Wergin on Skat and Sheepshead

Skat and Sheepshead are card games popular in Germany but not as well known in the United States. They are trick-taking games, bearing some similarities to bridge. Bridge players sometimes play these games as a pass-time. Both games are much older than bridge, with longer traditions. A great advantage to Skat is that it is played with only three players. Bridge players are often looking for a fourth, much as Diogenes was always searching for an honest man. Skat can be played until the fourth is finally found.

Skat was first played with Tarot cards. It can also be played just as well with a regular deck of cards, but with all the cards from two-through-six removed, leaving a deck of only 32 cards. The cards are dealt with each player receiving 10 cards and the remaining two cards left in the middle. Then the players bid, with the winning bidder claiming the two cards in the middle. Tricks are played with two players teaming up to try to defeat the winning bidder.

Sheepshead is a related game, similar to Skat, but it has many varieties. It can be played with anywhere from 2 to 8 players. The highest card is the queen, followed by the jack. In Germany, it is called Schafkopf and the rules are a bit different.