The 66 Family: One Card Game, Three Countries, Centuries of Tradition

Introduction

The card game known as 66 or Sixty-Six has traveled across Europe for centuries, developing distinct national variants that reflect each country's card-playing culture. In Austria and parts of Germany it is called Schnapsen, in Hungary it is Snapszer, and the original German game is simply 66 (Sechsundsechzig). All three versions share the same DNA — reach 66 points through tricks and marriages — but each nation has added its own twists to the formula.

What makes this family of games remarkable is how a single invention from a small German town grew into one of Central Europe's most enduring card-playing traditions. From Viennese coffee houses to Hungarian village pubs, from Bavarian beer gardens to competitive tournament circuits, the 66 family continues to thrive after nearly four centuries. This hub page compares the three main variants side by side, explores their shared history, and helps you decide which version to try first.

Whether you already know one variant and want to understand how it differs from the others, or you are completely new to this family of games, the guide below covers everything you need to know: the history, the mechanics, the strategic nuances, and the fascinating regional differences that make each version uniquely rewarding.

History & Origins

The story of 66 begins in 1652, in the Westphalian city of Paderborn, Germany. According to tradition, the game was invented at a local inn, and a commemorative plaque was placed there to mark the occasion. Whether the plaque story is apocryphal or not, historical evidence clearly places the game's origins in the mid-17th century German-speaking world.

From Paderborn, 66 spread rapidly. Germany's patchwork of small states and principalities meant that travelers, soldiers, and merchants carried the game across borders with ease. By the 18th century, 66 had become one of the most popular two-player card games in the German-speaking lands.

The game's next great leap came through the Habsburg Empire. As the multi-ethnic empire connected Austria, Hungary, Bohemia, and parts of the Balkans under one political roof, card games traveled with officials, traders, and students. In Austria, 66 was refined into Schnapsen — a tighter, more elegant version using only 20 cards. The Austrian variant became the country's unofficial national card game, a status it holds to this day.

Meanwhile, in Hungary, the game took root as Snapszer (the name clearly borrowed from the Austrian/German “Schnapsen”). Hungarian players kept the larger 24-card deck and adapted the game to their own traditional playing cards — the Magyar Kártya deck with its distinctive suits of Hearts, Bells, Leaves, and Acorns. Snapszer became a fixture in Hungarian social life, played in homes, pubs, and coffeehouses alongside other Hungarian favourites like Ulti and Zsírozás.

Each country adapted the game not just to local playing cards, but to local temperaments. The Austrians prized precision and memory. The Hungarians valued sociability and the drama of bold closing declarations. The Germans kept the original format as a versatile game that could accommodate more than two players. Yet through all these adaptations, the core remained unchanged: reach 66 points, declare marriages, close the stock, win game points.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The following table highlights the key differences and similarities between the three main members of the 66 family. While the core mechanics are nearly identical, the details matter — especially the deck size, which fundamentally affects the game's strategic texture.

Schnapsen (Austrian / German)

Schnapsen is the Austrian refinement of 66, widely considered the most elegant and demanding version of the family. It is Austria's national card game and enjoys a devoted following in competitive circles, with regular tournaments held across the country.

The defining feature of Schnapsen is its 20-card deck. By removing the 9s entirely, the Austrians created a game where only Jack, Queen, King, Ten, and Ace remain in each suit. Each player receives just 5 cards, and only 10 cards sit in the stock. This means that at the start of any hand, a skilled player can account for a significant portion of the unseen cards — making memory and deduction central to the game.

The tight deck also makes every decision weightier. With fewer cards in play, losing a single trick can swing the outcome of an entire hand. The closing mechanic is particularly tense in Schnapsen: you have fewer tricks to work with, so the margin for error when closing the stock is razor-thin.

Another distinctive element is the trump exchange. In Schnapsen, the Jack of trumps (rather than the 9) can be swapped for the face-up trump card under the stock. This is because the 9 does not exist in the Schnapsen deck.

Schnapsen scoring uses the Bummerl system. A Bummerl is a set played to 7 game points. When one player accumulates 7 points, they win the Bummerl, and a new one begins. In social play, multiple Bummerls may be played in a session, often with small stakes riding on each one.

→ Read the full Schnapsen rules

Snapszer (Hungarian)

Snapszer is Hungary's beloved version of the 66 family. The name is transparently borrowed from the German/Austrian “Schnapsen,” but Hungarian players have made the game thoroughly their own over the past two centuries.

