SchtossAdmires of classical literature and music might be interested in the game played by Germann from Pushkin`s story or from Tchaikovsky`s opera. This game is one of the ancient gambling games. It is called schtoss if there are 2 players: player and croupier, and bank or bank-table. Colloquial names are "love-don`t love", `cur" etc.
Players and packs
Players are divided into croupiers and players. Each player has a pack of cards. In Germann`s times a pack of 52 cards was used, in late XX century a pack of 32 cards was played. However, one can use a 36 -card pack.
Minimal stake
A minimal stake is agreed upon before the game. A player stakes on any card by his choice. He takes the card from his pack, puts it on the table face down. The he announces the minimal stake.
If the player`s stake much exceeds the croupier`s stake, the latter may refuse playing. If the player doesn`t call the stake, that means he agrees to play the minimal stake.
Play
After the card is chosen and the stake is known, player cuts the croupier`s pack by dividing it into 2 parts. That is why this game is called a "cut". After cut, player can not change a card or a stake.
The croupier turns his pack up side down, shows two first cards so that the suit can be seen to the player.
Then the player exposes his cards to compare it with the croupier`s exposed cards. The croupier`s pack is called schtoss. If the first card in schtoss coincides with the player`s card, croupier wins the stake. Suit means nothing. For instance, player`s card is seven of diamonds. Croupier exposes seven of spades and wins. One says seven is beaten.
If the second card coincides with the player`s card, he wins. Jargon for this situation: "seven is given in, seven is done, player guessed seven".
If two cards don`t coincide with player`s card, they are sloughed on the table. Then the third and the fourth cards are compared. Cards are sloughed till one of them coincides with player`s card. Besides if this is an odd card, it is beaten and croupier wins. Player wins with the even card. Conditions are the same if there are several players.
Schtoss is sloughed till all cards define the player`s loss or winning.
Plie
Plie is the situation when both first cards coincide. In this case the croupier wins.
| 
