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How does a grand contract differ from a suit-trump contract in skat?
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In the card game skat, the primary differences between a grand contract and a suit-trump contract involve the composition of the trump suit and the base value used for scoring.1
- Trump Composition: In a suit-trump contract, there are 11 trumps: the four jacks (ranked clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds) followed by the ace, 10, king, queen, 9, 8, and 7 of the chosen suit. In a grand contract, only the four jacks serve as trumps, forming a separate four-card suit, while the remaining four suits each retain seven cards.1
- Base Value: The base value for scoring, which is multiplied by various factors to determine the game value, differs significantly. A grand contract has a base value of 24, whereas suit-trump contracts have lower base values: diamonds (9), hearts (10), spades (11), and clubs (12).1
- Matadors: The maximum number of matadors—consecutive top trumps—is 11 in a suit-trump game, but only four in a grand contract.1