Schafkopf is a classic Bavarian card game for four players in two partnerships, played with 32 German-suited cards (Eichel, Gras, Herz, Schellen). Each player is dealt eight cards and eight tricks are played, with no auction: the trump suit rotates automatically between the four suits, deal after deal. Teams collect card points out of 120 — 61+ wins one unit, 91+ wins as Schneider for two units, and a 60:60 tie scores nothing. The first team to 11 units wins the match.
Play now — it's freeSchafkopf uses the 32-card Bavarian deck: the four German suits Eichel (acorns), Gras (leaves), Herz (hearts) and Schellen (bells), with ranks Ace (Sau), Ober, Unter, King, 10, 9, 8 and 7.
Four players sit in two partnerships, each dealt eight cards played over eight tricks. Forehand — the player to the dealer's left — leads the first trick, and the winner of each trick leads the next.
This version has no auction at all: play starts immediately after the deal, and the trump suit is fixed automatically by the deal number through a fixed four-suit cycle:
| Deal number | Trump suit |
|---|---|
| 1 | Eichel (acorns) |
| 2 | Gras (leaves) |
| 3 | Herz (hearts) |
| 4 | Schellen (bells) |
| 5 and on | the cycle repeats |
Every card of the trump suit beats all cards of the other three suits — which is exactly why your plan must change from deal to deal: winning with one suit this deal guarantees you nothing in the next.
Card point values never change and are the same for every suit; only the strength ranking inside the trump suit differs:
Within trump: the Ober is the strongest card in the game, followed by the Unter, then Ace, 10, King, 9, 8, 7. In side suits the ranking is Ace, 10, King, Ober, Unter, 9, 8, 7.
| Card | Points | Rank inside trump | Rank in side suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ace (A) | 11 | 3rd | highest |
| 10 | 10 | 4th | 2nd |
| King (K) | 4 | 5th | 3rd |
| Ober (O) | 3 | highest in the game | 4th |
| Unter (U) | 2 | 2nd | 5th |
| 9 | 0 | 6th | 6th |
| 8 / 7 | 0 | lowest | lowest |
Forehand leads any card, and every player must follow the led suit if holding one; a player with no card of the led suit plays anything — a trump or a discard from another suit.
The strongest trump wins the trick if any was played; otherwise the strongest card of the led suit does. Discards of other suits never win a trick, however high. The trick winner leads the next one, and eight tricks complete the deal.
Every trick's cards go to the winner's team: Ace 11, 10 = 10, King 4, Ober 3, Unter 2, and 9/8/7 worth nothing. The whole deck totals 120 points per deal.
At the end of the deal each team totals its captured card points out of 120, and winning units are awarded as follows: 61 points or more = one unit, 91 points or more = a "Schneider" win worth two units.
A perfect 60:60 tie awards no unit to either team and the deal is recorded as a draw.
Units accumulate across deals, and the first team to reach 11 units wins the match.
Memorise the trump cycle: Eichel is followed by Gras, then Herz, then Schellen, then the cycle restarts — plan ahead for the next deal's trump.
The trump Ober and Unter are the two strongest cards on the table; don't waste them on a cheap trick.
An Ace, a 10 and a King of one suit together total 25 points — count them and defend them.
If you hold nothing of the led suit, a discard is usually safe — and when the opponents are certain to take the trick, discarding lets you shed a high-value card for free.
A Schneider (91+) means taking more than three quarters of the card points — work out early whether the target is realistic.
32 cards — ranks 7 through Ace in the four German suits (Eichel, Gras, Herz, Schellen), eight cards dealt to each of the four players.
Four players in two partnerships, partners sitting opposite each other.
In this version there is no auction: the trump suit rotates automatically between the four suits, deal by deal, in the fixed order Eichel, Gras, Herz, Schellen, then repeating.
The Ober of the trump suit is the strongest card in the game, followed by the Unter of the same suit, then the Ace and the 10. In side suits the Ace is highest.
61 of the 120 card points wins one unit; 91 or more is a Schneider win worth two units; a 60:60 tie scores nothing.
When one team reaches 11 winning units accumulated across deals.
Yes — if you hold a card of the led suit you must play one. If you have none, you may play anything: a trump or a discard.
Yes — you can play Schafkopf online free at schafkopf.yeeqia.com directly in your browser, no download or sign-up required to try a table.