How to Play Schnapsen
How to Play Schnapsen
Schnapsen is a quick, thoughtful two-player trick-taking game from Austria. You need a normal deck of cards, and if you need one, you can find a regular deck of playing cards from Playmore. This guide uses one common standard version; family and regional house rules can vary.
Quick facts
| Item | Standard rule |
|---|---|
| Players | 2 |
| Cards | 20 cards: ace, ten, king, queen, jack in each suit |
| Hand size | 5 cards per player |
| Goal | Reach 66 card points in a hand |
| Card order | Ace, ten, king, queen, jack |
What you are trying to do
Your aim is to collect at least 66 points before your opponent. You collect card points by winning tricks. A trick is one card played by each player, with the stronger card taking both cards. You can also score a marriage, which means holding the king and queen of the same suit and announcing the pair when you lead. The first player to reach 66 and correctly announce it wins the hand.
What you need
Use a 52-card deck, but remove every card from two through nine. The remaining cards are the ace, ten, king, queen, and jack in each of the four suits, making 20 cards. You also need a way to record the game score, such as paper and a pencil or a notes app.
Card points are ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, and jack 2. For winning, cards rank ace high, then ten, king, queen, and jack. Any trump beats a card from another suit.
Set it up
Choose a dealer. Shuffle, then deal three cards to each player. Turn the next card face up; its suit is trump, the special suit that beats the other suits. Deal two more cards to each player, giving everyone five cards. Place the rest of the deck face down across the face-up trump card. This stack is the talon, or draw pile, and the trump card should remain visible.
The non-dealer leads the first trick. The trick winner leads the next one. Switch the dealer after each hand.
How to play
- Lead a card. The leader plays any one card face up. The other player responds with any card during this first part of the hand. You do not yet have to follow the suit led or play a trump.
- Decide who wins. If the two cards have the same suit, the higher card in the order above wins. If one card is trump and the other is not, the trump wins. If both are different non-trump suits, the card led wins. The winner takes the trick and adds both cards' point values to their running total.
- Draw new cards. The trick winner draws the top card of the talon first. The loser draws next. Each player should return to five cards while cards remain. The winner then leads the next trick.
- Use a trump jack exchange. If you hold the jack of trumps and it is your turn to lead, you may exchange it for the face-up trump card before leading. You may do this only while the talon is still open and cards remain. The face-up card becomes your trump jack, and the jack becomes the visible trump card.
- Announce a marriage. When leading, you may show the king and queen of the same suit and declare a marriage. A marriage is worth 20 points. A king and queen in the trump suit is a royal marriage worth 40 points. Lead one card of the pair and show the other. The points count only if you win at least one trick during the hand, so keep that condition in mind.
- Close the talon if ready. After you have drawn a replacement card and both players have five cards, the leader may close the talon by turning the visible trump card face down on top. Closing promises that the leader can reach 66 using the cards already held. No one draws again, and the strict endgame rules begin immediately.
- Play strictly after closing or exhaustion. The responding player must follow the suit led if possible. If able, they must play a higher card of that suit. If they cannot beat it, they play a lower card of that suit. If they have none of the led suit, they must play a trump; if they have no trump either, they may play any card. When a trump is led, they must play a higher trump if possible, otherwise a lower trump; with no trump, any card is allowed.
- Call “66.” As soon as you have at least 66 points, announce it after winning a trick or making a valid marriage score. Stop play and check your total. If you call correctly, you win the hand. If you call before reaching 66, your opponent wins the hand, so count carefully.
How you win
A hand ends when a player correctly announces at least 66 points. If nobody announces 66 before the cards run out, the player who wins the final trick wins the hand, even if that player has fewer than 66 card points. For a simple first game, record one game point for each hand won and agree to play until someone has seven game points. Traditional scoring can award more game points depending on the opponent's score, but you can add that system after you are comfortable.
Easy first-game tips
Count points as soon as you win a trick. Aces and tens are powerful because they are high and valuable, while jacks are usually safer to lose. Do not announce a marriage unless you expect to win a trick, so its bonus will count. Watch which trumps have appeared.
Close the talon only when your hand can survive the strict rules and has enough likely points. If unsure, keep drawing. Lead cards that reveal information, and save a winning trump for a valuable trick.
Quick questions
Do I have to follow suit at the start?
No. Until the talon is closed or exhausted, the second player may play any card.
Can a marriage be announced after the talon closes?
Yes. In this Schnapsen version, the leader may still announce a valid marriage when leading a later trick.