Skitgubbe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Skitgubbe (card game) | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Alternate names | Mjölnarmatte, Mas |
| Players | 2-4 |
| Deck | 52 |
| Cards | Anglo-American |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Card rank (highest to lowest) |
A K Q J 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 |
| Origin | Sweden |
Skitgubbe is a multi-genre card game that originated in Sweden. The game occurs in two phases. The first phase is a trick-taking game, where players accumulate a hand. The second phase is a rummy game, where players attempt to discard the accumulated hand. The last player to go out is the skitgubbe (dirty old man, in Swedish). Sometimes, the skitgubbe must make a goat noise. There is no other scoring system.
The first phase is unusual for a trick-taking game, in that there is asynchronous sloughing of cards that match played cards, while play goes around the table. In a variation common in the United States, the second phase is unusual because sequences of cards are played, connected, and picked up during the rummy phase.
As far as available information suggests, the main version of the game popular in the United States is due to Etan Savir, who learned the game from a Swedish man whilst visiting Greece in the late 1970s. It is not surprising that this version differs significantly from the original version, as both the instructor and pupil were drunk at the time. For example, it wasn't until Mr. Savir's friend Matthew Merzbacher asked a Swedish acquaintance about the meaning of the word did anyone realize that the game is not called "Wheatcuba." Variations on Mr. Savir's version have erupted as the game has spread.
Some Skitgubbe traditions that may or may not be due to Mr. Savir's interpretation of the game are:
- In the first phase, the rule that requires one to match the highest card in play if possible is known as "the most nefarious rule in the book."
- After one player loses, the other players may say "du luktar som en get," which is Swedish for "you smell like a goat."
A detailed explanation of the rules nearly as Mr. Savir originally explained them can be found at the second link below. These are due to Matthew Merzbacher, to whom Mr. Savir taught the game himself. This version is best played with 4 players, but can work with 3 or 5+. The version on the first page possibly predates Mr. Savir's version, and it is best played with 3, but can work with 2 or 4.
