Scat Card Game
Learn to play the card game Scat (aka 31 or Blitz), a fantastic draw-based game for up to 9 players.
Skat, card game for three players, but usually four participate, with each player sitting out a turn as dealer. It is Germany’s national card game. It originated in Altenburg, near Leipzig, about 1817 and is played wherever Germans have settled; the International Skat Players Association (ISPA) has affiliates in more than a dozen countries. Thirty-one is a simple card game also known as Scat and Blitz. You can play 31 with two to 10 players and a standard deck of cards. The game is simple enough for younger children and requires both skill and luck as players try to balance getting a good hand and catching others with bad hands. Place a bet to begin! Card Game Rules. Thirty One, or Scat, is a casino type card game for 2 or more people and is played with a standard 52 playing card deck. In Thirty One, Aces are worth 11 points, face cards are worth 10 points and numbered cards are worth their pip value. The objective of the game is to have a hand equal to or as close to 31 as possible. Skat is Germany’s No.1 card game. This popular card game can train your brain to think strategically. The card game Skat is played with 32 cards from ace to seven. You need three players for each Skat game and everyone gets 10 cards.
Today we’re going to veer from the beaten path in detailing an enormously popular card game known across most of Canada as Scat. In the US, it’s often known by the name 31, or Blitz. It should not be confused with Dutch Blitz, the German trick-taking game of Skat, or the higher-point-value target blackjack variant, 31. Scat is unlike any of these.
A turn-based, draw-and-discard game, the object of Scat is to combine same-suit card values to achieve a hand total nearest to 31; the highest possible scoring hand. You’ll need an Ace and a pair of 10-point cards, all of the same suit, to do it. It’s usually a betting game, so grab your quarters and prepare to have some fun.
How to Play the Card Game Scat
You’ll need a single deck of 52 cards and anywhere from 2 to 9 players. Most agree that 3 or 4 players is best, but any number in that range will do. Before starting, a dealer is chosen at random.
Objective – Hand Values
To win Scat, you’ll need to develop a hand that is closest to 31 – closer than that of your opponents. Card values can only be added together if they are of the same suit. Card values are as follows:
- Aces = 11
- Face Cards = 10
- Tens = 10
- 2 – 9 = Pip Value
For example, a hand of A♥, Q♥, 9♣ is only 20 points, not 29 points, because the club does not match the A and Q of hearts. A hand of 3♦, 5♦, 10♠ would be 10 points, since the single 10 is worth more than the 3 and 5 of diamonds combined. And, of course, a hand of A♥, K♥, J♥ is 31 points – the highest possible hand achievable.
Dealing the Cards
The dealer will shuffle all the cards, give them a quick cut, and then pass out three cards to each player, one at a time in clockwise fashion. The next card is played face up in the middle of the table. The rest of the cards are placed face down next to this card as the stock pile, or draw pile.
Playing the Game
The game begins with the player left of the dealer. This player may either take the face-up card from the discard pile, a fresh card from the draw pile, or knock. We’ll talk more about knocking in a moment (see Knocking below). First, let’s describe the normal flow of the game.
After drawing a card (from stock or discard pile), the player will return one card face up to the discard pile. The next player will take a turn, doing the same, and so forth, until someone knocks or declares 31 (see Declaring 31 below).
Notes on Drawing Cards…
Players may only draw the top card from the stock or discard pile. You cannot dig into the discard pile to take a different card.
If a player draws a card from the discard pile, he/she may not discard that same card on the same play.
If the stock pile is empty on the next player’s turn (i.e. no one has yet knocked or declared 31), the game is immediately over. All players reveal their cards. Highest point value wins.
Knocking
A player may only knock at the start of their own turn, before drawing a card. To knock is to call an end to the current hand, generally because the knocker believes he/she have a high enough total to win. The knocking player will not play this turn, but each player after him/her will get one more chance to draw and discard. Once play revolves back around to he/she who knocked, the game is over. All players will reveal their hands. The player with the highest point value wins.
Declaring 31
If a player achieves a hand value of 31 at any point in the game – whether it be right after the dealing of cards, mid-game, or after another player has knocked – the player can immediately declare 31. Declaring 31 instantly wins the game, regardless of what cards anyone else is holding. All other players lose the hand. There can be no tie, since any other player with 31 should have declared first—you snooze, you lose!
