How to Play Schnapsen
Description
A two-player Austrian classic played with just 20 cards. Marriages score points, trump management wins games, and the first to 66 takes the hand.
Objective
Be first to reach 66 points in a hand by capturing valuable cards in tricks and declaring marriages, then win enough hands to take the match.
Setup
Two players, using a 20-card deck — just Ace, 10, King, Queen, and Jack in each suit.
Deal five cards each. Turn up the next card to set trump, then leave the rest as a face-down stock.
Rules
While the stock remains open, you don't need to follow suit — play any card. After each trick, both players draw a replacement, winner first.
Holding a King and Queen of the same suit lets you declare a marriage for bonus points — 20 normally, 40 if it's the trump suit.
Either player can choose to close the stock at any point if they think they're close to 66 — after that, strict follow-suit and trump rules apply for the rest of the hand.
Ace is worth 11, Ten worth 10, King worth 4, Queen worth 3, Jack worth 2.
Winning
Reach 66 points and declare it to win the hand — win it by a wide enough margin (your opponent under 33, or held to zero tricks) and you score extra game points.
First player to 7 game points wins the match.