The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-02-10
THE GAME OF sKAT.
It's Easy enough if You Know How.
and You Mustn't Talk.
Chicago Tribune.

Chicago Tribune.
The first skat tournament in Chicae % No
played yesterday at the Hotel Bismarck "
der the auspices of Die Vier Matadorenl H.
only regularly organized skat club in the
city. '
Ska is a simple enough game theoretic-
ally. In the first place, It is played with a
euchre deck of thirty-two cards, everything
p pfay@ FOE for I poinss, 0g nof tr dliearde Each 1t is e
counts II, each king 4, queen 3, knaves 4
and ten spots 10. There are therefore a to-
tai or l0 points, and whoever takes 81 wins.
No simpler game could be imagined, and
such it was probably in its remote infancy.
game he saw great opportunities in it for
labored, involved and intricate combina.
T s,ons' tb As It oh now y stands nSs. the . player has to
under a declared combination of diricuities:
of the hand. This value is constantly vary
Ding according to rigid rules. Thus, if a Ger
it is worth IL in hearts, IA in spades and IL
In clubs; that is to say. the winner would
receive re- ve;,a acsorSdiing to the color Of the trump,
ously agreed UPON stake from the other
players:
spades, hearts, diamonds-are, in all but one
OF the combinations, always the highest
d dFampsi the rI uemain Acs f 4an s,9 of the e,s sui'
nine, eight. seven. There are many addi-
tional variations. The trump may be turned
after each of the three players receives his
ten cards, or 1t may be declared without
taking the skat in. This constitutes a solo.
A solo may be with one, two or more mat
adors up to eleven in each suit, or it may
b be without @sx m aiect grsn IN like manner. A
knaves are the only trumps, or nullo. when
there are no trumps. and the order Of pre-
binary system.
Then there are schneider and schwartz.
and nuilo played from the hand or o srait
with the whole hand face up on the table.
are besides susceptible Of numberiess inter.
combinations. Thus a player may declare
the highest possible combinations: Four
tiplying value. "a; nine times "a are 21s.
and ehwar declared. would, therefore.
win 26 times the fixed stake from each of
his opponents. The fixed stake is usually
a small fraction of a cent.
Despite the formidable array of combina-
tons, the game is a fascinating one. and
skat the noblest game of cards known.
tn There are a large number Of deyotees Of
eerner : set apart Tt' for them a1o in 'n the G is n nis
Club. But there is also a skat club in Chi
It iaf has a Following Dha '0 of f miemper and ai gnesgfs'
Any skat player who is properly introduced
is practically a member for the time being.
tn four members call themselves the
-Four Matadors."
They are: G.. R. Priebe, president; B.
rotary. and n. Messman. treasure. They
have handsome rooms in the Hotel Bis
marck and have had frequent meetings
there. Finally they announced a free-for-all
tournament for skat players. and that tour
nament was played yesterday at the Hotel
had assembled. Each paid an entrance fee
OF =. What remained after expenses wers
paid was divided into eight prizes.
AS skat has SO many possible intricate
t tng,y,a1,s1 s to have a .skatmeisteE" This
mat Wedge of the game. and in cases
Of his decision is final. Otto Krauss
da. is probable that Chicago skat PLAY
ers .Lill not soon permit Mr.. Krause to for
get that he was "skatmeister" in the first
The secretary started things off by read
ing a set OF rules as long as a Welsh gene
at the nine tables, eight of four players and
S Sns S Hf thFe e.. The committee m=eanwhils
that there would be eight cash prizes, also
that four brewing companies had sent four
fsses table 15 beer tbas as s : Prize o for the an;s players TSe at
were to be twenty rounds of four deals
each. a total of eighty hands or games,
stood a great stein of beer or a glass OF
wine. There was plenty of quiet laughter
thus:
a caras nnc. h Then annt the rapid fan Of tns
upon and awarded to the highest bidder the
play of the hand is swift enough.
when the players at table No. 2 suddenly
shouted "Fertig" Ginishedl, and then shook
hands as they congratulated themselves
that they had corralled those four cases Of
beer. whatever else might befaH them. 1t
took nearly another hour before the last
card fell at the last table.
Presently the room fairly shook with the
peals of hearty Teutonic laughter. as rapid
inspection of the table scores showed that
the BOBBY prize had fallen to the "skat-
meister.' The acceptance of that prize was
his one official act, for not one dispute arose
IN all the INN hands dealt each constitute
Ing a distinct game.