Schneider (cards): Difference between revisions

Schneider is a term used in some card games for a particularly low card point score that results in boosting an opponent's game score. Its natural extension is Schwarz, used of a player who loses the game without taking a single trick.

Origin

The term Schneider ("tailor") is German and comes from the medieval guild of tailors. Tailoring was a trade often associated with financial difficulties. For example, the pejorative remark "a tailor doesn't weigh more than 30 lots", alluding to a tailor being underweight, was a common saying. People who were financially better off were thus "out of Schneider" i.e. "off the hook". In the 19th century, the term was also used by student fraternities. The drinking game "Lustig, meine Sieben", in which a pair of scissors was drawn on the table if one scored under 30 points, called the loser of the game a "tailor", who then had to drink twice the amount. In the wake of this the term was probably transferred to the then still relatively new game of Skat, which spread quickly, especially among Thuringian and Saxon students.

The colloquial proverb from Austria "To give someone a Schneider" means to defeat an opponent without their scoring. It may be applied to any sport or game, but the term is mainly used in the card game of Schnapsen or in curling.

Card games

In certain card games, a player or partnership that achieves less than half the required card points from their tricks to win the hand, is described as Schneider. Thy usually lose double the normal game points.^[1]

Skat

In Skat there is a total of 120 card points in play and therefore a player needs at least 61 points to win the game. If the declarer scores 90 points or more (i. e. the defenders have 30 or fewer points), then the opponents are Schneider and the declarer is credited with a higher game score. Likewise, a declarer who fails to score at least 31 is Schneider and loses by a higher amount. An extension of Schneider is Schwarz. This is where all the tricks are won by one player or partnership and achieve an even higher game score. In order to achieve Schwarz, the opponent or opponents must not have won any tricks at all, even those which do not score any card points.

In Hand games where the skat (the two cards in the talon or stock) is not picked up, the declarer may announce Schneider, or Schneider and Schwarz. In open games Schwarz is automatically assumed and the game value increases accordingly. The player loses the game at this value, however, if he does not achieved the announced goal. Should the player become Schneider or Schwarz in this situation, there is no additional penalty; i.e. you cannot Schneider yourself.^[2]

Schafkopf

In the game of Schafkopf, if the soloist or declaring side score at least 91, they win schneider and their opponents are said to 'be schneider'. The defending side only needs to score 90, to win schneider. That means that the soloist or declaring side must score at least 31 to be out of schneider whilst the defenders only need to score 30 to do so. If a player or side wins no tricks by the end of the deal, they are Schwarz.

Other card games

Other card games that use the terms Schneider or Schwarz include:

• Bauernschnapsen
• Bavarian Tarock
• Bohemian Schneider
• Elfern
• German Schafkopf
• Herzblatt
• Officers' Skat
• Oma Skat
• Mucken
• Schieber Jass
• Schieberamsch
• Sheepshead
• Sixty-six
• Spitzer
• Wendish Schafkopf

Darts

In German darts competitions, Schneider occurs if the game or leg is ended and the loser has not achieved enough points from which it is possible to end the game with 3 darts. In a double out this is 170 points, in a triple out or master out it is 180 points. The term was probably borrowed from Skat.

Matsch

In some games, particularly of Austrian origin, the term matsch ("mud") is used instead of schneider, but often has the same meaning. A player or team that has lost and typically scored fewer than ¼ of the points is said to be 'in the mud' (im Matsch) or gematscht and usually has to pay double. Examples include Einwerfen, Hundertspiel, Mariage and Réunion.

It can also mean a hand in which the loser wins no tricks at all, for example, in Bauerntarock, Droggn and Jaggln.

Some English accounts mistranslate the term as 'match'.

References

External links

• Schneider at skat-palast.de