Skat: Rules and How to Play
German Skat for three: win the bid to play alone against two without seeing the other hands, and aim for 61 card points. About 15 minutes, free in your browser.
Objective
Declarer aims for 61 card points and a game value reaching the bid; in Null, no tricks. The two defenders cooperate to stop that player.
Setup
- 32 cards: A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each suit. Deal 3 each, skat 2, 4 each, then 3 each.
How to play
- Bid from 18. The listener holds or passes; the highest surviving bidder becomes declarer.
- Take two skat cards and discard two, or play Hand. Declare a suit, Grand or Null.
- Follow suit when possible. In suit games and Grand, jacks are trumps. The winner leads next.
- Declarer wins with 61 points, or no tricks in Null. Game value must also reach the bid.
Card strength and points
Trumps: ♣J > ♠J > ♥J > ♦J > A > 10 > K > Q > 9 > 8 > 7. Other suits omit jacks. Null: A > K > Q > J > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7. Points: A11, 10=10, K4, Q3, J2; 120 total.
Winning and scoring
- Score after the cards run out; Null loses immediately on taking a trick. Win the game value or lose twice it. The highest total after all deals wins; ties share a place.
Defaults on this site
| Item | Default on this site |
|---|---|
| Players | 3 players (set automatically by the party size) |
| Turn time limit | None by default (the host can set 30 or 60 seconds) |
| If someone drops mid-game | Reopening on the same device returns you to your seat. If you do not return, the CPU plays in your place. |
| Draws | In ranked play, a draw counts as halfway between a win and a loss for your rating. |
| Source of the rules | Based on the standard reference rules |
Rules supervised by Qdan, Inc. (based on the standard reference rules)
House rules
Defaults follow the standard reference rules. The party can change these.
| Name | Description | Default | Changeable |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of dealsNumber of dealsRedeals count as deals. The highest final total wins. | Everyone deals equally often. | 9 deals (about 15–20 min) | Changeable |
| ScoringScoringList changes only declarer scores. Tournament adds +50 for winning or −50 for losing, with +40 for each defender on a loss. | Choose list or tournament scores. | List (game value only) | Changeable |
Terms
- Declarer
- Winner of the auction, playing alone against two
- Skat
- Two hidden cards; take them or play Hand
- Grand
- Only the four jacks are trumps
- Null
- No trumps; aim for no tricks
- Matadors
- Trumps held in a row from the club jack down (with), or missing in a row when you lack it (without), counted over the 12 cards of hand and skat
- Schneider
- Losing side has 30 points or less
- Schwarz
- Losing side took no tricks
FAQ
All pass?
No score. The next dealer deals; this still counts as one deal.
Ramsch?
Not included in v1. We use the international redeal rule.
Why jack trumps?
All four jacks form trumps in suit games and Grand; in Null they are ordinary cards.
Game value?
Base × (matadors + game + Hand + Schneider + Schwarz). Null is 23, Null Hand 35.
Overbid?
A value below the bid loses twice the smallest multiple of the base reaching the bid.
Play now with these rules
Last updated 2026-10-08 · Run by Qdan, Inc.