Kontra (cards)

Kontra, in the context of card games, particularly in some variations of European trick-taking games like Skat, Doppelkopf, and Schafkopf, refers to an announcement, bid, or declaration made by a player that challenges a previous bid or declaration made by an opponent. The term literally translates to "against" or "counter."

Specifically, a "Kontra" is a challenge to a declaration that the declarer (the player who made the original bid, such as declaring they will take a certain number of tricks) will succeed. By calling "Kontra", the challenging player (or team) essentially bets that the declarer will not fulfill their declaration.

The effect of a "Kontra" is to typically double the stakes or points at issue for the hand. Often, there are subsequent announcements possible, such as "Rekontra" (a response to "Kontra" by the original declarer, doubling the stakes again), and sometimes even further escalating calls, though these are less common and vary depending on specific regional rules.

The rules surrounding when a "Kontra" can be called, and by whom, are highly specific to the particular variant of the card game being played. Generally, there are restrictions on timing (e.g., it must be called before a certain point in the game), and on who is eligible to call it (e.g., only players who are not partners of the declarer).

Understanding the rules regarding "Kontra" and similar calls is crucial to strategic play in these card games, as it allows players to increase their winnings or losses significantly, based on their assessment of the hand and their opponents' skill.