SKAT. A game of cards, the most intricate and perhaps the most scientific of them all. Its origin was in Germany. and dates from about the beginning of the nineteenth century. The derivation of the name is obscure.
Thirty-two cards are used, but, unlike whist cards, they are not double-ended. Not only the face cards, but the spot cards as well, usually show fully executed figures. Three or four per sons take part in the game, although but three are active players, one, the player, playing against the other two. Each player holds ten cards, two being laid aside in the `skat.' The use of these two cards determines the two differ ent styles of playing. With the skat, it is a simple game, or it may be Tourne (an order to turn up one of the cards in the skat), the suit of which becomes trumps. Or it may be without ' the skat, in which latter case the varieties of the game are designated as Solo. Null°, and Grando. The four suits of the cards are: Bich cln (acorn) , the equivalent of clubs; (green), the equivalent of spades; Roth (red), the equivalent of hearts; Schellen (the bells), the equivalent of diamonds in other cards.
The four suits have a graded value, clubs counting the best, spades second, hearts third, and diamonds lowest. The trumping value of the jacks, which constitute the best trumps, fol lows the same order: after which come the ace, ten, king, queen, etc., of the trumps turned. The nine, eight, and seven have no value of their own before the players hid for the privi lege of playing the game. the one offering to play in the highest suit securing the privilege.
This same player, however, is under the neces sity of scoring at least sixty-one points. With sixty, he loses: with thirty points lie is cut ( Schneider ) ; with no count at all he is black ( Schwarz) .
Points are as follows: aces, 11; tens, 10: kings, 4: queens. 3; jacks, 2. After the jacks, the ace is next in value, followed by the ten, king, queen. nine, eight, and seven. The four jacks only are trumps in arando, while in Nutlo there are no trumps at all. Each player must follow suit; but where that is not possible. a trump or any other card may be played. The dealer is determined by dealing one card to each player. until a jack is turned up, the player receiving it dealing the first round. The player to the right of the dealer 'cuts,' after which the cards are dealt to the left, five cards to each of the three active hands (the dealer. should there be four players, remaining inactive, then two cards in the skat, and another five cards to each player. Calling or bidding is according to the following rule: The second hand begins the bid ding by offering a game to the first hand; or, if the second hand elects, the third hand makes the offer, and if he passes, the first hand has the play. Where two equally high games are bid, the first hand has preference to the others, and the second to the third. No player may play a game of less value than his declared intention.