Rules for Schwimmen

Schwimmen is based on strategic choices and a bit of luck, and can create intense moments when someone decides to knock!

The game is suitable for 2 or more players and usually takes 15–30 minutes to play. You’ll need a standard 52-card deck (without jokers) and some tokens or coins to represent lives.

The goal of the game is to be the last remaining player after several rounds by avoiding having the lowest score when someone knocks.

Each player starts with 3 lives, represented by 3 tokens or coins placed in front of them. A dealer is chosen and deals 3 cards to each player.

The dealer places the remaining cards on the table as a draw pile and flips over the top card to start the discard pile.

Players look at their own cards but keep them hidden from the others.

Cards have the following point values:

• 2–10: Face value (2 = 2 points, 3 = 3 points, etc.)
• Jack, Queen, King: 10 points each
• Ace: 11 points

Important: You can only count points from cards of the same suit! Choose the suit that gives you the highest score.

Aces are special: they can be combined with each other and with cards of any suit. For example: A♠️ + A♣️ + 9♦️ gives Schwimmen points (11 + 11 + 9).

The player to the left of the dealer starts, and play continues clockwise.

On your turn, you must:

1. Either draw the top card from the draw pile OR take the top card from the discard pile
2. Choose one card from your hand and place it face up on the discard pile

The goal is to improve your hand by collecting cards of the same suit with the highest possible total value—ideally Schwimmen points, which is the maximum.

When a player believes they have a strong enough hand, they may choose to "knock" (tap their fist on the table) instead of drawing a card.

When someone knocks:

• All other players get one final turn to draw and discard a card
• The player who knocked does not draw any more cards
• When the turn comes back to the knocker, all players reveal their cards

At the showdown, hands are compared and the player(s) with the lowest total score lose a life.

Here are some examples of how scoring works:

• 6♠️ 10♠️ 7♥️ = 16 points (only the spades count: 6 + 10 = 16)
• K♣️ K♦️ K♠️ = 10 points (three kings, but only one suit counts: 10 points)
• A♦️ J♦️ J♠️ = 21 points (ace (11) + jack of diamonds (10) = 21)
• A♠️ 9♦️ A♣️ = Schwimmen points (two aces (11 + 11) + nine of diamonds (9) = Schwimmen)

Players start with 3 lives. When a player loses a life, they remove a token/coin.

The player(s) with the lowest score at showdown lose a life. If multiple players are tied for the lowest score, all of them lose a life.

The loser of the round becomes the dealer for the next round.

When a player has lost all 3 lives, they are "on their last chance". If they lose another life while on their last chance, they are out of the game.

The game continues round by round until only one player remains who has not been eliminated. That player is the winner!

Special rule: If the last two players are both on their last chance and tie in a round, both are eliminated. In that case, previously eliminated players can rejoin, and the game continues with all players on their last chance.

There are some special rules that make the game more exciting:

• Schwimmen on the deal: If a player is dealt Schwimmen points at the start of the game, all other players lose a life and a new hand is dealt
• Knocking: The player who knocks may not draw any more cards
• Last chance rule: When a player has lost all 3 lives, they are on their last chance. If they lose again, they are out of the game

Here are some helpful tips for succeeding at Schwimmen:

• Watch which cards other players discard – it can give you clues about what they are collecting
• Consider when it's best to knock – if you have a strong hand (25+ points), it might be smart to knock before others improve theirs
• Try to collect cards of the same suit, focusing on aces and face cards
• Think carefully before taking from the discard pile or draw pile – the discard pile is visible, but others can see what you take
• If you notice someone has a strong hand, try to improve quickly or knock before they get even better cards