Following suit and winning tricks in Skat

Lesson 4 of 11, about 2 min

Each trick starts with a lead. The suit of that first card is the suit of the trick, and the other two players follow clockwise. The rule is strict: if you hold a card of the suit that was led, you must play one. Which one is up to you, and there is no duty to play higher.

Only when you have none of the led suit may you play anything: trump it to win, or throw off a card you don't need. Trumps count as one suit, so the Jacks follow trumps, never the suit printed on them. That is the most common beginner mistake, and this lesson tackles it head on.

Who takes the trick? If anyone played a trump, the highest trump wins. If not, the highest card of the suit that was led wins; a card of another suit never does. The winner collects the three cards and leads to the next trick.