Schieber is Switzerland's national card game: four players in fixed partnerships with 36 cards (six to ace). After the deal, forehand — the player to the dealer's right — picks one of six contracts or shoves the choice to their partner. Each deal is worth exactly 157 points (152 card points plus 5 for the last trick). The first team to 1,000 points wins.
Play now — it's freeThe Swiss Jass pack has 36 cards in four suits (acorns, bells, roses, shields): 6, 7, 8, 9, ten, Under (U), Ober (O), King and Ace per suit.
Each of the four players (two partnerships, partners opposite) receives nine cards, dealt in threes.
Forehand — the player to the dealer's right — looks at the hand and picks one of six contracts: trump acorns, bells, roses or shields, Obenabe (no trumps, ace high), or Undenufe (no trumps, six high).
With a weak hand, forehand may shove (schieben): the choice passes to the partner, who must then declare — shoving back is not allowed, and it can happen at most once per deal.
Forehand always leads the first trick, even after shoving.
In trumps the Under (Buur, 20) and the nine (Nell, 14) are the two highest cards. In the other suits the ace, ten, king, ober and under count 11/10/4/3/2. In the no-trump contracts the 8 counts eight points (and in Undenufe the six counts eleven), so every deal totals 152.
| Card | Trump | Non-trump | Obenabe | Undenufe |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under (U) | 20 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| 9 (Nell) | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ace | 11 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 |
| 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| King | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Ober | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| 7 / 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 = 11 |
Card points total 152, plus 5 for the last trick: exactly 157 points per deal, in every contract.
Play is counter-clockwise. If you hold the led suit you must follow it — or you may play a trump instead («trumping in»), provided your trump beats the highest trump already in the trick.
If you are void in the led suit you may play any card: there is no obligation to ruff. Only undertrumping is forbidden, unless every card in your hand is a trump.
When trumps are led, anyone holding trumps must play one. The one exception is the trump Under (Buur): you are never forced to play it, so if it is your only trump you may discard anything instead.
The highest trump wins the trick, otherwise the highest card of the led suit. The trick winner leads next.
Before the first card is played, players announce the combinations in their hands. Only the team holding the single best Weis scores — and it scores all of its Weis; the other team scores nothing.
Ties are broken by: more cards, then higher top card (lower in Undenufe), then Weis in the trump suit, finally forehand.
| Weis | Points |
|---|---|
| 3 consecutive cards of a suit | 20 |
| 4 consecutive | 50 |
| 5 consecutive | 100 |
| 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 consecutive | 150 / 200 / 250 / 300 |
| Four of a kind (aces, kings, obers, tens, eights, sevens, sixes) | 100 |
| Four nines | 150 |
| Four Unders | 200 |
| Stöck (king and ober of trumps) | 20 |
A card can belong to only one Weis; the highest-scoring combination is chosen automatically. Stöck always count — they are never contested — and exist only in trump contracts.
Each team scores its card points plus 5 for the last trick plus its Weis and Stöck. Taking all nine tricks is a match and adds a 100-point bonus — that deal is then worth 257 instead of 157.
In the 1,000-point game (played here) all points count single. The first team to reach 1,000 points wins the match.
Shove a weak hand: your partner's contract is better than your bad one.
With the trump Under and the nine in hand you can win almost any trick — place your cards instead of rushing.
Don't lead high cards that aren't boss: opponents may always trump in.
Never forget the 5 points for the last trick — they decide close deals.
36 cards — six through ace in the four Swiss suits (acorns, bells, roses, shields).
Four players in two fixed partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other.
Forehand picks one of six contracts (four trump suits, Obenabe or Undenufe) or shoves the choice to the partner, who must then declare.
The king and ober of trumps in one hand score 20 points. Stöck always count, are never contested, and only exist in trump contracts.
Exactly 157: 152 card points plus 5 for the last trick. With a match (all nine tricks) it is 257.
Two no-trump contracts: in Obenabe the ace is the highest card, in Undenufe the six. In both the 8 counts eight points, keeping the 157-point total intact.
No — in Schieber a player void in the led suit may play any card; only undertrumping is forbidden unless you hold nothing but trumps.
Yes — play Jass online free at jass.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download and no sign-up to try a table.
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