German Schafkopf (german: Deutscher Schafkopf) is an old German
card game
A card game is any game using playing cards as the primary device with which the game is played, be they traditional or game-specific.
Countless card games exist, including families of related games (such as poker). A small number of card ...
and the forerunner of the popular modern games of
Skat,
Doppelkopf
Doppelkopf (, lit. ''double-head''), sometimes abbreviated to Doko, is a trick-taking card game for four players. The origins of this game are not well known; it is only recorded from the early 20th century and it is assumed that it originated f ...
and
Bavarian Schafkopf
Schafkopf (), also called Bavarian Schafkopf, is a popular German trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century, from German Schafkopf. It is still very popular in Bavaria, where it ...
.
Today it is hardly ever played in its original form, but there are a number of regional derivations.
History
Schafkopf dates to the 18th century or earlier and is the oldest member of the Schafkopf family.
[McLeod (1978), pp. 38-47.] A 1783 novel describes the scene after a wedding dinner as the dining tables were cleared away and replaced by games tables: "here stood an
Ombre
Ombre (, pronounced "omber") or l'Hombre is a fast-moving seventeenth-century trick-taking card game for three players and "the most successful card game ever invented."
Its history began in Spain around the end of the 16th century as a four-pe ...
table, there a noble Schafkopf was played, over there a game of forfeits, soon everybody was busy playing when suddenly the sound of the strings announced the arrival of the dance band..." In 1796, we learn that students at Leipzig University liked to repair to disreputable bars to play
Solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
or Schafkopf for a couple of
Dreiers.
In 1811, it is described as "a cute little game
layedwith chalk and collection bag pennies". and its rules are recorded for the first time. In 1853, these rules are reproduced by
Von Alvensleben
von Alvensleben may refer to:
* Christian von Alvensleben (born 1941), German photographer
* Constantin von Alvensleben (1809–1892), Prussian general
* Gustav von Alvensleben (1803–1881), Prussian general
* 'Alvo' Gustav Konstantin von Alvens ...
who describes 'Schaafkopf' as being very common, especially with the lower classes perhaps due to its ordinary name ("sheep's head"), but that it also went under the "more noble" names of Society (''Societätsspiel''), Conversation (''Conversationsspiel'') or Denunciation (''Denunciationsspiel''). He hypothesises that the name comes from the practice of drawing the lines denoting points scored in the form of a stylised sheep's head. He goes on to describe in detail no less that nine variants of 'Schaafkopf' (in addition to
Wendish Schafkopf
Wendish Schafkopf (german: Wendischer Schafkopf), Wendisch or Wendsch is a card game for four players that uses a Schafkopf pack of German-suited cards or a Skat pack of French playing cards.
Aim
The aim of the game is for each partnership of ...
), but states clearly that the original one was a four-hand, point-trick, team game with 4 Unters as top trumps, known as Wenzels (pronounced "Ventsels") and a trump suit nominated by the bid winner. The game was normally played for beer. Other variants for four, six or eight players variously use six Wenzels (two Obers and four Unters) or eight Wenzels (four Obers and four Unters). Some use Bells as the permanent trump suit and at least one is a plain-trick game, otherwise they are
Ace-Ten games
An Ace-Ten game is a type of card game, highly popular in Europe, in which the Aces and Tens are of particularly high value.
Description
Many of Europe's most popular card games feature the Ace-Ten scoring system, where the cards count as Ace = ...
with the Tens ranking low. The variants (with von Alversleben's lettering in brackets) are shown in brief below. They are played by teams of two, in fixed partnerships, with variable trumps, and are point-trick games except where shown:
# Four players, four Wenzels, 32 cards (A) – ''Urschafkopf'' or ''Ur-Schafkopf''
# Four players, six Wenzels, 32 cards (C)
# Four players, eight Wenzels, 32 cards (D)
# Four players, four Wenzels, Bells, no teams, plain-trick, 32 cards (B) – ''Schellen-Schafkopf''
# Four players, six Wenzels, Bells, 32 cards (E)
# Six players, six Wenzels, Bells, 36 cards (F)
# Four players, twelve Wenzels, Bells, 2 x 24 cards (G)
# Six players, twelve Wenzels, Bells, 2 x 24 cards (H)
# Eight players, sixteen Wenzels, Bells, 2 x 32 cards (I)
No. 3 has the same configuration as modern Bavarian
Schafkopf
Schafkopf (), also called Bavarian Schafkopf, is a popular German Trick-taking game, trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century, from German Schafkopf. It is still very popular i ...
, although the latter has Hearts as permanent trumps in the 'normal game',
alliances rather than
partnerships
A partnership is an arrangement where parties, known as business partners, agree to cooperate to advance their mutual interests. The partners in a partnership may be individuals, businesses, interest-based organizations, schools, governments o ...
and various
solo
Solo or SOLO may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Comics
* ''Solo'' (DC Comics), a DC comics series
* Solo, a 1996 mini-series from Dark Horse Comics
Characters
* Han Solo, a ''Star Wars'' character
* Jacen Solo, a Jedi in the non-canonical ''S ...
contracts. Modern
Wendish Schafkopf
Wendish Schafkopf (german: Wendischer Schafkopf), Wendisch or Wendsch is a card game for four players that uses a Schafkopf pack of German-suited cards or a Skat pack of French playing cards.
