How to Play Sixty-Six
Sixty-Six is the German cousin of Austria's Schnapsen: a quick two-player trick game where the stock, the marriages and the right to close make every hand a small gamble of judgement.
Cards and values
Twenty-four cards: 9, J, Q, K, 10, A in each suit, ranking in that order. Ace 11, ten 10, king 4, queen 3, jack 2, nine 0: 120 card points in all.
Play
- Six cards each; the next card is turned up for trumps and slid under the stock.
- While the stock is open you may play any card. The higher card of the suit led wins, or a trump. The winner draws the top card first, the loser next, and the winner leads.
- Marriage: lead a king or queen while holding the other of that suit and announce it: 20 points, 40 in trumps. It counts only if you have already taken a trick.
- Exchange: holding the nine of trumps and having taken a trick, you may swap it for the turned-up trump card before leading.
- Closing: before leading, with at least two cards in the stock, you may close it. No more drawing; from now on, as when the stock runs out, you must follow suit, play higher if you can, and trump if you can't follow.
Scoring
Count card points in your tricks plus marriages. When you reach 66, claim it (on your turn) to win the hand: 1 game point, 2 if the opponent has under 33, 3 if they took no trick. A false claim, or closing and failing to reach 66, gives the opponent 2 (3 without tricks). If nobody claims, the last trick wins 1. First to 7 game points wins the match.
Playing on kawu
Tap a card to play it; unplayable cards are dimmed in the strict phase. Buttons offer Exchange, Close and Claim 66 when legal. Hint suggests the computer's choice.
Next, read the Sixty-Six strategy.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference from Schnapsen?
Schnapsen uses 20 cards (no nines), five each, and scores game points toward 7 counting down. Sixty-Six keeps the nines, deals six, and is otherwise the same family: marriages, the trump exchange, closing and claiming 66.
Why did my marriage score nothing?
A marriage counts only once you've taken a trick in that hand. Lead the king or queen again after your first trick, or lead the other half later.
What happens if I close and fall short of 66?
The opponent scores 2 game points, or 3 if they took no trick. Closing is a commitment: do it only when the points in your hand will get you there.
Last updated 2026-10-21