Scoring and Winning Scat
Each player begins with three coins or game pieces. Traditionally 3 pennies would be used. Since the eradication of pennies in Canada, quarters have become the preferred coin for playing. Some will use the cheaper nickel, or more valuable loonie, although any symbol of a game piece will do (peanuts, hard candy, nuts and bolts, small wads of paper, anything will do).
For each round of play, all losers of a hand will place one of their coins in the kitty. The winner does nothing, retaining all coins. In case of a tie, all winners keep their coins.
Once a player puts their last coin into the kitty, they are said to be playing “on the county”, or by a variety of known alternatives; “on charity”, “on the dole”, “on grace”, “on welfare”, “on your face”. If you lose a hand while playing on the county, you are out of the game.
The winner of Scat is the last player remaining in the game. If playing Scat for money (or candy), this player wins the kitty. In case of a tie, the winners split the kitty.
Want to learn more about Scat? Check out the links below:
Winning Scat Strategy
Common Rule Variations of Scat
Card Games Derived from Scat
31 Mobile Apps for Android and iOS
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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
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.
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.
THE CONTRACTS
The declarer has the right to pick up the two skat cards. Add them to hand and discard two unwanted cards face-down. The cards discarded can be the one’s picked up. After discarding, the declarer chooses their game. If the declarer looked at the skat cards, the contract is skat game. There are seven options:
Diamonds/Hearts/Spades/Clubs: A suit is declared as trumps, the declarer tries to earn 61 points.
Grand: Only jacks are trumps, the declarer tries to earn 61 points.
Null: No trumps, declarer attempts to lose every trick.
Null Ouvert (Open Null): Played like null with the declarer’s hand exposed.
Player’s can choose to not look at the skat cards. However, the game is called a hand game, with the same contract options.
Declarers in suit hand games and grand hand games can up the stakes by increasing the point value of a game. Player’s may announce Schneider and attempt to win 90 points, Schwarz and attempt to win all the tricks, or Open and play with their hand exposed. This must be announced before the first trick.
THE PLAY
Play moves clockwise. The forehand always leads the first trick and player should try to follow suit if possible. If a player is unable to follow suit they may play any card. Reminder, in suit and grand games jacks are trumps despite suit. For example, if the suit lead with is diamonds, jack of clubs is still the highest trump.
Tricks are won by the highest trump, if no trump is played, the player who takes the trick is whoever played the highest ranking card that followed suit. The winner of a trick leads in the next trick.
Declarers in suit and grand game win if they take at least 61 points (in card values, including the skat). Opponents win if their tricks combined is at least 60 points.
If opponents take 30 or less points they are Schneider, if they take 31+ points they are out of Schneider. Taking no tricks at all means they are Schwarz. These apply to the declarer as well.
Declarers in Null or Open Null games win by losing every trick. Taking a trick is losing.
CALCULATING GAME VALUE
Suit & Grand Contracts
The value of these contracts is determined by multiplying the base value and the multiplier. The base value is dependent on the trump suit.
Contract Base Value
Diamonds 9
Hearts 10
Spades 11
Clubs 12
Grand 24
The multiplier is the sum of the following items:
Multiplier Skat Hand
Matadors 1 each 1 each
(with or against)
Game 1 1
Hand n/a 1
Schneider 1 1
Scat Card Game Strategy
^ (announced) n/a 1
Schwarz 1 1
^ (announced) n/a 1
Open n/a 1
*Every multiplier that is applicable counts.
Matadors
Jack of clubs and a sequence of trumps are called Matadors. If the declarer conforms, they are with that number (of Matadors). If the opponent’s hands combined conforms, the declarer is against. For example,if the declarerhas J, J, J, J, A, 10, K, they are with 7. If the declarer does not have J they are against that number of Matadors.
The smallest multiplier possible is two.
Null Contracts
Nul contracts are simpler to score, contracts have fixed values.
Contract Value Amount lost (if unsuccessful)
Null 23 46
Null Hand 35 70
Null Open 46 92
^ Hand 59 118
THE SCORING
If the declarer wins and the game value is at at least as much as their bid, the game value is added to their cumulative score. However, if the declarer loses and the game value is as least as much as their bid, then double the game value is subtracted from their cumulative score.
If the game value is less than the bid the declarer loses automatically. A number of points taken does not matter. Double the base value is subtracted from their cumulative score.
When the declarer announces Schneider and takes less than 90 points, or announces Schwarz and win a trick, the declarer loses automatically.
Scat Card Game App
REFERENCES:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skat_(card_game)
Scat Card Game In English
https://www.pagat.com/schafk/skat.html