittelhand, and Mittelhand must either undertake as good a game as that offered, or pass. If Mittelhand passes, when bidding to Vorhand, Hinterhand must bid to Vorhand: but Hinterhand is not allowed to say anything until either Mittelhand or Vorhand has passed.

35. Any figure once named cannot be recalled. A player having once passed, cannot come into the bidding again.

36. The survivor of the bidding shall be known as the Player, and shall have the privilege of naming the game to be played; the two other active players being his adversaries.

37. If no bid is made, and Vorhand will not undertake to play any game against the two others, they must play Ramsch.

ANNOUNCEMENTS.

38. The player, if he does not use the skat cards, may announce any suit for the trump, or he may play a Grand or Nullo.

39. If he wishes to announce schneider or schwarz, he must do so when he names the game to be played, and before a card is led. All Open Grands are compulsory “schwarz announced.”

40. The manner of taking up the skat cards, when the player uses them, is sufficient announcement for a Tournée, Passt-mir-nicht, or Guckser; but a Gucki Nullo must be announced before the skat cards are touched, and open Gucki Nullo must be announced before the skat cards are seen.

41. The player is not allowed to announce either schneider or schwarz in any game in which he uses the skat cards.

42. The adversaries cannot announce schneider or schwarz under any circumstances.

43. No player but Vorhand can announce Ramsch, and then only when no bid has been made.

PLAYING.

44. In Tournée, but not in Solo, Grand, or Nullo, the player may, in order to avoid the possibility of being made schneider, abandon his game as lost before playing to the second trick. The adversaries are then bound to score it as a “game” lost, even if they could have made the player schneider.

45. No matter who is the single player, Vorhand shall always lead for the first trick. The winner of one trick leads for the next, and so on, and each player in turn must follow suit if he can.

46. If, during the play of the hand, any player is found to have a wrong number of cards, the others having their right number, only those who have their right number can win the game. If it is the player who has a wrong number, his game is lost. If it is one of his adversaries, the player’s game is won.

47. If the single player leads out of turn, the cards must be taken back if the trick is not complete and the adversary who has not played demands it. If both adversaries have played to the false lead, the trick stands. If an adversary has played to his false lead, the player cannot take it back unless the other adversary permit it.

48. If an adversary of the player leads out of turn, and the player calls attention to it, the player may immediately claim his game as won and abandon the hand; or he may insist that the play proceed with a view to making the adversaries schneider or schwarz. Whether he proceeds or not his game is won, and he may either let the false lead stand, or insist on a lead from the proper hand.

49. If, during the progress of the hand, the player lays his cards on the table, face up, and announces that he has won his game by reaching 61 or 91, whichever may be necessary to make good his bid, and it is proved that he is mistaken, he loses his game, even if he could have taken up his cards again and won it.

50. If an adversary lays his cards on the table, face up, and claims to have already defeated the player’s game, all that adversary’s cards shall be taken by the player and counted with the tricks already taken in by the player. If the adversary be found to be in error, the player shall score his game as won, even if he would have lost it had it been continued.

51. If the single player gives up his game as lost, and lays his cards on the table, the adversaries shall take all such cards and add them to their own, and count their cards to see if they have also made the player schneider.

THE REVOKE.

52. Should the single player revoke, and not discover the error before the trick is turned and quitted, he loses his game. If he discovers the error and corrects it in time, there is no penalty; but any adversary who plays after him may amend his play.

53. If either adversary of the player revokes, the player may claim his game as won; but he may insist on playing the hand out to see if he can make schneider or schwarz. Even if the single player has overbid his hand, he wins his game if either adversary revokes.

LOOKING BACK.

54. Any active player may see the last trick turned and quitted, provided no card has been led for the next trick. Should a player look back at any other trick, or count his cards, he loses the game; but either of the others may insist on playing on to see if they can make schneider.

55. If an adversary of the player tell his partner how many points they have taken in, or ask him to fatten a trick which is his, or call attention in any way to the fact that the partner’s play should be thus or so, the single player may at once claim his game as won, and abandon his hand.

SCORING.

56. The single player wins his game if he reaches 61 points. He wins schneider if he makes 91. He wins schwarz if he gets every trick.

57. If the adversaries reach 30, they are out of schneider. If they reach 60, they defeat the player. If they get to 90, they make him schneider; and if they win every trick they make him schwarz.

58. The value of the game having been calculated according to Law No. 2, the amount won or lost shall be entered on the score pad under the name of the individual player, and each following item shall be added to or deducted from the previous total, so that the last entry shall at all times show the exact state of the player’s score.

59. At the end of the sitting each player wins from or loses to each of the others at the table the full amount of his score.

60. In every case in which a player loses his game, he loses what he would have won if he had been successful, regardless of the amount he may have bid; but,

61. If the player fails to win a game equal to the amount he has bid, he loses the value of the next higher game which would have made his bid good; because in no case can a player lose less than he bid, and in every case must he lose some multiple of the game which he declared to play.