Sixty-Six – Rules
Play Sixty-Six against the computer
1. Overview
Sechsundsechzig (Sixty-Six) is a fast trick-taking game for two. While a talon (stock) remains, you don't have to follow suit and you draw a card after each trick. A king and queen of the same suit score 20 or 40 card points when melded. Whoever believes they have 66 card points declares – if they're right, they win the deal.
| Other names | 66, Sixty-Six |
| Players | 2 (adaptations for 3 or 4) |
| Time | one deal 3 to 5 minutes, a game to 7 points about 30 minutes |
| Age | 10 and up |
| Difficulty | medium – quick to learn, with lots of tactics in closing and declaring |
2. Goal
Be the first in a deal to reach 66 card points and declare it. The first player to collect 7 game points wins the game.
3. What you need
- 24 cards: ace, 10, king, queen, jack, 9 in clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds. From a Skat pack, remove the 7s and 8s.
- With a German pack: Sau (ace), 10, king, Ober, Unter, 9.
- Pen and paper for game points. Card points are counted in your head.
4. Setup
- Choose the dealer by lot. After that the deal alternates after every deal.
- Shuffle and cut: The dealer shuffles, the opponent cuts.
- Deal: 3 cards each face down, then one card face up as trump, then 3 more each. Everyone has 6 cards.
- Talon: The remaining 11 cards go face down on top of the trump card so it sticks out crosswise. It is the last card drawn.
- Start: The non-dealer (forehand) leads to the first trick.
[ Player B ]
[ Tricks B ]
[▒ Talon ] crosswise below: [trump face up]
[ Trick ]
[ Tricks A ]
[ Player A ]
Each player keeps won tricks face down in front of them. Only the last trick may be looked at.
5. Card values
Ranking and card points (high → low):
| Card | Card points |
|---|---|
| Ace | 11 |
| 10 | 10 |
| King | 4 |
| Queen | 3 |
| Jack | 2 |
| 9 | 0 |
120 card points in total. The 10 ranks directly below the ace, i.e. above the king.
- Trump: The suit of the turned-up card is trump. Any trump beats any card of another suit.
- Marriages: King and queen of the same suit in hand = 20 card points, in trumps = 40 card points.
6. How to play
The trick is won by the higher trump; if no trump was played, by the higher card of the suit led. A card of another suit (not trump) always loses. The trick winner leads to the next trick.
Phase 1 – while the talon remains
- The leader plays any card.
- The opponent may play any card. They need neither follow suit nor win the trick.
- The trick winner draws the top talon card, then the other player.
Phase 2 – talon empty or closed
| Situation | What you must do |
|---|---|
| You hold the suit led | You must follow suit – and play higher if you can. |
| You don't hold the suit | You must trump if you can. |
| You have neither suit nor trump | Play any card. |
Melding is no longer allowed in phase 2.
Melding. The player on lead may show a king-queen pair and lead one of the two cards. The points (20 or 40) only count once that player has won at least one trick.
Exchanging the trump 9. The holder of the trump 9 may swap it for the face-up trump card when they are on lead and have already won a trick.
Closing. The player on lead may turn the trump card face down and so close the talon. From then on phase 2 applies and nobody draws any more.
Declaring. Whoever thinks they have 66 card points says “I have enough” and stops. Then the points are counted.
7. Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Talon | The face-down stock you draw from |
| Trump | The suit of the face-up card under the talon; beats all other suits |
| Marriage | Showing king and queen of one suit: 20 points, in trumps 40 |
| Closing | Turning the trump card over to shut the talon |
| Declaring | Announcing that you have 66; ends the deal |
| Following suit | Having to play the suit led (phase 2 only) |
| Must beat | Having to play higher if you can (phase 2 only) |
| Schneider / Schwarz | Loser has fewer than 33 points / no trick |
| Forehand | The non-dealer; leads to the first trick |
8. End of the deal & scoring
- Declaring: Whoever declares with 66 card points (tricks plus marriages) wins the deal.
- Wrong declaration: Whoever declares without 66 loses.
- Without declaring: If all cards are played, the last trick is worth 10 extra points – whoever wins it wins the deal.
- There are no ties.
| Result | Game points for the winner |
|---|---|
| Loser has at least 33 card points | 1 |
| Loser has fewer than 33 card points (Schneider) | 2 |
| Loser has no trick (Schwarz) | 3 |
| Opponent declares wrongly | 2 (3 if the opponent had no trick yet) |
| The closer fails to reach 66 | opponent scores 2 (3 if they had no trick when the talon was closed) |
Game points are kept as tally marks. The first player with 7 game points wins the game.
9. Special cases
Do I have to follow suit?
Only when the talon is empty or closed. Before that you may play any card.
What happens when the talon runs out?
The last card drawn is the trump card. After that phase 2 applies.
Does a marriage count without a trick?
Only once you have won a trick. Whoever never wins a trick doesn't get the points.
When may I close?
Only when you are on lead.
What if someone breaks the rules in phase 2?
Whoever fails to follow suit or to beat when required loses the deal (2 game points for the opponent).
What if I miscount?
Card points aren't written down. Whoever miscounts takes the risk when declaring. If a card is exposed during the deal, the cards are redealt.
10. Variants & house rules
Standard in this description: 24 cards, two players, game to 7 game points, last trick +10.
| Variant | What changes |
|---|---|
| Schnapsen | Only 20 cards (no 9s), 5 cards in hand – common in Austria and Bavaria. |
| 66 for three | The dealer sits out, or adapted rules are used. |
| 66 for four | Two teams, all cards are dealt, following suit from the start. |
| Zechcyk | Polish form with its own scoring details. |
| Game to 5 | Shorter games. |
When playing against the computer on cardgames.zone, the game is played to 7 points (5 can be chosen).
11. Example round
Starting position. Player 1 deals, turns up the jack of hearts – hearts are trump – and lays the talon on it. Player 2 leads.
- Player 2 leads the 10 of spades. Player 1 has no ace of spades and throws the 9 of clubs. Player 2 wins (10 points) and draws first.
- Player 2 shows king and queen of clubs, melds 20 and leads the king of clubs. Player 1 wins with the ace of clubs (15 points for Player 1). Player 2 has 30.
- Player 1 leads the 10 of hearts (trump). Player 2 takes it with the ace of hearts (21 points). Player 2 has 51.
- Player 2 leads the ace of spades, Player 1 plays the jack of diamonds. Player 2 has 64.
- Player 2 leads the queen of clubs, Player 1 plays the 10 of clubs. Player 1 wins (13 points, he now has 28).
- Player 1 leads the 9 of diamonds, Player 2 wins with the king of diamonds (4 points). Player 2 has 68 and declares.
- Scoring: Player 1 has 28 card points, fewer than 33 – Schneider. Player 2 scores 2 game points.
12. Common mistakes
- Ranking the 10 below the king. In Sixty-Six the 10 comes right after the ace.
- Trying to follow suit in phase 1. While the talon remains you may play any card.
- Melding 20 without leading. You meld only when on lead, and you lead the king or queen.
- Drawing after closing. Closed is closed.
- Declaring too early. Without 66 you lose at least 2 game points.
Tips for beginners: Keep counting your points. Save trumps and aces for phase 2, where you must beat. Meld as soon as you are on lead – otherwise you may lose the king or queen. And only close with a strong hand.
Origin & history
Sixty-Six has been documented in Germany since the early 19th century and belongs to the marriage games (King and Queen “marry”). It is the direct ancestor of the Austrian Schnapsen and a classic for two people.