How to Play Schieber Jass
Schieber is the most popular card game in Switzerland. It’s a team trick-taking game where you and your partner try to score as many card points as possible. The twist — the forehand player picks the trump suit (or passes the choice to their partner).
The Basics
- 4 players in 2 teams (partners sit across from each other)
- 36-card Swiss deck (6 through Ace in four suits)
- Each player gets 9 cards, 9 tricks per round
- First team to 1,000 points wins
How a Round Works
1. Choose trump
The forehand player (rotates each round) looks at their hand and either:
- Picks a trump suit — one of the four suits, OR
- Passes to their partner, who must then pick
There are also special trump modes:
- Obenabe — No trump suit. Aces are highest, normal ranking
- Undenufe — No trump suit. 6s are highest, ranking is reversed
2. Play tricks
- Follow the led suit if you can
- If you can’t follow suit, you may play a trump card
- Undertrump restriction: You can only play a lower trump if you have no cards of the led suit
- Puur exception: If your only trump is the Jack, you can play any card
- Highest trump wins. If no trump, highest card of the led suit wins
- Winner of the last trick gets +5 bonus points
3. Marriage bonus (Stöck)
If you hold both the King and Queen of the trump suit, your team gets a +20 point bonus when you play the second one.
Card Points
Trump cards
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Jack (Puur) | 20 |
| 9 (Näll) | 14 |
| Ace | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| 8, 7, 6 | 0 |
Non-trump cards
| Card | Points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| 9, 8, 7, 6 | 0 |
Scoring
Both team members share the same score. Your team’s score each round is:
Team card points + marriage bonus (if any) + last trick bonus
Scores add up across rounds. First team to 1,000 points wins the match.
Tips for Beginners
- Pick trump in your strongest suit — The Jack and 9 of trump are worth 20 and 14 points. A suit with these is a strong trump choice
- Pass strategically — If your hand is weak, pass to your partner. They might have a better trump suit
- Watch for the marriage — King + Queen of trump is worth 20 free points. If you have one, your partner might have the other
- Lead trump early — If you chose trump, lead with it to pull out the opponents’ trump cards
- Support your partner — Play high cards when your partner leads, and low cards when opponents lead