Skat (card game) The word scarto is still used in some other Italian card games to this day, and is not to be confused with the American game called "scat" Skat is a game for three players. At the beginning of each round or 'deal', one player becomes "declarer" and the other two players become the "defending team". The two defenders are not allowed to communicate in any way except by their choice of cards to play. The game can also be played by four players. In this case, the dealer will sit out the round that was dealt. Players may agree at
International Skat Players Association International Skat Players Association The International Skat Players Association (ISPA) is the worldwide umbrella organisation for all competition Skat players. The ISPA was founded in 1976 by Peter Brand and Martha Prickartz in Aachen, Germany. It initially crossed swords with the world's largest national Skat association, the German Skat Association ("Deutscher Skatverband", DSkV), and promulgated different rules for the game. Towards the end of the 1990s, talks between the top officials of each organisation led to rapprochement and agreement between the two large associations. The ban on double membership was lifted and a uniform International Skat Order ("Internationale Skatordnung ",