Skat was developed by the members of a local Tarock club, the Brommesche Tarok-Gesellschaft around 1810–1813 in Altenburg, in what is now the State of Thuringia, Germany. Main article: History of Skat Skat players in an Erfurt park in 1967 John McLeod considers it one of the best and most interesting card games for three players, and Kelbet described it as 'the king of German card games.' The German Skat Association assess that it is played by around 25 million Germans – more than play football. A variant of 19th-century Skat was once popular in the US. It is the national game of Germany and, along with Doppelkopf, it is the most popular card game in Germany and Silesia and one of the most popular in the rest of Poland.

Skat ( German pronunciation: ), historically Scat, is a three-player trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family, devised around 1810 in Altenburg in the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg.

Typical Skat trick from a French-suited packįrench, German or Tournament-suited 'Skat' pack

Scat 31 card game online