How to Play

Spitzer is a German-American trick-taking game in the Schafkopf / Sheepshead family played mostly in Wisconsin and Minnesota. 4 players use a 32-card pack with a twist: only the Queen of Clubs (the 'Spitzer') and the 7 of Diamonds are trump. Whoever holds them forms a hidden trump team that must capture 61+ of 120 card points.

Spitzer is a German-American trick-taking game in the Schafkopf / Sheepshead family, played mostly in the Upper Midwest of the United States (Wisconsin, Minnesota). 4 players use a 32-card pack with a novel twist: only two cards are trump, the Queen of Clubs (the 'Spitzer') and the 7 of Diamonds. The players who hold these two cards form a secret team against the other two; whether teams are 2-vs-2 or 3-vs-1 is revealed only as the trumps fall. The 'trump team' must score at least 61 of the 120 card points available in the deal to win the hand.

Players

4 players. Teams are not fixed: they are determined by who holds the two trump cards after the deal. If the two trumps are split between two players who are not currently partners, they become partners for that hand (often silently, since holders are hidden). If one player holds both trumps, that player becomes a solo (playing 1 vs 3). The first dealer is chosen by any agreed method; deal rotates clockwise after each hand.

Card Deck

One 32-card Piquet pack: the standard 52-card deck with 2s through 6s removed, leaving Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7 in each of the four suits. The two permanent trumps are (the Spitzer, highest card in the game) and (second highest). All other cards belong strictly to their own suit. Within a non-trump suit, rank order (high to low) is Ace, 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9, 8, 7 (the classic German point-card order where the 10 ranks just below the Ace).

Objective

The trump team (whoever holds and ) tries to capture at least 61 of the 120 card points in tricks. The non-trump team tries to prevent this by keeping the trump team at 60 points or fewer. Winning the card-point race wins the hand; repeat until a match-end score is reached.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the 32-card pack thoroughly; the dealer offers a cut to the player on the right.
2. Deal 8 cards face-down to each player, usually in batches (for example 3-2-3 or 4-4). Every card is dealt; the stock is empty.
3. Players look at their own hands secretly. The holders of and know their own trumps but do not reveal them; the teams become public as these cards are played during the tricks.Q♣7♦
4. Solo detection: A player dealt both and has the option to announce a solo before the first trick, undertaking to win 61+ points playing alone against the other three. If not announced, the same player plays with silent partnership (effectively a 3-vs-1, but opponents do not know).Q♣7♦
5. Misdeal: If any player receives the wrong number of cards or if a card is exposed during the deal, the deal is void and the same dealer re-deals.

Gameplay

1. Leading the first trick: The player to the dealer's left (eldest hand) leads any card to the first trick.
2. Trick structure: Play proceeds clockwise. Each player plays one card face-up to the centre. You must follow suit if you hold any card of the led suit.
3. Trump behaviour: The two trumps ( and ) are not members of their natural suits for trick-winning purposes. If clubs are led and you hold , you are not obliged to play it (it is a trump, not a club); you must follow with another club if you have one, otherwise you may play any card including the Spitzer. Same for when diamonds are led.Q♣7♦Q♣7♦
4. Playing a trump: A player who cannot follow suit may play either trump (if held) to win the trick. The Spitzer () always beats the ; any non-trump card always loses to a trump.Q♣7♦
5. Winning a trick: If a trump was played, the higher trump wins ( over ); if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit wins. The trick winner collects the four cards face-down in front of themselves and leads the next trick.Q♣7♦
6. Team awareness: Teams are initially hidden: the trump holders do not know each other's identity (unless one player holds both trumps, in which case that player is a solo). As and are played, teams are revealed. Until that point, each player guesses from the flow of cards whether a partner or an opponent led a trick.Q♣7♦
7. Renege (revoke): Failing to follow suit when able is a renege. Standard penalty: the offending side automatically loses the hand (the non-offending team claims all 120 card points), or in some houses the offender pays a 4-unit penalty individually.
8. End of hand: All 8 tricks played; count card points captured by each side.

