How to Play Sjavs

Sjavs is a trick taking card game related to the German game Schafkopf. There are several variants of Sjavs, with the version first described being the four player game which is most commonly encountered in the Faroe Islands. This version of Sjavs is thus played by two partnerships consisting of two players each, using a reduced 32 card pack which can be created by removing all cards lower than rank seven from a standard 52 card deck.

The ranking of the cards is slightly dependent on the suit as well as which particular suit is set as trump for the hand. The top six cards in the trump suit are permanent trumps, regardless of what suit is thus declared as the trump suit for the hand. These six highest ranking cards in the trump suit are as follows (from highest to lowest): Queen of clubs (♣), Queen of spades (♠), Jack of clubs (♣), Jack of spades (♠), Jack of hearts (♥), Jack of diamonds (♦). The ranking of the remainder of the trump suit (as well as the standard ranking for every other non-trump suit) is directly dependent on the specific suit. In the suits of clubs and spades, the ranking is (from high to low): Ace, King, 10, 9, 8, 7. In the suits of hearts and diamonds, the ranking is (also shown from high to low): Ace, King, Queen, 10, 9, 8, 7). It should also be remembered that, the six permanent trump cards are considered to be a part of whatever suit is ultimately determined as the trump suit. Thus, at any time that a trump suit should or could be played, one of these cards could also be played.

Before the start of the game, partnerships and the identity of the first dealer should be determined. There are a number of methods by which this can be done, with the most common such method being a draw for high cards. Using that method each player draws one random card from the shuffled, face-down deck. The two players drawing the highest ranked card play as partners against the two other players drawing the two lowest. If multiple players draw cards of the same rank, those players should set that card aside and draw new cards, continuing this draw until drawing a card of a rank no other player currently has previously drawn. The player drawing the highest card of all is set as the first dealer. After each hand, the role of the dealer rotates in a clockwise direction around the table. Each player should seat himself at the table such that he is directly across the table from his designated partner for that game.

Bid of five in Sjavs

Once the partners are determined and the first dealer set, this player should then thoroughly shuffle the deck and offer it to the player at his immediate right to cut. This player can then either opt to cut, or simply rap the top of the deck with his knuckles indicating he prefers not to cut. After this, the dealer then begins dealing the cards around the table in a clockwise direction, starting with the player at his immediate left. If the deck was cut, the dealer deals in packets of four cards to each player around the table, continuing until each player has a total of eight cards. If the deck was not cut, the dealer deals each player a full packet of eight cards.

After the deal, the players pick up their hands for examination and a round of bidding, of sorts, begins, starting with the player at the immediate left of the dealer and proceeding in a clockwise rotation. During this bidding round, the player reviews his hand, and if he finds that he has at least five cards of the same suit, he states the number of cards in that suit as his "bid". He normally need not yet state the specific suit, unless the suit is in clubs, at which he can then optionally also state this. If a player finds he does not have at least five cards of the same suit in his hand, he must simply state "Pass". Subsequent players have the same option, however, if a previous player has already stated a suit length, the player must state a higher number (indicating he has a hand consisting of that number of cards in a single suit) than any previously stated number. However, a number bid, if declared in "clubs" is considered a higher bid than that same amount which was not in the suit of clubs (in which no suit is announced). If no player has a hand which contains at least five cards in the same suit, the cards are all gathered, shuffled and a new hand dealt by the same dealer. If however, there was at least one player who made a bid, the highest ranked such bid is considered the winning bid (which as mentioned, of two equal ranked bids, one in clubs is higher than one with no suit announced) and the player making that announcement and his partner, are set as the "Announcers" for that hand. The player thus making the highest bid then announces the suit of that longest suit, which is then set as the trump suit.

After the high bidder has announced the trump suit to be played, play of the hand begins. The player to the immediate left of the dealer leads the first card to start the first trick, and each other player contributes one cards to that same trick, in a clockwise direction around the table.

