The British Skat Association will hold a event in The Holly Bush, 106 Bridge Street, Oxford OX2 0BD on Saturday June 3rd.
The premises will open at, and serve food and drinks from, 12:00. Registration will close at 12:10. Play will start as soon as possible after that, I'll aim for 12:15, and consist of 4 sessions of duplicate Skat, ending by 20:30. Each session will take about 100 minutes, with short breaks between sessions. You are welcome to play in any or all of the rounds, though you will have little chance of winning a prize unless you play in all four.
"Duplicate" Skat means the that same hands are played at all the tables. For the individual player, there is no difference from the way you would play at home, except that you don't get to shuffle the cards. After each session (of around 18 hands) You will move to a table with a different set of opponents.
The Holly Bush normally has several real beers on draft, and serves lunch and evening meals. I recommend their pizzas (I rarely recommend pizzas, but the Holly Bush cooks them properly in a pizza oven).
The entry fee for the full day is £10. Or you can enter individual sessions, at £3 each. Prizes will be awarded to the winner and runner-up; you are unlikely to win one unless you enter all four sessions. There will also be a small prize for the best result for a single session achieved by somone who has not won another prize, so that even a player who enters only one session has a chance to win something.
Late entries can be accepted until 11:10 a.m. on the day. If you expect to
be there by 12:20, but not in time for the close of registration at 12:10,
you must ring or text the organiser at
If you want lunch, please order it (and pay for it) before play starts.
Request that it should arrive at the table at 14:00 (when I expect round
1 to finish). Their new menu is below, you can click on it for a larger
version.
To find The Holly Bush from Oxford railway station, leave via the main road exit. Turn right (west) and go along Botley Road for 320 yards, passing under the railway line and over the navigable channel of the Thames. Turn left into Bridge Street. After 20 yards, turn right into North Street, and after ten more yards go in through the door on your left. (Its address is in Bridge Street and its door is in North Street. It also has a garden gate into West Street.)
To find The Holly Bush from Oxford coach station, go west for 480 yards, along George Street and Hythe Bridge Street and through Frideswide Square, heading for Oxford railway station. Then follow the instructions above.
Getting to the Holly Bush may be slightly more difficult than usual. The railway bridge over Botley Road is being reconstructed, making the road under it impassable to motor vehicles for most of 2023. You will be able to go west from the railway station on foot, possibly with a bicycle, but not in a car, taxi, or bus. So if you arrive at the railway or coach station, don't take a taxi to the Holly Bush: it'll cost at least £20 and take far longer than walking.
This page is part of the web site of the British Skat Association.