Bohemian Schneider

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards
3. Who beats what
4. Setup and deal
5. Playing a trick
6. Scoring
7. Winning the game
8. Tips for beginners
9. Variants

Overview

Bohemian Schneider is a simple trick-taking game for two and a good first card game for children. In each trick, one player leads a card and the other may try to win it – but only with the one card directly above it in the same suit. There are no trumps and you never have to follow suit.

At the end of a deal you don't count points, you count honours: Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks and 10s. Whoever takes 11 of the 20 honours wins the deal; with 16 or more, the opponent is Schneider and you win double (all 20: triple).

• Players: 2.
• You need: one standard 52-card deck, paper and pencil.

The cards

Take out the 7, 8, 9, 10, J, Q, K and A of every suit – 32 cards. The 2s to 6s are not used.

In every suit the cards rank, from highest to lowest:

A – K – Q – J – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7

The 10 is in its usual place, between the Jack and the 9.

Honours are the five highest cards of each suit – A, K, Q, J and 10 – so there are 20 honours in the game. The 9s, 8s and 7s count nothing.

Who beats what

This is the heart of the game: a card can only be beaten by the card one step higher in the same suit.

So the 10♠ can only be won by the J♠. The Q♠ or the A♠ can't take it, and neither can any card of another suit.

Setup and deal

1. Each player draws a card; the higher card deals first. After that the deal alternates.
2. The dealer shuffles and deals six cards to each player, in two packets of three.
3. The other 20 cards go face down in the middle as the stock (draw pile).

Playing a trick

1. The non-dealer leads to the first trick: they play any card from their hand face up.
2. The other player may take the card by playing the card directly above it in the same suit. They then win the trick – both cards.
3. If they can't, or don't want to, they play any other card, and the leader wins the trick. There is no duty to follow suit and no duty to win a trick, even if you could.
4. The winner puts the two cards face down in front of them, draws the top card of the stock, and then the other player draws. So both players have six cards again.
5. The winner of the trick leads to the next one.

When the stock is empty, play out the last six cards each without drawing. A deal has 16 tricks.

Example: Ben dealt, so Anna leads the 10♠. Ben holds the J♠ – the only card that can take it – and plays it. He wins two honours, draws first, and leads next. He leads the K♥. Anna doesn't hold the A♥, so she plays the 7♣, a card worth nothing, and Ben wins that trick too.

Scoring

After the last trick, each player counts the honours in their tricks. Together that's always 20.

With 10 honours each, the deal is a draw and nobody scores.

Example: Anna has 13 honours in her tricks, Ben 7. Anna wins the deal and scores 1 point. Next deal, Ben takes 17 honours and Anna only 3: Anna is Schneider, and Ben scores 2 points.

Winning the game

Agree on a number of deals before you start – an even number, so that both players lead first equally often, e.g. six – or on a playing time. The player with more points at the end wins; if you are level, play one more deal.

Tips for beginners

• Remember the honours. Each card has only one card that can beat it, so knowing what has already been played is everything.
• Lead safe cards. A card is safe when the card that beats it has already gone or is in your own hand: with the K♥ and the A♥ in your hand, the K♥ can't be taken.
• An Ace led always wins. Leading one gets you the trick and keeps the lead.
• Throw away worthless cards. When you can't or won't take a trick, give away a 7, 8 or 9 – any honour you play goes to your opponent.
• Keep your "takers". If your opponent is likely to lead the Q♦, hold on to the K♦ for it.

Variants

All optional – agree before you play.

• Any higher card: a card can be beaten by any higher card of the same suit, but you must follow suit if you can; only if you can't may you play any card. This version is described by Erhard Gorys.
• Any suit: a card can be beaten by the next higher rank in any suit (a 10 by any Jack). David Parlett mentions this.
• Seven beats Ace: the 7 of the same suit can take an Ace, so no card is completely safe. Also from Parlett.