Goal of the Game
Schnapsen is a traditional Austrian card game for two players. The main objective of the game is to be the first to reach 66 points or more to win a game or to play until the stock is exhausted and then have more points than the opponent.
Materials
- A deck of 20 cards – 5 cards (Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten) in each of the four suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Spades, Clubs).
Setup
- Determine the dealer: Each player draws a card, and the player with the higher card is the dealer. The dealer shuffles the deck and gives his opponent the chance to cut.
- Each player receives five cards.
- The top card of the remaining deck is turned face up to determine the trump suit and is pushed back under the deck so it remains partially visible.
Gameplay
The game consists of two main phases.
First Phase: The Stock is Present
- The non-dealer leads the first trick by playing a card.
- The dealer then plays a card and does not have to follow suit or use the trump to win a trick in this phase.
- The winner of the trick is the one who played the highest card of the led suit or the highest trump card if a trump card was played. The winner gathers the trick and draws the top card from the stock, followed by the loser drawing a card.
- A player can announce 20 points when holding a King and Queen of the same suit or 40 points if in the trump suit. These announcements must be made before playing a card after winning a trick.
Second Phase: The Stock is Exhausted
- Once the stock is empty or a player declares a "Close," the second phase begins.
- Players must now follow suit and trump rules. This means the player must follow the lead suit if possible or play a trump card if unable to follow suit but holds a trump.
- Closing: A player can declare the deck closed by turning the trump card to their side before playing a card, provided they believe they can still reach 66 points.
End of the Game and Scoring
- Scoring: Aces count as 11 points, Tens as 10 points, Kings as 4 points, Queens as 3 points, and Jacks as 2 points.
- A player wins the game by collecting 66 points and declaring it.
- Alternatively, a player wins if, after the stock is exhausted, they have more points than their adversary.
- The game ends immediately once a player reaches 66 points and declares it, or when the opponent cannot win any other tricks.
Strategy Tips
- Try to win as many high cards in the tricks you collect as possible.
- Pay attention to the cards already played to estimate which cards are left in the game.
- Delay "closing" the stock until you're confident you can win the remaining tricks or have enough points.
