There are several local variations of the game, which differ mainly in the number of cards revealed or hidden and the calculation of points.

[1] The name Coachman's Skat (Kutscherskat) comes from the fact that coachmen were supposed to have whiled away their waiting time with this game, while their gentlemen went off to a social event, there being often 2 coachmen (including the postilion) per coach.

[1] The dealer shuffles the cards and his opponent – the forehand (Vorhand), elder hand (Ältere) or declarer (Ansager) – cuts them.

After the trump suit has been declared, the dealer deals four cards to himself, face up, on top of his first row.

after receiving his second row of face-up cards thus re-doubling the stakes and indicating that he thinks he will win the game.

The trump suit sets the game value at 24 (Grand), 12 (acorns), 11 (leaves), 10 (hearts) or 9 (bells) points.

The player who has chosen trumps, the declarer, starts the game by leading to the first trick with one of his face-up cards.

The game ends when all 16 tricks have been taken; then both players add up their 'card points' from the cards they have won.

This is the either the number of Jacks or Unters held in unbroken sequence, beginning with the Jack of Clubs or Unter of Acorns or, alternatively, the number not held in unbroken sequence.

The number of matadors plus one is then multiplied by the base value of the trump suit (Bells: 9, Hearts: 10, Leaves: 11, Acorns: 12 or Grand: 24).

[5] Many people calculate the points using additional matadors (Spitzen) as in Skat, so that in a game with all four Jacks and the Ace of trumps, the winner gets 5 matador points for a game value of 6 times the base value.

In addition there are also simplified forms of scoring: If agreed, a game can also be played where players can 'pass' instead of choosing trumps.

If the actual declarer passes, the dealer can choose trumps once both players have four cards, face up, before them.

If both players pass, the game is played as Ramsch, i.e. the aim is to get the lowest score.

The advantages of harlequin skat are that you need less space to play it, and a greater tactical depth because you know your opponent's cards before they are seen.