Snapszer uses a 24-card deck that includes the 9s (worth 0 points each). Each player receives 6 cards, and 12 cards remain in the stock. The presence of the 9s and the extra card in hand introduce a slightly greater element of uncertainty compared to Schnapsen. There are more unknown cards, and the 9s act as filler cards that can be used strategically to lose tricks cheaply during the open phase.

Traditionally, Snapszer is played with the Magyar Kártya (Hungarian-pattern cards), which use the German suit system of Hearts (Piros), Bells (Tök), Leaves (Zöld), and Acorns (Makk). The court cards are called Unter (replacing Jack), Ober (replacing Queen), and King. This deck gives the game a distinctive visual identity, though standard French-suited cards work just as well.

The trump exchange in Snapszer uses the 9 of trumps, which can be swapped for the face-up trump card. Since 9s are worth 0 points, this exchange is almost always advantageous — you trade a worthless card for one that is typically much higher in value.

In Hungarian social settings, Snapszer is often played casually in pubs and family gatherings. It sits alongside Ulti (a three-player bidding game) and Zsírozás (a trick-fattening game) as one of the three pillars of Hungarian card-game culture — all typically played with the same Magyar Kártya deck.

→ Read the full Snapszer rules

Sixty-Six / Sechsundsechzig (Original German)

Sixty-Six is the parent game of the entire family, the original version reportedly born in Paderborn in 1652. While Schnapsen and Snapszer have become the dominant versions in their respective countries, the original German 66 remains widely played across Germany and is still the standard in many card-game reference works.

Like Snapszer, German 66 uses a 24-card deck (9 through Ace) and deals 6 cards per player. The trump exchange uses the 9 of trumps, identical to the Hungarian version. In fact, the rules of 66 and Snapszer are nearly indistinguishable in their two-player form — the main difference is cultural context and the style of cards used.

Where German 66 stands apart is its flexibility with player counts. Unlike Schnapsen and Snapszer, which are strictly two-player affairs, 66 has established variants for three and four players:

• Three players: The dealer sits out each hand, and the other two play a standard game. The dealer rotates, so everyone plays two out of every three hands. Some three-player variants deal cards to all three players with a modified scoring system.
• Four players: Players form two partnerships and sit across from each other. Partners cooperate to reach 66 points collectively, adding a team dynamic absent from the two-player versions.

German 66 also tends to be less formalised than Austrian Schnapsen in terms of competitive play. While Schnapsen has a well-organised tournament circuit in Austria, 66 is more commonly a social game in Germany, played informally at home or in Gaststätten (traditional German pubs).

Core Shared Mechanics

Despite their differences, all three versions of the 66 family share a remarkably consistent set of core mechanics. If you learn one, you can play any of the others with minimal adjustment.

The Magic Number: 66

Every version revolves around the same target: accumulate 66 or more card points in a single hand. Card values are identical across all three games — Aces are worth 11, Tens are worth 10, Kings 4, Queens 3, Jacks 2, and 9s (where present) are worth 0. The total value of all cards in a 24-card deck is 120 points, meaning 66 is slightly more than half. In Schnapsen's 20-card deck, the total is still 120 (since the removed 9s are worth 0), keeping the target balanced.

Marriages (King + Queen)

In all three games, declaring a marriage — showing a King and Queen of the same suit when it is your turn to lead — scores bonus points. A non-trump marriage is worth 20 points, and a trump marriage is worth 40 points. Marriages are often the decisive factor in reaching 66, and skilled players build their entire strategy around setting up and timing their marriage declarations.

Closing the Stock

The closing mechanic is shared across all versions and is the single most strategically rich element of the 66 family. When it is your turn to lead, you may declare that the stock is closed. No more cards are drawn, and strict follow-suit rules immediately take effect. The closer takes on a risk: if they fail to reach 66, the opponent scores bonus game points. Knowing when to close — and when to keep drawing — is the hallmark of an expert player.

Game Points (1 / 2 / 3 System)

All three games use the same tiered scoring for game points:

• 1 game point if the loser reached 33 or more card points
• 2 game points (Schneider) if the loser accumulated fewer than 33 card points
• 3 game points (Schwarz) if the loser won no tricks at all

A match is played to 7 game points in all versions, though social games sometimes use other targets (11 is common in Germany).