The leader to each trick may play any card of choice from his hand to start the trick. Each other player, in turn, must then play a card of the suit originally led to the trick if they have a card in that suit. If they have no such cards, they may play a card from any suit, including one from the trump suit.

After each player has played one card to the trick, the trick is examined to determine it's winner. The player of the highest card in the trump suit played to the trick wins it. If the trick contains no cards in the called trump suit for the hand, the trick is won by the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to that trick. The cards in each won trick are set aside, face-down and out of play, and the leader of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all eight tricks have been played and won, each team combines all the cards from tricks that both members of that partnership managed to win during the hand. The teams then review all cards they had won during the hand, calculating the number of card points they have won during the hand, based on the value of each card they had captured in tricks as follows:

Card	Card Point Value
Ace	11 Each
King	4 Each
Queen	3 Each
Jack	2 Each
Ten	10 Each
9, 8, 7	0

Game points are then usually awarded to one of the teams, based on the number of card points captured during the hand, as follows:

If both teams capture exactly 60 card points, no Game Points are awarded on that hand. However, two additional Game Points are awarded to whichever team wins the next hand.
If one of the players from the "Announcing" team wins every trick during the hand, his team scores 16 Game Points, unless the trump suit called for that hand was clubs, in which case his team scores 24 Game Points instead.
If the "Announcing" team manages to win every trick (called vol), they earn 12 Game Points, unless the trump suit was set as clubs, in which case that team wins 16, instead.
If the "Announcing" team captures anywhere from 90 to 120 card points, that team earns 4 Game Points unless the trump suit was clubs, in which that team wins 8 Game Points instead.
If the "Announcing" team captures anywhere from 61 to 89 card points, that team earns 2 Game Points, unless the trump suit was clubs, in which case they score 5 Game Points instead.
If the "Announcing" team captures anywhere from 31 to 59 card points, the opposing team scores 4 points, unless clubs was the trump suit, in which the opponents score 8 points instead.
If the "Announcing" team wins at least one trick, but scores only from 0 to 30 card points during the hand, the opposing team scores 8 points, unless the trump suit was clubs, in which case that opposing team scores 16 points instead.
If the "Announcing" team win no tricks during the hand, the opposing team wins 16 Game Points, regardless of what suit was played as trump.

A team capturing every trick is said to have scored a "vol", and winning more than 30 card points during the hand is known as "at vera javnfrjjur".

Scoring is done on a subtractive basis. Thus, at the start of the game, each side of the score sheet (a "We" side and a "They" side) has the number 24 listed. As each team scores Game Points during play, they subtract this number from their current score and write this total on the next line down on the score sheet. The first team to reduce their score to 0 or less is declared the winner of the rubber. If the opposing side is still at a score of 24, this is considered a "Double Victory" for the winning team.

Variations and Optional Rules

Three Player Sjavs: A similar variant of Sjavs for three players, each playing independently, is sometimes also played in the Faroe Islands. The game is played as the normal four player variant described above, with the following differences:

Each player receives a total of ten cards in the deal, and a two card talon is dealt to the center of the table. If the deck is actually cut, the dealing sequence is a packet of three to each player, one card to the center of the table, a two card packet to each player, one more card to the table, and a last three card packet to each player. If the deck was tapped only and not cut, the dealing sequence is instead all ten cards dealt to the first player, one card to center of the table, 10 to the next player, one more card to the table, and then the dealer receives his 10 cards.
The high bidder (called the soloist) then has the opportunity to discard zero, one or two cards face down to the table, taking an equal number of replacement cards from the talon. In drawing the cards, he does not look at the cards before drawing the replacement. Any cards left on the table, or those discarded by the high bidder are set aside and added to the cards won by the bidder at the end of the hand.
If the soloist manages to win the hand he subtracts points from his ongoing total as in the four player variant. However, if the soloist does not manage to earn the needed number of points, both opponents are entitled to subtract from their total the expected number of points.

