How does playing with the skat differ from playing from the hand?

In the card game skat, the choice between playing "with the skat" and "from the hand" significantly impacts gameplay and scoring:

• The Skat Exchange: When playing "with the skat," the declarer adds the two facedown cards to their hand and then discards any two cards facedown before announcing their contract. When playing "from the hand," the declarer leaves the skat untouched; however, any card points contained within the skat still count toward the declarer’s total at the end of the game (except in null bids).
• Scoring and Multipliers: Playing "from the hand" provides an extra multiplier to the game's value. Furthermore, only a player "from the hand" can declare schneider or schwarz in advance for additional factors, or play ouvert (with cards exposed).
• Announcements: If playing "with the skat," the declarer announces their game after the exchange. If playing "from the hand," the announcement must explicitly include "hand" and any other applicable declarations, such as schneider or ouvert, before the opening lead.