Kontra or Contra is a term used in certain card games of Central European origin that is called by players to raise the stakes.
If a player is given the right to bid in Tarock games, an opponent may announce Kontra if he thinks the soloist is unlikely to win.
In Tarock, a further doubling is allowed by saying Subkontra (or Sub for short) or, occasionally Hirsch ("stag"), a joking reference to the German word, Re(h), which means "doe", and results in the original game value increasing by a factor of 8.
[2] In Schafkopf, regional terms such as Spritz or Stoß are used to double the game as well as Contra (spelt that way).
Players may agree that Schenken is allowed whereby an opponent of the trump maker may offer to concede the game after the auction is over.
Other increments such as "four" or "five" may be announced alternately (until the number of points need for a win is reached, i.e. in the first game at a theoretical 15).