Objective of the Game
Schraumen is a traditional card game that is mainly played in certain regions of Germany. The aim of the game is to score the most points by winning as many tricks as possible.
Setup
For Schraumen, you need a Skat deck consisting of 32 cards. The game can be played with 3 to 5 players. First, deal all the cards evenly among the players.
Course of the Game
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Bidding: The player to the left of the dealer starts the bidding. The bid consists of the number of tricks the player believes they can win. Each player can either make a higher bid or pass. The player with the highest bid plays as the soloist against the other players.
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Trump Suit: The soloist chooses a trump suit to be used for this round. Trumps beat all cards of other suits.
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Trick Play:
- The player to the left of the dealer plays a card.
- The other players follow in clockwise order, also playing a card. If possible, they must follow the suit of the lead card.
- If a player cannot follow suit, they may play a card of a different suit, including a trump.
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The trick is won by the player who played the highest trump card or, if no trump was played, by the player with the highest card of the lead suit.
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Scoring:
- Players count their won tricks at the end.
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If the soloist meets or exceeds the number of tricks they bid, they receive points equal to the number of tricks bid. If not, the other players receive the difference.
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End of the Game: The game ends after a predetermined number of rounds. The player with the most points wins.
Strategic Tips:
- Good Communication: Since the game involves bidding, it's important to assess your hand accurately.
- Careful Trump Selection: Choosing the trump suit can be crucial, especially if you hold multiple cards of a particular value.
- Risk vs. Security: Making overly high bids can be risky; realistically assess your hand to avoid taking on too much.
Overall, Schraumen requires both luck and strategic skill, classifying it as a traditional trick-taking game.
