Schnapsen♠

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Context and deal

Schnapsen is an Austrian relative of German Sixty-Six. This is soft Schnapsen with Viennese closing, not the stricter sharp form. Use A,10, K, Q, J in each suit, ranked in that order and worth 11,10,4,3,2. Choose the first dealer randomly and alternate. Shuffle and cut; deal three each, expose one trump indicator, then two each. Put the remaining nine cards face down across the indicator: the ten-card stock includes it. Non-dealer leads.

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Open stock and declarations

With the stock open, play any card: following and trumping are optional. Highest trump wins, otherwise the higher led-suit card. Winner draws first, loser second; winner leads next. On the last draw the loser receives the face-up indicator. When leading before drawing stops, exchange the trump jack for the indicator if desired.

When leading, show K+Q of one suit and lead either to announce 20, or 40 in trumps. The bonus becomes effective only after you win a trick; opening-lead declarations are allowed. Marriages remain available after closing and do not change trumps. In this soft profile you may inspect your own won tricks; after the next lead, not your opponent’s.

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Strict play and closing

After natural stock exhaustion, or voluntary closing, follow suit and beat the lead if possible; otherwise follow lower. If void, trump; if no trump, discard. At your lead with both hands restored to five cards, you may close by turning the indicator down on the stock. You may first exchange the jack. No more cards are drawn. Our soft profile permits closing with only the last two stock cards remaining. The closer promises to reach 66 and claim legally.

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Claims, hand result and match

Keep card points and marriages mentally. Claim 66 immediately after winning a trick or declaring an effective marriage; stop and verify. A correct claim wins even if the opponent had already reached 66 without claiming. Ordinary wins earn 1 match point if opponent has at least 33 card points,2 if fewer but at least one trick,3 if no tricks. A false claim awards the opponent 2, or 3 if they have no tricks.

For a successful closer, determine 1/2/3 from the opponent’s position when the stock was closed. If the closer fails to claim 66, loses the last trick or the opponent claims first, the opponent earns 2, or 3 if they had no tricks at closing. Even 66 already accumulated does not save a closer who loses the final trick without having claimed. With no closing and no claim, the last-trick winner earns 1 regardless of totals. Both start at 7 and subtract won match points; first at zero or below wins, so there is no tie.

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Worked claim

You have won 27 card points and at your next lead announce the trump marriage for 40. The effective total is 27+40=67, so you may claim immediately. If the opponent has one trick worth 21, this ordinary win earns 2 match points: your counter falls 7−2=5. If you had closed when the opponent had no tricks, a successful claim would instead earn 3, even if they later took 21.

← On a small screen, scroll the diagram horizontally. →

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Keep the profiles distinct

Sharp Schnapsen restricts inspecting tricks, forbids closing with only two stock cards and requires leading the king when declaring. German Sixty-Six uses 24 cards and additional differences. Do not import those rules into this 20-card profile.

Common questions