Other than these differences, Three Player Sjavs is played identically to the four player game as described at the top of the page.

Example Two Player Sjavs initial layout

Two Player Sjavs: In addition to the three player variant, there is also a two player version of the Faroese game which is sometimes played. This game is also played similarly to the standard four player variant, with just a few differences.

The major difference is in how the cards are dealt. Each player receives a total of 12 cards, in a special layout. First, four face-down cards are dealt in a line in front of each player. Then four face-up cards are dealt to each player, one such face-up card on top of each face-down card. Lastly, each player is then dealt another eight cards which they take into their hand. Each player's hand consists of his eight cards dealt to his hand, the four face-up cards dealt in front of him, as well as the four face-down cards underneath these cards. Any of the cards in the player's hand or those that are face-down in front of the player may be played as able on his normal turn. Once a face-up card on the table has been played, the face-down card underneath that card is then turned face-up to replace the played card. These cards are then available for play as able.

There is a round of bidding, as in the standard game, with the bid being based on the number of cards in the players longest suit (that is visible based on the cards form his hand and his face-up cards). Thus, a bid of up to 8 could conceivably be made by a player.

The play of the hand is similar to the normal game, with players playing to a series of tricks. As mentioned, any cards remaining in their hand as well as any of that player's exposed cards on the table are available for potential play, as able and legal on that player's turns.

Other than this difference, the game is played the same as is the four player variation as previously described.

Klørsjavs: Klørsjavs is a variant of Sjavs which is played in Denmark. It is also sometimes called Danish Sjavs or Club Sjavs. Klørsjavs is designed for three players, each playing independently. The game uses a reduced 20 card deck which can be formed from a standard deck by removing all cards from a standard deck except the Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks and fives. The Jack is usually referred to as a "Knave" in Klørsjavs.

Each player starts the game with a written score of 60 ("øre"), and during the course of the game, points may be subtracted from the players ongoing totals, based on the conclusion of each hand.

As in the other forms of Sjavs, in this game, the trump suit is permanent. This trump suit contains all of the cards in the suit of clubs as well as all of the Jacks (Knaves) and two of the Queens. The cards in this extended trump suit are called the wenzels. Thus, the ranking of cards in this permanent trump suit is as follows (from highest to lowest): Queen of clubs (♣), Queen of spades (♠), Jack of clubs (♣), Jack of spades (♠), Jack of hearts (♥), Jack of diamonds (♦), Ace of clubs (♣), King of clubs (♣), five of clubs (♣). It should be noted that all of these cards are considered a permanent part of this "clubs" trump suit, and thus any time a card from the trump suit should or could be played, one of these trump cards would be played. In the other suits, the ranking is as follows (also shown from high to low):

Spades:
Diamonds and Hearts:

Determination of seating positions and first dealer can be performed in any manner, such as draw for high cards. Using that method, the player drawing the highest ranked card would be set as the first dealer as well as the scorekeeper. The dealer would then thoroughly shuffle the deck and offer the deck to the player at his immediate right for the cut. After the cut, the dealer then begins dealing the cards in a clockwise rotation around the table starting with the player at his immediate left. He first deals each player a face-down packet of three cards. He next deals two cards face-down near the center of the table, as the "cat". He then deals each player another face-down three card packet.

Then a single round of bidding occurs after each player has picked up their cards for examination. Each player starting with the player at the dealer's left, and continuing in a clockwise direction around the table has one opportunity to either state "Play" or "Pass". If a player states "Pass", the opportunity to bid advances to the next player in turn. If all three players elect to "Pass" the cards are all gathered together, reshuffled and a new hand is dealt by the same dealer. However, once a player announces "Play" the bidding immediately ends and the player who thus announced "Play" is set as the declarer for that hand.

