How to Play Sjavs
How to Play
Sjavs is the Danish national descendant of Schafkopf. Faroese Sjavs (4 players) uses a 32-card pack with Queens and Jacks as 8 permanent trumps; Danish (3-player) Sjavs uses a 20-card pack with Clubs as fixed trump. Win deals by capturing 61+ of 120 card points.
Sjavs is the Danish national descendant of the German Schafkopf family. The game has two distinct living forms: Faroese Sjavs (4 players in partnerships, 32-card pack, Queens and Jacks as permanent trumps), and Danish Sjavs (3 players cutthroat, 20-card pack, Clubs as the only trump suit with a fixed pecking order led by the Queen of Clubs). This entry describes the more widely played Faroese partnership game in detail and notes the 3-player Danish form. Both share a 120-point card-point system in which a team needs 61+ to win the deal.
Quick Reference
- 4 players in two fixed partnerships use a 32-card pack.
- Deal 8 cards each. Auction for trump.
- Each team starts at 24 pinde and counts down.
- Follow the led suit; Queens and Jacks are permanent trumps regardless of suit.
- Permanent-trump order: Q♣ > Q♠ > Q♥ > Q♦ > J♣ > J♠ > J♥ > J♦.
- Highest trump or highest card of led suit wins the trick.
- Card values: A 11, 10 = 10, K 4, Q 3, J 2; all others 0. Total 120.
- Win 61-90 pts: 2 pinde off; 91+ (schneider): 4; all 8 tricks (mat): 8.
- Failed declaration adds pinde back to declarer's side.
Players
Faroese Sjavs is played by 4 players in two fixed partnerships sitting opposite. Danish (3-player) Sjavs is played cutthroat, with a 'caller' going alone against the other two who form a temporary partnership for that hand. This guide describes the 4-player game; see Variations for the 3-player rules.
Card Deck
- Use a 32-card pack (7 through Ace in each suit; remove the 2-6).
- Permanent trumps (always rank above all other cards): All four Queens and all four Jacks; their fixed order from highest to lowest is Queen of Clubs (Old Mor / Old Mother), Queen of Spades, Queen of Hearts, Queen of Diamonds, then Jack of Clubs, Jack of Spades, Jack of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds.
- Trump suit cards (after the 8 permanent trumps): Within the agreed trump suit, the remaining cards rank Ace, Ten, King, 9, 8, 7. These cards are still trumps and beat all non-trump suits.
- Non-trump suits: In the three non-trump suits (which exclude Queens and Jacks since those are permanent trumps), cards rank Ace, Ten, King, 9, 8, 7.
- Card values for scoring: Ace = 11, Ten = 10, King = 4, Queen = 3, Jack = 2; all other cards (9, 8, 7) score 0. Total points in deck = 120.
Objective
The declarer's side and the defending side compete for the 120 card points in the deck. The declarer's side must take more than half (61 or more) to win the deal. Across deals, each team starts at 24 'pinde' (chips) and works toward 0; the first team to clear all chips wins the match.
Setup and Deal
- Cut for first dealer; the deal then passes anti-clockwise after each hand.
- Deal all 32 cards face-down, 8 to each player, in batches of 4-4 (or 3-2-3 by tradition).
- Auction: Starting with the player to the dealer's left, each player either bids a suit they wish to make trump (announcing they hold at least 5 cards in a suit, including any of the 8 permanent trumps they wish to count) or passes. Each subsequent bid must be a higher rank suit. The highest bidder declares trump; their PARTNER plays with them as normal.
- If all four players pass, the deal is annulled and the next player deals.
Gameplay
- Lead any card. The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick; the trick winner leads the next.
- Follow suit if possible, with permanent-trump exception. Queens and Jacks ARE trumps regardless of their printed suit, so a Queen of Hearts when Hearts is led is treated as a trump (not as a Heart) and does NOT have to be played to follow a Heart lead unless the player is otherwise void in Hearts.
- If void in the led suit, you may play any card (no obligation to overtrump in the canonical Faroese rules).
- Winning the trick: The highest trump played wins. If no trump is played, the highest card of the led suit wins. The trick winner leads the next.
- Continue for all 8 tricks. Each team gathers their tricks in a shared face-down pile to be counted at the end of the deal.
Scoring
- At the end of the deal, each team adds the card points (Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2) from their captured tricks. The team with 61+ points wins the deal.
- Match scoring (pinde / chips): Each team starts at 24 pinde and DEDUCTS chips as it wins. The number of chips deducted depends on the deal:
- - Declarer's side wins by 61-90: 2 pinde off the declaring side.
- - Declarer's side wins by 91-119 (schneider): 4 pinde off.
- - Declarer's side wins all 8 tricks (mat): 8 pinde off.
- - Declarer's side fails (under 61): Declaring side ADDS 2 pinde (or more if heavily set); defenders deduct accordingly.
- Match end: First team to reach 0 pinde wins the match.
