Objective of the Game
Schnellen, also known as "Jassen", is a popular card game especially in Switzerland. The aim of the game is to collect tricks and points (called "augen") to have the highest score by the end.
Number of Players
Schnellen is typically played with four players, but variations exist for three players.
Cards
A Swiss Jass deck consisting of 36 cards is used. The cards are divided into four suits: hearts, bells, spades, and acorns. Each suit has cards ranging from 6 to Ace.
Gameplay
- Dealing Cards: Each player receives nine cards.
- Determining Trump: Players usually decide together or via a random method to choose a trump suit, i.e., the suit that can beat others irrespective of their value.
- Playing Tricks: The player to the dealer's left starts by playing a card. The other players must play a card of the same suit if possible (following suit). If they can't, they may play a trump card or discard a different card.
- Evaluating Tricks: The player with the highest card of the played suit or the highest trump card wins the trick and collects the cards played.
- Round Objective: The game progresses over several rounds. The goal of each round is to reach a predetermined score through won tricks. Cards have assigned point values (e.g., Ace = 11, Ten = 10, etc.).
Important Rules and Strategies
- Trump Suit: Use trump cards wisely, as they are rare and can be decisively strategic.
- Sacrificing Tricks: It might be beneficial to lose a trick to save better cards for later.
- Card Counting: Keep track of cards played, especially high and trump cards, to make better strategic decisions.
End of the Game
The game ends after a predetermined number of rounds or when a player reaches a certain score. The player with the highest total score wins the game.
