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This is a simple draw and discard game, suitable for players of all ages. Players have a three card hand and the aim is to collect cards in a single suit worth 31 points or as near as possible to that total.
A standard 52 card deck is used. For scoring hands, the ace is worth 11 points, the kings, queens, and jacks are worth 10, and all other cards are worth their pip value.
The value of a three card hand is calculated by adding up the value of the cards held in any one suit . So if you have three cards of the same suit, you can add up all three. If only two cards are in the same suit you can add those, or use the value of the odd card if it is higher than the sum of the other two. If you have three different suits the value of your hand is the value of the highest card in it. The maximum hand value is 31, consisting of the ace and two ten-point cards in the same suit.
Determine the first dealer in any manner you desire. The deal rotates clockwise with each hand. The cards are shuffled and the dealer deals the cards singly, starting with the player to dealer's left and continuing clockwise until everyone has a hand of three cards.
The next card is turned face up on the table to start the discard pile, and the remaining undealt cards are placed face down next to it to form the stock. During play, the discard pile is always kept "squared up" so that only the top card is visible and available to be taken.
The player to dealer's left begins and the turn passes clockwise around the table. A normal turn consists of:
If at the start of your turn, you believe that your hand value is at least as high as your opponents can achieve with one more turn, you can knock instead of drawing a card. Knocking ends your turn; you must keep the hand you had at the start of that turn, but each other player gets one final turn to draw and discard. After the player to the knocker's right has discarded, all players reveal their cards. Each player decides which suit is their point suit, and totals up their cards in that suit.
The player with the lowest hand value loses a quarter .
If after drawing and discarding, or with the cards originally dealt, a player achieves hand value of 31, they show their cards immediately and claim victory. In this case all the other players lose. A player who gets 31 can declare it even after another player has knocked; victory is immediate and all the other players lose. If it happens that two or more players get 31 on the initial deal then all the players other than those with 31 lose.
The normal way of scoring in Scat is that each player begins the game with four quarters. When you lose a hand, you have to put one of your quarters into the kitty in the centre of the table. If you knock and lose, having the sole lowest hand, you pay two quarters (if you have that many).
If someone declares 31, all the other players have to put a quarter in the kitty. If someone declares 31 after another player has knocked, the knocker just pays one quarter, like everyone else.
If you have no money left, having lost all four of your quarters, you are out of this game. The game continues until only one player has not been eliminated, and that player is the winner.
(Photos by Wendy Kerchoff)
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