Scoring

• Card point values (in captured tricks): Ace = 11, 10 = 10, King = 4, Queen = 3, Jack = 2, and 9, 8, 7 = 0. Total per suit: 30; total across four suits: 120 card points per deal.A♠K♠Q♠J♠
• Trump team wins the hand: If the two trump holders together captured 61 or more card points, the trump team wins the hand. Standard stake awarded: 1 unit per opponent (each opponent loses 1 unit each, trump team shares 2 units).
• Trump team set: If the trump team fell short (60 or fewer points), the non-trump team wins; standard stake awarded: 1 unit per opponent paid in the reverse direction.
• Schneider bonus: If the trump team captured 91 or more card points, add a 1-unit bonus per opponent (so 2 units instead of 1). Same bonus applies in reverse if the non-trump team holds the trump team to 30 or fewer.
• Schwarz (all tricks): If the trump team won every trick, add another 1-unit bonus per opponent. Symmetric bonus applies if the non-trump team swept.
• Solo multipliers: When a player announced solo before the deal and plays alone, stakes double; each opponent pays or receives 2 units per success condition instead of 1.
• Running score: Keep a running cumulative score of units per player; at match end (for example after 12 deals or when an agreed threshold is reached) the player with the highest positive score wins.

Winning

• Hand winner: Whichever side (trump team or non-trump team) captured the more card points; ties (60-60) are impossible because 120 is even and a tie would be decided by tricks taken.
• Match winner: Highest cumulative unit score at the agreed match end (commonly after 12 or 16 deals).
• Tie-breakers: If players tie on cumulative units at match end, play one additional hand only among the tied players.
• Solo match impact: A successful solo typically secures a hand decisively; a failed solo costs the soloing player heavily (2 units per opponent).

Common Variations

• Solo Spitzer: A player holding both and may announce solo before the first trick; stakes double.Q♣7♦
• Double Spitzer: Combination of solo plus schneider / schwarz; stakes can quadruple.
• No schneider bonus: Some groups skip the 91-point and 30-point bonuses for simpler scoring.
• Wisconsin Sheepshead Spitzer: A regional variant where the + rule is combined with the Sheepshead blind (2-card widow); the bid winner takes the blind and plays solo. Integrates with broader Sheepshead tournaments.Q♣7♦
• Rotating dealer starts: Some houses start each match with the player to the left of the previous loser.
• 5-player Spitzer (sit-out): 5 players; the dealer sits out for that hand. Rotates so every player deals equally.

Tips and Strategy

• Count card points as each trick is played; you need to know whether the trump team is ahead or behind the 61-point threshold so you can push or defend accordingly.
• As a trump holder, avoid using the early unless you already know your partnership. Once you play it you reveal yourself; a disguised trump team can catch an opponent off-guard.Q♣
• Aces and 10s are the real prize. With 40 points in Aces and 40 points in 10s, holding onto these and winning tricks with them (not losing them to trumps) is critical.
• If you hold a long strong suit (e.g. five or six clubs without ), lead it aggressively to pull the out of an opponent's hand on an early trick; you lose that trick but force trump commitment.Q♣Q♣
• A solo announcement should only be made with multiple Aces and 10s plus both trumps; without top cards in at least two side suits, a solo usually fails.

Glossary

• Spitzer: Both the name of the game and the nickname for the , the highest trump.Q♣
• Seven of Diamonds (): The second and last trump card; together with these are the only two trumps.7♦Q♣
• Trump team: The two players (or one, in solo play) who hold the Spitzer and the 7 of diamonds. Teams are hidden until those cards are played.7♦
• Non-trump team: The opposing side, formed by whichever players do not hold or .Q♣7♦
• Solo: A declaration by a player holding both trumps to play alone against the other three; stakes double.
• Schneider: A bonus condition in which a side captures 91 or more card points (or holds the opposing side to 30 or fewer).
• Schwarz: The 'black' sweep condition in which one side wins every trick; adds a further stake bonus.
• Card points: Point values assigned to ranks captured in tricks (A=11, 10=10, K=4, Q=3, J=2; others 0). 120 per deal.
• Renege / revoke: Illegal failure to follow suit when able; penalised.