After the declarer has been set, this player then has the opportunity to trade two cards from his hand for the "cat". If electing to do this (called "Swiping the cat"), he must select any two cards from his current hand and set them face-down to the table, than taking the two cards from the "cat" into his hand. If the player elects not to exchange cards with the "cat" (called "stroking the cat"), the cards from the cat are left on the table and the player may not look at these cards. However, the cards forming the cat, or the two cards exchanged for it, are added to the cards won by the declarer at the end of the hand, for purposes of determining his card points earned for the hand. The declarer is permitted to look again at his discarded cards (but not use them) until the first card is led to the first trick.

Once the players are then ready, the player to the immediate left of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick, and each other player in turn (clockwise rotation around the table), plays one card to that same trick.

The leader to a trick may lead any card of choice remaining in his hand. The following players must then play a card of the suit originally led to that trick if they have such a card. If they do not have a card of that suit, they may play any other card from their hand, including a card from the permanent trump suit.

Before playing to the first trick, the declarer has the opportunity to fold, if they prefer. If they elect to do this, the hand is not played and the declarer must subtract 8 points from their current øre point total, but are no risk of losing additional points for failing to win any card points.

After each player has played a card to the trick, it is determined who then won the trick. If the trick contains any cards in the trump suit, the highest such card in the trick wins it. If the trick contains no cards from the trump suit, it is won by the highest card in the suit originally led to that trick.

The cards won in tricks are set aside out of play, near the player who won the trick. The leader of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all the tricks in that hand have been played and won, the declarer then sorts through all the cards he managed to win during the hand (including the two cards from the "cat" or his discards). Each card captured in tricks has a point scoring value as per the following chart:

Card	Card Point Value
Ace	11 Each
King	4 Each
Queen	3 Each
Jack	2 Each
Five	10 Each

Game Points ("øre") are then subtracted from the players totals based on the number of card points captured by the declarer during the hand, as follows:

If the declarer manages to capture all 120 card points during the hand, each opponent subtracts 16 points from their current "øre" total.
If the declarer captures from 91 to 119 points during the hand, each opponent must subtract 8 points from their current "øre" total.
If declarer captures from 61 to 90 points during the hand, each opponent subtracts 4 points from their current øre" total.
If declarer captures from 1 to 60 points, declarer must subtract 8 from his current "øre" total.
If declarer captures 0 points, declarer must subtract 8 from his current "øre" total.

Once one or more players, at the end of a hand finds their "øre" score to have dropped to 0 or less, the game immediately ends and the player with the lowest score is set as the loser of the game. If there are two players tied for lowest score, another hand is then played to determine a potential loser of the game.

Bidding in four Hand Klorsjavs

Four Hand Klørsjavs: A Danish variant of Klørsjavs is also played by four participants. It is played similarly to the three player variant, however it has several differences:

The deck used for the four hand version is even further reduced to a total of 18 cards. Thus the Queen of hearts and Queen of diamonds are both removed from the deck that is otherwise used in the three player game.
Each player is dealt a total of four cards (in two batches consisting of two cards each), with two cards also dealt to the "cat" in the middle of the table.
As there are slightly fewer points that can be earned during play, the point thresholds are slightly modified, as follows:
- If declarer manages to capture all 114 card points during the hand, each opponent subtracts 16 points from their current "øre" total.
- If the declarer captures from 86 to 113 points during the hand, each opponent must subtract 8 points from their current "øre" total.
- If declarer captures from 58 to 85 points during the hand, each opponent subtracts 4 points from their current øre" total.
- If declarer captures from 1 to 57 points, declarer must subtract 8 from his current "øre" total.
- If declarer captures 0 points, declarer must subtract 8 from his current "øre" total.

In all other aspects Four-Hand Klørsjavs is played identically to the more commonly played three-hand variant.

Auction Klørsjavs: Another variant of Klørsjavs which is sometimes encountered is Auction Klørsjavs. This variant is played similarly to the standard three player variant of Klørsjavs, however it introduces an increasing menu of bids that players may select in making their bid.

