SCHIEBERAMSCH

OBJECTIVE OF SCHIEBERAMSCH: The objective of Schieberamsch is to be the player with the lowest score.

NUMBER OF PLAYERS: 3 Players

MATERIALS: A modified deck of 52 cards, a way to keep score, and a flat play area.

TYPE OF GAME: Trick-Taking Card Game

AUDIENCE: Adults

OVERVIEW OF SCHIEBERAMSCH

Schieberamsch is a trick-taking card game for 3 players. The goal of the game is to have the lowest score at the end of the game by avoiding winning tricks.

SETUP

To modify the deck, you will remove all cards ranked 6 and lower. This will leave you with a 32-card deck.

The first deal is chosen at random and passes to the left for each new deal. The dealer will shuffle the deck and the player to their right will cut it. Then the dealer will deal each player a hand of 10 cards in batches of 3, 4, then 3 again. Between the first batch of 3 and 4 cards, the dealer will deal 2 cards face down into the center of the play area. This is the skat.

After the cards are dealt, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, players may announce Grand Hand (described below). If this is called then Grand Hand is played for this round and then the next round is dealt. If no player calls Grand Hand traditional play is proceeded with.

Card Ranking and Values

The ranking for this game has the trumps consisting of all jacks and then the ranking for the other suits as well. Trumps are ranked Jack of clubs (high), Jack of spades, Jack of hearts, and Jack of diamonds (low). The remaining suits rank Ace (high), 10, King, Queen, 9, 8, and 7 (low).

Each card has a value assigned to it for scoring. Scoring points is bad and should be avoided when possible. Jacks are worth 2 points each, Aces are worth 11 points each, 10s are worth 10 points each, kings are worth 4 points, queens are worth 3 points each, and all remaining cards hold no point value.

GAMEPLAY

If the Grand Hand is not being played the player to the left of the dealer will start by picking up the skat and discarding any two cards from their hand face down to the center play area. The next two players will also be able to do this as well in turn. If a player chooses not to look at the skat and instead just passes it to the next player, it doubled the score for this round. each player may choose to do this meaning the score will be 8 times what it would be traditional.

After the skat has been completed the player to the left of the dealer will start the round. they may lead any card to the trick. All other players must follow suit if able. If jacks are led the suit to follow is the trump suit of all jacks. If a player cannot follow suit, they may play any card including trumps.

A trick is won by the highest trump played, if applicable. If no trumps were played the trick is won by the highest-ranked card played of the suit led. The winner of a trick collects the cards and leads the next trick. The winner of the last trick also collects the two cards form the skat. 

The Grand Hand

If playing the Grand Hand, the player who called it will play solo against the other two players in a team. The skat is not used but is scored by the solo player.

The gameplay is the same, but players are trying to gather points instead of avoiding them. To win the grand hand and not score points the solo player must score 61 or more points from tricks.

Before the first trick is lead, either opponent may call kontra doubling the score, the solo player may call rekontra to double it again.

SCORING

Scoring is done after the round is concluded.

If all players have won at least one trick, then the player who scored the most points for the round scores that many to their game score.

If one player did not score any tricks the other two players must compare scores. The higher of the two doubles that score and adds it to their game score. If there is a tie both do this.

If only one player won all the tricks, they score negative 120 points to their game score.

Keep in mind all points are doubled for each time the skat was passed.

To add the point to your game score you take the points scored for round and divide them by 10, and decimals are dropped. This is added to your game score. Game scores can be negative.

Grand Hand

To score for grand hand it’s a little more complicated. The solo player will either score a positive amount of points (for winning less than 61 points in the round) or a negative amount of points (for score 61 or more points).

The score always starts at 24 and is multiplied based on the cards the player started with and the number of points gathered in the round.

The multiplier starts at 0 and is added to for each of the following scenarios.

If a player has the jack of clubs in their opening hand (which includes the skat) then 1 is added. If they have both the jack of clubs and the jack of spades, then 2 is added. If they have the jack of clubs, spades, and diamonds only then the score is still plus 2. If the opponents have only the jack of spades add one to the solo player’s modifier. If they have only the jack of hearts add 2 to the modifier. And if the opponents have the jack of spades, hearts, and diamonds the modifier has 1 added to it.

2 is always added for game and hand, and 1 is added if one side takes 90 or more points, and 1 is added if either side takes all the tricks.

Once the modifier is found you multiply 24 by the modifier then divide it by 10, dropping all fractions. If the solo player scored 61 or more points during the round, they subtract this number of points from their overall game score. If they scored 60 or fewer points during the round, they add this score to their overall game score.

END OF GAME

The game is played for any number of rounds or until an agreed score is reached. The player with the least number of points wins.

Amber Crook
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