Skat - the popular German card game: Anyone know how to play?

[Pythagoras]

I have a deck of skat cards as a souvenir from my brief stint as a student in Germany. I know that it is a three or four person game, and I've read up on the rules, but I just can't seem to get it. The only other thing I know for sure is that Paul Baumer and his comrades in Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front enjoy the game when they aren't getting blasted in the trenches.
Anyone here know how to play?
Thanks guys.

 

[CupofJoe]

Okay - I've looking at the rules on-line [thank you Wikipedia] and... they make no sense to me...
but I did find out that German playing cards can have different suit on them... Acorns, Leaves, Hearts and Bells, who knew!
There is at least one on-line and one downloadable game to be had for free but I'd be wary of following any link with the word scat or skat in it...
There are apparently Skat clubs across the US, maybe there is one local to you where they would be happy to teach you... As it is a betting/tricks game I imagine they may play for money and not just honour! Just as I learned to play Poker.

 

[SeverinR]

Skat (card game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Its a tough sounding game, but probably if you saw it, it would probably be easier to understand.

 

[SeverinR]

Skat (card game - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)
Its a tough sounding game, but probably if you saw it, it would probably be easier to understand.

The only videos showing Skat, are both in German.

 

[Tom]

Skat is hard. There are a lot of complicated rules. I suck at card games, so you probably wouldn't want my advice. Just make sure your fellow defender is good if you're playing as part of the defending team. Getting stuck with a clueless/luckless teammate is a sure way to lose the game.

 

[Pythagoras]

Thanks, guys. My first hope was to find someone I could play with, because games are easier to learn by practice for me. Reading the rules for card games only ever made sense once I already knew how to play. But as it is, no one around me seems to know how to play, so I came here to ask. This chit-chat forum is handy, isn't it? Thanks again!