If the losing team scores no points, it receives a Schneider, which counts as two Bummerls.

If a team leads 23:0 and loses it receives a Retourschneider (or Schuster, Rücker), which counts as four Bummerls.

There are 4 suits: in French playing cards and doppeldeutsche (William Tell pattern) cards they are Hearts (Herz), Diamonds (Karo), Spades (Pik) and Clubs (Kreuz or, regionally, Treff).

In the doppeldeutsche variants the suits are regionally also known as Hearts (Herz), Bells (Schelle), Leaves (Blatt, Grün or Laub) and Acorns (Eichel).

After the caller has called trumps, the player who has bid the highest contract, may play it.

At the end of each hand the caller becomes the dealer; he shuffles, lets the player to the right cut or knock and deals the cards as described above.

The Bettler contracts are very controversial in conservative circles, because they make normal games the exception rather than the rule.

If the King and Ober are of the trump suit, he may declare a Vierziger ("Forty-er") and win 40 points.

The aim of Bettler ("Beggar") or, regionally, Fechter ("Swordsman") is not to take any tricks.

In one regional variant the partner of the player who has announced Bettler is not allowed to play and must take a pause.

There is an uncommon regional variant in which the partner is allowed to win a trick, known as Schnapser mit Mann.

[2] A Gang (regionally Gangl, Durchmarsch, Land, Ringerl, Ring or Neuner) may be announced by any player.

[2] The Kontraschnapser ("Counter-Schnapser") or Kontra-Drei-Stich ("Counter-Three Tricks") can be played by an opponent of the caller.

The game may be won in the following ways: The winning team scores 12 points.

Kontrabauernschnapser is similar to Bauernschnapser: the aim is to take all the tricks, the trump suit being named by the caller.

If the opposing team believes that the declarer will lose the game, they can double the stakes (known as spritzen or, regionally, flecken, schießen or kontern).

With the announcement Retour or Kontra or Zruckgspritzt the player (or his partner) may double it again, if he is nevertheless sure that they can win the game.

This can be responded to again with the declaration Re or nuamoi zruckgspritzt, whereupon a win would bring eight times the actual number of points - but this kind of thing does not happen very often.

[2] If the team that is leading could reach zero, their opponents will often call "auf Stand", regardless of the quality of their own hands.

They do this because doubling makes no difference if the team loses, but if they are lucky it may increase their chances of winning.

As in Bettler the aim of Assenbettler (regionally Zehnerloch), is not to take any tricks, all suits having the same value.

As in Bettler and Assenbettler the aim of Ass-Bettler (regionally Ass-Fechter) is not to take any tricks, all suits being equal in value.

The player who announces Ass-Bettler must have at least one ace in his hand which makes it more difficult for him not to take a trick.

If the player succeeds in not taking a single trick, the team receives 7 points.

The player who bids the highest contract may now pick up the talon and must replace 2 cards again.

If a normal game is played, the caller could announce another contract in this case.

Regional variant: Any player who does not reach 24 points has a "Bummerl" - this can even happen if you win a game with your partner.

In a normal game, the caller must win at least 66 points; the talon cards are not counted along with the tricks he has won.

Schnapser in Talonschnapsen consists of 4 tricks, in order to win the 12 cards, which can also be achieved in Bauernschnapsen.