Rules of Jass

Introduction to Schieber Jass rules

This page briefly explains the rules for Schieber Jass.

Game sequence

Schieber is a partnership Jass game, with the two players sitting opposite each other forming a team. Both team members’ points are added together. The aim of Schieber is to reach a specific score (1000 or 2500 points) before the opposing team.

As soon as the cards have been dealt, the forehand (the player to the right of the dealer) must either choose the trump suit or pass. If he passes, his partner must nominate the trump suit. In each round any of the four trump suits, tops-down or bottoms-up can be chosen. A round begins once the forehand plays the first card

A match automatically finishes when a team reaches the target score. The deciding rule is known in Swiss German as Stöck, Wys, Stich, or marriages, melds, tricks. This rule is applied if both teams achieve the target score in the first trick of the final game at the same time and it determines which order the points are to be counted in.

Variations

If the target score is set at 2500, Schieber is played with multipliers. This means that when playing with Roses/Hearts or Acorns/Diamonds as trump, points count once. If Shields/Spades or Bells/Clubs are chosen, all points count double. If tops-down or bottoms-up is chosen, all points count treble.

But if the target score is set at 1000, all points always count once.

Rules of play

In Differenzler Jass, there are clear rules on when a particular suit may be played.

  1. Anyone holding a card of the suit led must play this suit (with the exception of the trump Jack/trump Under).
  2. A player not holding a card of the suit led may play any card (a player can only play a lower trump card if he has nothing but trump cards left in his hand).
  3. A trump may be played at any time instead of following suit.
  4. If a trump is led, the other players must play trumps if they have any. Anyone holding the trump Jack/trump Under and no other trump card may play any other card instead of the trump Jack/trump Under.

Melds, marriages and matches

Additional points are awarded for melds, marriages and matches (any multipliers apply here too).

Meld points are won for a sequence of three or more cards of the same suit or for four identical cards. A marriage is a combination of King and Ober (Queen) in the trump suit. It is worth 20 points.

When the first card is played, each player has to decide if he wants to declare a meld. Only the holder of the best meld may score for it. The team with the highest individual meld will score for that team’s combined meld points. Where melds are equally high, the number of cards decides. If the number of cards is also identical, the holder of the meld in trumps wins, otherwise the forehand. Partner melds are also allowed.