The skat, discarding and Hand

Lesson 8 of 11, about 2 min

Win the bidding and the two face-down skat cards are yours. Usually you pick them up, so you hold twelve cards, then put any two away face down before naming your game. The discarded cards take no part in play, but their card points count for you: points in the bank before the first trick.

Which two? Three rules of thumb: bank points by putting away a lone 10 that an Ace could catch; make a suit void so you can trump it later; and never throw away trumps or Aces.

If your hand is strong enough already, you can play Hand: leave the skat untouched and play the ten cards you were dealt, for one extra step on the multiplier. The skat still counts for you, including when matadors are counted. That is the risk: a Jack hidden there can change your game value after play.