Schwimmen – Rules

Play Schwimmen against the computer

1. Overview

Schwimmen is a fast swapping and collecting game. Everyone holds three cards. In turn you swap cards with three face-up cards in the middle to collect as many points as possible in one suit – at most 31. Whoever has the lowest value at the end of a round loses a life. A player with no lives left is “swimming”. If they lose once more, they are out.

2. Goal

Never hold the weakest hand at the end of a round – and be the last player still in the game.

3. What you need

• 32-card Skat pack, French (clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds) or German (acorns, leaves, hearts, bells): 7, 8, 9, 10, jack (Unter), queen (Ober), king, ace (Daus) in each suit.
• 3 tokens per player as “lives”, e.g. coins or matches – or pen and paper for tally marks.

4. Setup

1. Choose the dealer by lot: e.g. everyone draws a card and the lowest deals. After that the next player clockwise who is still in the game deals.
2. Hand out lives: Before the first round everyone gets 3 tokens.
3. Shuffle and cut: The dealer shuffles, the player on the dealer's right cuts.
4. Deal: One at a time, face down, clockwise from the left, until everyone has 3 cards. The dealer also lays down a second packet of 3 cards face down.
5. Dealer's choice: The dealer looks at only the first packet and decides:
   • Keep: they keep it and lay the second packet face up in the middle.
   • Reject: they lay the first packet face up in the middle and pick up the second, unseen one.
6. Stock: The remaining cards go face down next to the middle.
7. Start: The player to the dealer's left begins.
8. Instant 31: If someone already holds 31 points, they show their cards at once. The round ends without a single turn.

                 [ Player 3 ]
                  ●●● lives

 [ Player 2 ]   [M] [M] [M]    [ Player 4 ]
  ●●● lives    middle (face up)  ●●● lives
                 [▒] stock

                 [ Player 1 ]
                  ●●● lives

5. Card values

There are no tricks in Schwimmen. Only the value matters:

• Only one suit counts. The value of your hand is the highest total of cards of the same suit.
• Highest value: 31 – ace plus two ten-point cards in one suit (e.g. ace, king, 10 of hearts).
• Three of a kind (e.g. three 8s in different suits) count 30.5.

6. How to play

One turn. On your turn you choose exactly one of these actions:

Everyone passes. If all players pass one after another without anyone swapping, the three middle cards are put aside face down. The dealer turns up three new cards from the stock. Then the player who started passing is on turn.

Knocking. Once someone has knocked, every other player has exactly one more turn. They may swap or pass, but not knock. Then everyone shows their cards.

31. As soon as someone holds 31 points – even straight after the deal or during the last turns after a knock – they show their cards at once. The round ends without further turns.

Not allowed: swapping exactly two cards, drawing from the stock, knocking in the first round of turns (everyone must have had one turn first), swapping after your own knock.

7. Key terms

8. End of the round & scoring

A round ends

1. when, after a knock, all other players have taken their last turn,
2. immediately when someone shows 31,
3. when everyone has passed and the stock can't supply three new cards.

Then everyone shows their cards and states their value. There are no running points – over the game only lives count:

• Tokens given up go into the middle of the table (or a tally mark after the name).
• Lives and swimming status carry over from round to round. Players who are out receive no more cards.
• The winner is the last player left. If the last two drop out in the same round, there is no winner.

9. Special cases

What if the stock runs out?

If everyone has passed and fewer than three cards are left in the stock, the round ends at once and everyone shows their cards.

What if no card helps me?

That can't block you – passing is always allowed.

What if two players knock at the same time?

Only the knock of the player whose turn it is counts.

What if two players hold 31 at the same time?

Both show their cards and the round ends. It is scored as usual: the lowest value loses.

What if someone swaps incorrectly?

Whoever swaps two cards or takes from the stock undoes the move and chooses an allowed action.

What if a card is exposed by accident?

A hand card stays in the hand without penalty. A stock card goes to the bottom of the stock. After a misdeal the same dealer deals again.

May players talk about their cards or show them?

No. Hand cards stay hidden until everyone shows them.

Can you play with two?

Yes, the rules stay the same. With two it is faster and more tactical.

10. Variants & house rules

Standard in this description: 32 cards, 3 lives plus swimming, knocking from the second round of turns, three aces count 30.5 like any three of a kind.

When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone, Fire is switched on by default and can be turned off; knocking is allowed from the second round of turns.

11. Example round

Starting position. Player 1 deals, rejects his first packet and takes the second. The middle shows 7 of clubs, 8 of hearts, 9 of spades.

1. Player 2 swaps the 7 of diamonds for the 9 of spades: king, 10, 9 of spades = 29. Middle: 7 of clubs, 8 of hearts, 7 of diamonds.
2. Player 3 swaps the 7 of hearts for the 7 of clubs: ace of diamonds, king of clubs, 7 of clubs = 17 (clubs). Middle: 7 of hearts, 8 of hearts, 7 of diamonds.
3. Player 1 swaps the 8 of clubs for the 8 of hearts: ace, queen, 8 of hearts = 29. Middle: 7 of hearts, 8 of clubs, 7 of diamonds.
4. Player 2 is on turn again. The first round of turns is over, so knocking is allowed. With 29 he knocks.
5. Player 3 takes his last turn. He swaps the ace of diamonds for the 8 of clubs: king, 8, 7 of clubs = 25.
6. Player 1 takes his last turn. No middle card improves his 29, so he passes.
7. Showdown: Player 2 29, Player 1 29, Player 3 25. Player 3 has the lowest value and gives up a life. Player 2 deals the next round.

12. Common mistakes

• Adding up different suits. Ace of hearts, king of spades and 10 of spades make 20, not 31.
• Swapping exactly two cards. Allowed are one or all three.
• Swapping after your own knock. Whoever knocks has had their last turn.
• Knocking in the first round of turns. Everyone must have had one turn first.
• Looking at both packets as dealer. The second stays unseen until you decide.
• Not showing 31 at once. Whoever holds 31 must show it immediately.

Tips for beginners: Decide on a suit early. From about 26 points knocking pays off. Watch the middle – what someone takes reveals their suit. And when you are swimming: better keep a safe hand than gamble on 31.

Origin & history

Belongs to the family of 'Thirty-One' games, known in Europe since the 15th century (e.g. 'Trente-et-un'). Today’s form with lives ('Schwimmen' = swimming) is a typical pub and family game in the German-speaking world.