How to Play the Card Game Schrum Schrum
Schrum Schrum is a fast moving German children's game in which the players attempt to be the first to deplete their hands. It has some similarities to somewhat more complex games such as Juse and Pishe Pasha. Schrum Schrum is usually played by 2, 4 or 8 players. Being of Germanic descent, the game is often played using the special 32 card German suited deck. If such a deck is not available for play, a standard French deck can also be modified for play. To thus create the deck used to play Schrum Schrum from a standard French deck, all cards lower than the seven should be removed, leaving 32 remaining cards. The ranking of the cards in this deck as used for the game are as follows (from highest to lowest in descending sequence): King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, Ace.

Example of a game of Schrum Schrum in progress Determination of seating positions and the first dealer can be done in a number of ways, with draw for low cards a common method. Using that method, each player would draw a card from the shuffled deck. The players would then take their seat of choice at the table in order of cards drawn from lowest to highest. If multiple players draw cards of the same rank, those players must discard those cards and draw again, and continue discarding and drawing if drawing a card previously drawn by another player. The player drawing the lowest card of all is set as the first dealer. After each hand the role of dealer rotates around the table in a clockwise direction around the table.

Once the players are seated and the first dealer chosen, the dealer then thoroughly shuffles the cards and offers it to the player seated at his right to cut. After the cut, he then begins dealing the cards one by one and face down, starting with the player at his immediate left. He continues dealing in a clockwise direction around the table until he has dealt out the entire deck. Each player should receive an equal number of cards (if played by 2, 4, or 8 players) and each player should then arrange all the cards dealt to him in a neat face-down pile in front of himself (called his talon), and must not expose or see the face of any of his cards.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer has the first turn and the turns then rotate in a clockwise direction around the table. On this first turn, the player turns over the top card of his talon. If this card is any Ace, he may play it face-up to the table, starting a play pile in the center. If this is any card other than an Ace, he simply places it in a second face-up pile (called his reserve) which is started next to his talon. If the first card was an Ace, the player may then expose the next card from his talon. If this next card is next in sequence after the Ace (which would thus be a seven) he may also play it to the center pile regardless of the suit of the cards, on top of the pile, and may continue to expose cards from his talon and play these cards if applicable to the center pile. However, once the player exposes a card he is unable to play, he must use that card to start his reserve pile and the turn passes to the next player in a clockwise rotation.

Each subsequent turn by each player starts in this same manner, with the player beginning the turn by exposing the top card of his talon, and if able to play those cards in ascending sequence to the center pile may do so, continuing to play in this way until unable to make further plays. However, a player also has another option for play of cards from his talon pile during his turn. If the current card exposed from a player's talon is of the exact same rank (regardless of suit) as the top card of any other players reserve pile, the player may play the card from his talon to that player's reserve pile, and then expose the next card from his talon. He may continue play, adding the next exposed card from his talon to either the center pile or other players' reserve piles as long as able. Once unable to make further plays on his turn, he then ends his turn by discarding his current exposed talon card to the top of his reserve pile. Once the center pile reaches the highest ranked card, King, the next card to be played to that pile is then an Ace to start the ascending sequence again.  This sequence thus ascends in the following manner; Ace, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, then starts again with the Ace.

If a player exposes and then manages to play the last card from his talon, he then turns over his reserve pile to start a new face-down talon (these cards are not reshuffled). If a player manages to play his last card from his talon and has no reserve pile, that player is then declared the winner of the game.

                     
Variations and Optional Rules

Playing a card to an opponent's Open pile Tač: Tač is a game played similarly to Schrum Schrum which originated from and is commonly played in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Although usually played by children, players of all ages are known to play this game as well. Tač uses one standard 52 card deck. The ranking of the cards in this deck are as follows (from highest to lowest); King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace. The game is designed for play by 2, 3, or 4 players.

Once seating positions and the first player have been determined the dealer would then begin dealing the cards to the players. The number of cards dealt to each player is dependent on the number of participants. If the game is being played by two players, each player will receive 26 cards, and for four players, each player will receive 13 cards. For three players, before the deck is shuffled, one Ace (of any suit) is removed from the deck and placed in the center of the table to start the play pile, then after the shuffle, each of the three players will then receive 17 cards. The cards are dealt to each player in a face-down pile (called his Closed pile), and the player does not look at the cards in the pile dealt him.

The player to the immediate left of the dealer has the first turn, and thereafter the turn rotates in a clockwise direction around the table from player to player. Each turn starts with the player first exposing the top card of his Closed pile. The player will then attempt to thus play this card as able. The available plays for a player on his turn are as follows: If a player is able to thus play the card, using one of the above legal plays, he may then expose the next top card from his Closed pile, continuing to so play until he is unable to play the exposed card. In that case, he places this card face-up next to his Closed pile in his Open pile, ending his turn. If he does not yet have such an Open pile, he plays the card to then start his new Open pile. A player may only play a card to another player's Open pile if the card cannot so be played to the center play pile.

If a player places his card on his Open file (which also ends his turn) but he had an available legal play that could have been made with that card, any other player may loudly announce "Tač". After then pointing out the missed play, each other player may then give that player the top face-down card from their Closed pile, which the player who missed the play must add to the top of his Closed pile.

If a player plays the last card from his Closed pile during his turn, he then turns over his exposed Open pile (without shuffling it) and uses it as a new Closed pile, continuing his turn, if able.

The game continues in this manner until one player, during his turn manages to play the last card from his Closed pile and has no cards remaining in his Open pile, that player is immediately declared the game winner.

Play of an incorrect card to the pile Repezita: Repezita is a game requiring fast coordination and quick hands. Repezita originated in the country of Romania. It shares the same goal as does Schrum Schrum, however in Repezita players play as able, simultaneously and with no actual turns. Repezita uses one standard 52 card deck. The sequence rank of the cards in the deck are as follows: Ace, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace. As will be noted, the Ace is considered the highest and lowest card of a sequence. The game is designed for play by two to eight players. With more than 4 players two or more 52 card decks are often used, shuffled together.

Repezita is usually played by 2 or 4 players. Determination of first dealer can be performed in a variety of ways, with draw for high cards a common method. After each hand, the role of dealer rotates around the table in a clockwise direction. Once determined, the dealer should thoroughly shuffle the cards and then offer it to the player at his right to cut. After the cut, the dealer should then deal the cards in a clockwise direction around the table, one-by-one and face-down. He starts the deal with the player at his immediate left and continues until the entire deck has been dealt out. If some players receive one extra card, this is ok. After the deal, the players should not yet pick up their hands.

Once the cards have been dealt, at a signal from the dealer all the players should pick up their hands and play begins. As mentioned previously, there are no actual turns in this game, and players just play as able and as fast as possible.

To start, any player with an Ace may immediately play it to the table to start a play pile. After the Ace is played, any player may then play the next card in an ascending or descending sequence on that current top card of the play pile, of any suit. Thus, a player may play, on the current top card of the play pile, either the next lowest card in sequence or the next highest card in sequence. On an Ace, either a two or a King may be played. The suit of the card played is irrelevant.

The players attempt to continue playing as fast as possible and as able to this one center pile. If a player places an incorrect card, he must then take up the entire play pile, adding it to his hand. Once this occurs, any player with an Ace can then restart the play pile again with that Ace.

Once a player manages to legally play the last card form his hand to the play pile, he has won and drops from the game. The game continues until all but one player still have cards remaining in the hand, with that player set as the loser of the game.

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