Must Follow Suit When Stock Is Closed

During the open phase (while cards remain in the stock), players may play any card they wish regardless of the suit led. Once the stock is closed or exhausted, strict rules apply: you must follow suit if possible, must play higher if you can, and must trump if you cannot follow suit but hold a trump. This two-phase structure — free play followed by strict play — is the structural backbone of every 66 variant.

Key Differences Explained

Deck Size and Its Impact on Strategy

The most consequential difference in the family is the deck size. Schnapsen's 20-card deck creates a game where information is king. With only 10 unseen cards at the start, an observant player can narrow down the opponent's hand with surprising precision after just a few tricks. Every card played reveals a significant percentage of the remaining unknown cards.

In contrast, the 24-card decks of Snapszer and 66 introduce four additional cards (the 9s) and one extra card per hand. While 9s carry no point value, they occupy space in the deck and hand, creating more uncertainty. The 12-card stock means there are more possible distributions to consider, and the extra card in hand gives players more flexibility — but also more to track.

The practical result: Schnapsen is a sharper, more unforgiving game where memory and calculation dominate. Snapszer and 66 allow for slightly more improvisation and surprise, making them marginally more accessible to casual players.

Bummerl vs. Individual Game Scoring

In Austrian Schnapsen, the match structure is formally called a Bummerl. The first player to 7 game points wins the Bummerl, and social play often involves multiple Bummerls per session. In Hungarian Snapszer and German 66, the term Bummerl is not commonly used, though the structure is identical — play to 7 game points. The difference is largely cultural and terminological rather than mechanical.

Regional Card Decks

One of the most visually distinctive aspects of the 66 family is the variety of card decks used across different countries:

• French suits (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades): Used in much of Germany and internationally. The deck most non-European players will recognise.
• German suits (Hearts, Bells, Leaves, Acorns): Traditional in Bavaria, Austria, and parts of southern Germany. The court cards are typically Unter (Under Knave), Ober (Over Knave), and King.
• Hungarian suits: The Magyar Kártya uses the same four German suits but with distinctly Hungarian artwork. The deck is closely associated with Hungarian national identity and is used for Snapszer, Ulti, Zsírozás, and other Hungarian games. You can learn more on our Magyar Kártya page.

Regardless of which deck you use, the rules are identical. The suits map one-to-one (Hearts to Hearts, Bells to Diamonds, Leaves to Spades, Acorns to Clubs), and the card rankings remain the same.

Which Version Should You Try First?

If you are new to the 66 family, the best starting point depends on what you value in a card game:

If you have a regular card-playing partner, either starting point works well. Schnapsen and Snapszer are both excellent two-player games, and switching between them is trivial once you understand the core mechanics. If you sometimes play with three or four people, the original German 66 offers that flexibility.

The 66 Family Tree

The 66 family does not exist in isolation. It belongs to a broader European tradition of marriage-and-trick-taking games that share common ancestors and mechanics. Understanding these connections can deepen your appreciation for how card games evolve and spread across cultures.

Bezique

Bezique is a French card game for two players that shares the marriage mechanic and the idea of accumulating points through both tricks and melds. Bezique uses a larger deck (64 cards, or two combined 32-card piquet decks) and offers a wider variety of melds beyond simple marriages. It was hugely popular in 19th-century France and England, and its influence can be seen in many subsequent trick-and-meld games.

Pinochle

Pinochle is the American descendant of Bezique, brought to the United States by German immigrants in the 19th century. It uses a 48-card double deck and features an elaborate melding system alongside trick-taking. While more complex than 66, Pinochle shares the fundamental principle of combining trick points with meld points to determine the winner. If you enjoy the 66 family, Pinochle is a natural next step for exploring trick-and-meld games.

Marjapussi

Marjapussi is a Finnish four-player partnership card game that also features marriages as a central mechanic. Players declare King-Queen pairs of the trump suit for bonus points, and the game involves both trick-taking and strategic communication between partners. It represents the northernmost branch of the European marriage-game tradition and shows how far the core concept has traveled from its Central European roots.

Santase

Santase is the Bulgarian variant of 66, played with a 24-card deck and rules nearly identical to the original German game. The name comes from “sant” (a corruption of “sixty-six” through Turkish linguistic influence). Santase demonstrates how the 66 family spread beyond the German and Hungarian-speaking world into the Balkans during the Ottoman and post-Ottoman periods.

Frequently Asked Questions