Ramsch

Ramsch is a German card game descended from the contract of the same name found in the popular trick-taking games Skat and Schafkopf, and it was historically also called Mike in East Germany. Over time it developed into an independent game only loosely connected to the Skat and Schafkopf contracts from which it takes its name and structure. In its standalone form Ramsch is played by three players, though as a contract embedded within a full game of Skat or Schafkopf it can involve four. The game reverses the usual card-game goal: rather than trying to win as many card points, or Augen, as possible, each player tries to score as few as possible, since the player left holding the most points at the end of the hand is the loser. This low-score objective, unusual among trick-taking games, is the defining feature that distinguishes Ramsch from the games it grew out of.