Editing Skat (card game) (section)

== Two-player variants ==
There are several variants of Skat for two players:<ref>[https://www.paradisi.de/sport/skat/fuer-zwei-spieler/ ''Skatabwandlungen für zwei Spieler''] at paradisi.de. Retrieved 20 May 2021.</ref>

=== Officers' Skat ===
{{main|Officers' Skat}}

''Officers' Skat'' ({{langx|de|Offiziersskat}}) is a variant for two players. Each player receives 16 cards on the table in front of him in two rows, 8 face down and 8 face up on top of them. Bidding is replaced by the non-dealer declaring a game type and trump. When a face-up card is played, the hidden card is turned over. Each deal results in a total of 16 tricks and players must agree whether a game lasts for a certain number of deals or until one player scores a certain number of game points. Scoring is similar to normal Skat.

=== Oma Skat ===
{{main|Oma Skat}}

Oma Skat is also played with a third, or [[dummy (cards)|dummy]], hand called ''Oma'' ("Grandma"). However, in this case, the hand is not exposed. Instead it is placed in a stack, face down, and the top card of the stack is played to the trick each time. Thus Oma need not follow suit. 

=== Piloten-Skat ===
In Piloten-Skat ("Pilots' Skat") bidding takes place as if there were 3 players. Again the defender plays with the third hand against the soloist. After the first card is led, the third hand is exposed and played by the defender with a [[strawman (cards)|strawman]].
It is possible to play a modified version of the game with only two players. The cards that would be dealt to a third player are simply laid down as a “dummy” hand instead and not used.

=== Strawman ===
In Strawman Skat (''Skat mit einem Strohmann'' or ''Strohmann''), players are dealt 9 cards each, one hand being the straw man. There is a second skat of 3 cards that remains unused throughout the hand. After the first trick, the straw man is exposed and is played by the defender. The second skat goes, at the end, to the player who scores the most points.

=== Skat En Deux ===
In Skat En Deux, the dealer bids against the non-dealer, opening with "pass" or "18" as normal. If he passes, the non-dealer may pass or bid. Ten cards are dealt each, the spare hand going to the right of the dealer each time. This hand is played by the defender. After announcing his or her game, the defender exposes the third hand to the declarer. Thus, it is possible to predict what hand the opponent has and play much more strategically. It is sometimes used to teach new players the principles of Skat.

=== Schmegegge Skat ===
In Schmegegge Skat<ref>[https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qkrgkYVs2z9WI32qPLaiSOj2uzFjQVVgspyodF4-o9Y/edit?usp=sharing/ ''Schmegegge Skat''], web published, June 2022</ref> declarer plays against defender and a half-dummy that is played by defender. The dummy is considered its own hand, but scores with the defender. The dummy always has five cards exposed, and after each trick a new card for the dummy gets turned up, so there's always five. Play generally follows Skat but Ramsch uses 2 card tricks with dummy out of play: if both players pass initially, two cards of dummy are revealed for information, and if both pass a second time, they play 2-card tricks after a chance to exchange two cards unseen with dummy.