Schnellen

Full rules

1. Overview
2. The cards
3. Setup and deal
4. In or out
5. Playing the tricks
6. Scoring
7. Winning the game
8. Tips for beginners
9. Variants

Overview

Schnellen is a lively trick-taking game from Tyrol, South Tyrol and Vorarlberg. Everyone starts with 21 points and tries to get down to zero: every trick you win takes one point off. But if you play a deal and win no trick at all, you schnellen – your score shoots back up by five. With weak cards you can drop out of a deal for just one point.

• Players: 3–5, each for themselves.
• 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, plus the 6♦ – 33 cards.

The 6♦ plays the part of the Weli, a special card of the Austrian pack: whatever suit is trumps, the Weli is always the second-highest trump. Trumps are the suit chosen for the deal; any trump beats any card of the other suits.

So there are nine trumps in every deal. The Weli belongs only to the trump suit: when diamonds are not trumps, it doesn't count as a diamond.

A trick is one card from each player who is taking part; the highest trump in it wins, or, if there is no trump, the highest card of the suit led (the suit of the first card).

Setup and deal

1. Write 21 for every player.
2. Choose the first dealer at random. Play goes clockwise; after each deal the player to the left deals next.
3. The dealer shuffles and deals three cards to each player, one packet at a time, then turns the next card face up in front of themselves. Its suit is trumps.
4. Then everyone gets two more cards. The other players now have five cards each. The dealer takes the face-up card into their hand, so they have six, and puts one card face down out of play.
5. If the face-up card is the Weli, the dealer keeps it and turns up the next card for trumps (and puts two cards out of play).
6. The rest of the pack is not used in this deal.

In or out

Starting with the player to the dealer's left and going clockwise, each player except the dealer says whether they play or drop out.

• If you drop out, put your cards face down. You score +1 point for the deal.
• You may only drop out while your score is above 5. With 5 or fewer points you must play.
• The dealer always plays.
• At least one other player must play: if everyone before you has dropped out, you must stay in.

Playing the tricks

Five tricks are played. The first player to the dealer's left who is still in leads – plays any card face up. Then each player still in adds a card, clockwise:

• Follow suit: if you have a card of the suit led, you must play one – and if you have one that is higher than every card of that suit already in the trick, you must play a higher one.
• Trump: if you have no card of the suit led, you must play a trump – one that beats the trumps already in the trick, if you have one.
• Only if you can do neither may you play any card.
• When trumps are led, the Weli counts as a trump: play a trump if you can, a higher one if you can.

The winner of a trick leads to the next one.

Example: Clubs are trumps. Carla leads the K♥. Dan holds the 9♥ and the A♥; he must beat the King, so he plays the A♥. Anna has no hearts, so she must trump: she plays the 7♣. The dealer, Ben, has no hearts either, but holds the Weli (6♦) and the 8♣ – he must beat the 7♣ and plays the 8♣. Ben wins the trick and leads next.

Scoring

After five tricks:

• Every trick you won takes 1 point off your score.
• If you played but won no trick, you schnellen: +5 points.
• If you dropped out, +1 point.

Example: Everyone starts at 21. Ben drops out (22). Anna, the dealer, wins 3 tricks (18), Carla 2 (19) and Dan none (26).

Winning the game

The first player to reach zero (or less) wins. If two players get there in the same deal, the lower score wins – agree on this before you start.

Tips for beginners

• Count the trumps. There are only nine, and the Ace and the Weli are sure winners. A hand with two good trumps is usually worth playing.
• Drop out cheaply. One point for sitting out is far better than five for a deal without a trick.
• Watch the scores. Once you are at 5 or below you can't drop out any more – so the last few points are the hardest.
• As dealer, discard wisely. Throw away a low card of a side suit and keep your trumps.

Variants

Schnellen has countless local rules. These are the most common – all optional, agree before you play:

• Starting score: 15 or 25 instead of 21.
• Hearts double: when hearts are trumps, every trick counts 2 and a deal without a trick costs 10.
• Forced deals: nobody may drop out when the face-up card is a 7 or when clubs are trumps.
• Exchanging: once trumps are known, each player still in may swap up to three cards for new ones from the rest of the pack, in turn clockwise. Four only if you show the Ace of trumps; if you swap all five, you get six and put one away. With five players, the last ones may find the pack running short.
• Bidding for trumps: instead of turning up a card, each player in turn bids how many tricks they will win, the dealer last; every bid must be higher, but the dealer may take the game at the same number. The highest bidder names trumps – or says "high" to play without trumps, when the Weli is the highest card of all. A bidder who misses the number schnellen by 5.
• Short pack: play without the 7s, 8s and 9s – 21 cards.