- Where team counts a different chip system (e.g. starting at 12), the bonuses scale proportionally.
Winning
A team wins a single deal by capturing 61 or more of the 120 card points. Across multiple deals, the first team to clear all 24 pinde (or other agreed starting count) wins the match. The match is conventionally a long-form sequence of perhaps 20-40 deals.
Common Variations
- Danish Sjavs (3-player cutthroat): A 20-card pack (Q♣, Q♠, J♣, J♠, J♥, J♦, A♣, K♣, 5♣, plus 11 more by region). Clubs is always trump; the bidding is single-round; declarer plays alone vs the other two who form a temporary defending partnership. Scoring works similarly with each player tracking their own ore balance.
- Solo Sjavs: The high bidder may declare 'Solo' and play alone against all three opponents for double stakes (4 pinde off when winning).
- Nolo / Misere: A bid to take zero tricks (no trumps); successful nolo gives a large bonus.
- Halv Sjavs: A milder bid in which the declarer needs only 50 points (rather than 61) but scores fewer pinde.
- Faroese tournament rules: Standardise the dealing order, the auction, and impose strict rules on permanent-trump following.
Tips and Strategy
- Track the 8 permanent trumps. The Queens and Jacks dominate every trick they enter; knowing exactly which have been played tells you whether your trump 9 or 10 is now the master.
- Bid only with at least 5 trumps including 2 of the top 4 permanent trumps. Without the Queen of Clubs (Old Mor) or another high Queen, declaring trump usually loses pinde.
- Lead the highest permanent trump (Old Mor) early. Forcing opponents to discard their permanent trumps protects your suit-trump 10s and Aces from being captured.
- Defenders: pool your Tens and Aces for safe tricks. When your partner is winning a trick, drop a high-value off-suit card; the points stay on your side.
- Watch the schneider line. If your team has captured 90+ points, two more tricks may push you to 91+ and trigger the 4-pinde bonus; conversely, defenders should fight especially hard for the 30th-and-up points to deny that bonus.
Glossary
- Sjavs: Danish corruption of German 'Schafkopf' (sheep's head); the name of the game.
- Old Mor / Old Mother: Nickname for the Queen of Clubs, the highest permanent trump in Sjavs.
- Permanent trump: Any Queen or Jack; outranks every other card and is treated as a trump regardless of its printed suit.
- Pinde: Chips or sticks used to track score; teams start at 24 and work toward 0.
- Schneider: Capturing 91+ of the 120 points in a single deal; pays a bonus.
- Mat: Capturing all 8 tricks in a deal; pays the maximum bonus (typically 8 pinde).
- Solo / Nolo: Optional bid types: Solo plays alone for double; Nolo bids to take zero tricks.
Tips & Strategy
Tracking the eight permanent trumps (the Queens and Jacks) is the foundation of competitive Sjavs. The Queen of Clubs (Old Mor) is the strongest card in the game; controlling whether and when she is led often controls the deal. Bid trump only when you hold at least 5 trumps including 2 of the top 4 permanent trumps.
Sjavs is a memory game disguised as a trick-taking game. The eight permanent trumps and the position of the Tens (worth 10 points each but ranked low in non-trump suits, so easily captured) determine almost every deal. Defenders should lead a non-trump Ten only when partner has shown a high permanent trump; otherwise the Ten will be ruffed by an opponent's Jack.
Trivia & Fun Facts
The Queen of Clubs in Sjavs has the affectionate nickname 'Old Mor' ('Old Mother'); seasoned players are known for the dramatic gesture of slamming her on the table to lead the first trick. Sjavs survives most strongly today in the Faroe Islands, where it is regarded as a piece of cultural heritage.
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01In Sjavs, what is the nickname of the Queen of Clubs and what makes her special?Answer 'Old Mor' (Old Mother); she is the highest of the eight permanent trumps and the single strongest card in the whole 32-card deck.
History & Culture
Sjavs is the Danish adaptation of German Schafkopf, brought across the border in the 18th and 19th centuries and adopted especially in the Faroe Islands and Jutland. The Faroese 4-player partnership form became the dominant Danish version, while a 3-player cutthroat variant survives in mainland Denmark. The card-point system (Ace 11, Ten 10, King 4, Queen 3, Jack 2; total 120) is shared with all the German Skat-Schafkopf cousins.
Sjavs is the heritage card game of Denmark and the Faroe Islands, especially treasured in rural communities and during long northern winters. It is taught from childhood in the Faroese tradition and is associated with strong family and community gatherings.
Variations & House Rules
Danish (3-player) Sjavs uses a 20-card pack with Clubs as fixed trump. Solo Sjavs allows playing alone for double stakes. Nolo/Misere bids reverse the goal to zero tricks. Halv Sjavs is a half-stake bid needing only 50 points.
Pick the variant that matches your group: 4-player partnership Sjavs is the Faroese standard and the most balanced. Adjust the starting pinde count (24 traditional, 12 for shorter games) to set match length.