This game also uses a slightly different deck than is usual for standard Klørsjavs. The 20 card deck used for Auction Klørsjavs consists of all the cards from a standard deck in the rank of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and 5. The trump suit in this game is selected by a high bidder, and thus the ranking of the cards in both the trump suit and the non-trump suits is as follows (from highest to lowest): Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 5.

The deal is the same as in standard Klørsjav, with each player receiving two packets of three cards each, and two cards dealt face-down to the center of the table (called the "cat" or "skat").

After the hands have been dealt and the players have examined their hands, there is a single round of bidding, starting with the player to the immediate left of the dealer and continuing in a clockwise direction around the table. Each player has exactly one opportunity to bid, or may pass. In order to be considered a legal bid, the bid must be higher than any previously made bid on that hand. The following are the four types of allowable bids, shown from lowest to highest:

Spil ("Game"):
Stryger ("Strike"):
Tout:
Strøget tout ("Strike tout"):

If all players initially pass, the cards are gathered, reshuffled and re-dealt by the same dealer. If one or more players elected to bid, the player making the highest bid is set as the declarer and announces his choice of trump suit to be used for the duration of the current hand.

In a high bid of Tout or Strøget tout the declarer plays the first card to the first trick. In any other winning bid, the player to the immediate left of the dealer leads the first card to the first trick. The leader to a trick may lead any card to a trick which is still remaining in their hand. Each other player must then, in turn, play one card to that same trick. If the player has a card of the same suit as originally led to the trick they must play it. If they have no such cards, they may play any card remaining in their hand to the trick, including a card from the declared trump suit.

After each player has played one card to the trick, it is determined who has won that trick. If the trick contains any cards in the declared trump suit, the highest card in that suit wins the trick. If the trick contains no cards in that trump suit, the trick is instead won by the player of the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick. Cards won in tricks are set aside, face-down and out of play, near the player winning it. The winner of each trick leads the first card to the next trick.

After all the tricks have been played and won, the declarer checks to determine if he managed to fulfill his bid. As in most other games of this type, each card has a card point value as per the following chart:

Card	Card Point Value
Ace	11 Each
King	4 Each
Queen	3 Each
Jack	2 Each
Five	10 Each

The following are the Game Points which are thus won or lost by each player at the end of the hand:

If Declarer bid Spil:

and manages to win all 120 Card Points he earns three Game Points and each opponent loses three.
and manages to win from 91 to 119 of the card points during the hand he earns two Game Points and each opponent loses two.
and manages to win from 61 to 90 card points during the hand he earns one Game Point and each opponent loses one.
and captures from 31 to 60 card points during the hand, he loses one Game Point and each opponent earns one.
and captures 1 to 31 card points during the hand he loses two Game Points and each opponent earns two.
and wins no tricks during the hand he loses three Game Points and each opponent earns three.

If Declarer bid Stryger:

and wins all 120 card points he earns twelve Game Points and each opponent loses twelve.
and wins 91 to 119 card points he earns eight Game Points and each opponent loses eight.
and wins 61 to 90 card points during the hand he earns four Game Points and each opponent loses four.
and wins from 31 to 60 card points he loses four Game Points and each opponent is awarded four.
and wins from 1 to 30 card points, he loses eight Game Points and each opponent is awarded eight.
and wins no card points during the hand, he loses twelve Game Points and each opponent earns twelve.

If Declarer bid "Tout":

and manages to win every trick during the hand, he earns ten Game Points and each opponent loses ten.
and fails to win every trick during the hand, he instead loses ten Game Points and each opponent gains ten.

If Declarer bid "Strøget tout"

and wins every trick during the hand, that player earns 15 Game Points while every opponent loses 15 instead.
and fails to win every trick during the hand, that player loses 15 Game Points while every opponent earns 15 instead.

At the end of a set number of hands, which player has the highest total in Game Points is declared the overall session winner.