Aim
The aim of the game is for each partnership of ...
resembles no. 5 but has eight Wenzels; likewise
Doppelkopf
Doppelkopf (, lit. ''double-head''), sometimes abbreviated to Doko, is a trick-taking card game for four players. The origins of this game are not well known; it is only recorded from the early 20th century and it is assumed that it originated f ...
looks like an evolution of no. 7 taking it from 12 to 16 Wenzels and adding 2 x 10s, which are the highest cards in the double pack.
McLeod notes that many German game books include rules for German Schafkopf based on the original, but he is not aware of anywhere that it is still played. However his research has uncovered two descendants of the game lingering on in the
Palatinate region
The Palatinate (german: Pfalz; Palatine German: ''Palz'') is a region of Germany. In the Middle Ages it was known as the Rhenish Palatinate (''Rheinpfalz'') and Lower Palatinate (''Unterpfalz''), which strictly speaking designated only the wes ...
of western Germany. One is Bauernstoss which is played in
Erfweiler
Erfweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. It is a state-recognised resort.
Geography Location
Erfweiler lies in the German part of the Wasgau, as the southern end of the Palatine Fores ...
and the other is Alter Schoofkopp played in
Niederhochstadt, around 30 kilometres to the east.
The Palatinate is also home to
Bauerchen or Bauersches, a four-player, partnership game in which the four Jacks are top trumps in the usual Skat/Schafkopf order. It is played with a short pack (20 cards), forehand calls trumps and leads to the first trick. Melds for a King-Queen pair earn extra points.
Rules
The following rules appear to be based on Grupp (1994) and resemble those of the original Schafkopf game, i.e. von Alversleben's Type A above.
Cards
Players and cards
German Schafkopf is played with 4 players and 32 cards which, depending on the region, may be
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
or
French pack
French-suited playing cards or French-suited cards are cards that use the French suits of (clovers or clubs ), (tiles or diamonds ), (hearts ), and (pikes or spades ). Each suit contains three or four face/court cards. I ...
s. The players form 2 permanent partnerships.
[Grupp, Claus D. ''Doppelkopf Schafkopf''. Niedernhausen: Falken (1994), p. 41. .]
Card values
Card ranking
The ranking of cards within the individual suits is as follows (highest to lowest):
Ace
An ace is a playing card, die or domino with a single pip. In the standard French deck, an ace has a single suit symbol (a heart, diamond, spade, or club) located in the middle of the card, sometimes large and decorated, especially in the c ...
(
Deuce
Deuce, Deuces, or The Deuce may refer to:
Arts and entertainment Fictional characters
* Deuce, in the ''Danger Girl'' comic book series
* Deuce, a character in ''Shake It Up''
* Deuce, in the ''Wild Cards'' science fiction universe
* Deuce Biga ...
) >
King
King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king.
*In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the tit ...
>
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
(
Ober) > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7
The hierarchy of the cards and their sequence within the
trumps
A trump is a playing card which is elevated above its usual rank in trick-taking games. Typically, an entire suit is nominated as a ''trump suit''; these cards then outrank all cards of plain (non-trump) suits. In other contexts, the terms ''tru ...
are similar to those in Bavarian Schafkopf and Skat. However, in German Schafkopf the 10 ranks between the Queen or Ober and 9, in all suits even though it is worth ten points.
Trumps
As in Skat, the highest trumps are the 4
''Jacks'' or ''
Unters'' in the sequence ''
Clubs
Club may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media
* ''Club'' (magazine)
* Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character
* Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards
* Club music
* "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea''
Brands and enterprises
...
'', ''
Spades'', ''
Hearts'' and ''
Diamonds
Diamond is a solid form of the element carbon with its atoms arranged in a crystal structure called diamond cubic. Another solid form of carbon known as graphite is the chemically stable form of carbon at room temperature and pressure, b ...
'' or ''
Acorns'', ''
Leaves
A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
'', ''Hearts'' and ''
Bells''. The remaining trumps are specified by the player who is the declarer by naming the trump suit at the outset. The cards of the trump suit then follow in the aforementioned sequence (see
above).
Partnerships
German Schafkopf is a partnership card game, but unlike Bavarian Schafkopf or Doppelkopf partners are not announced during the course of the game, but are permanent as in
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span a physical obstacle (such as a body of water, valley, road, or rail) without blocking the way underneath. It is constructed for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle, which is usually somethi ...
: the players facing one another are automatically partners. The seating order is determined by the drawing of playing cards before the game begins: the players who have picked the two highest cards are partners and sit opposite one another. In another variation, the players with the two black queens (or Ober of Acorns and Ober of Leaves) form a partnership (see
below
Below may refer to:
*Earth
*Ground (disambiguation)
*Soil
*Floor
*Bottom (disambiguation)
Bottom may refer to:
Anatomy and sex
* Bottom (BDSM), the partner in a BDSM who takes the passive, receiving, or obedient role, to that of the top or ...
).
Rules
Dealing
After the cards have been
shuffle
Shuffling is a procedure used to randomize a deck of playing cards to provide an element of chance in card games. Shuffling is often followed by a cut, to help ensure that the shuffler has not manipulated the outcome.
__TOC__
Techniques
Over ...
d and
cut
Cut may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely-directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** Cut (ea ...
, each player is dealt a total of eight playing cards (in two sets of four) in
clockwise
Two-dimensional rotation can occur in two possible directions. Clockwise motion (abbreviated CW) proceeds in the same direction as a clock's hands: from the top to the right, then down and then to the left, and back up to the top. The opposite ...
fashion.
Declarations
After the deal, starting clockwise each player announces the maximum possible number of trumps in their hand by adding the jacks and the longest suit (''"I declare x trumps"'').
The player with the highest number of possible trumps takes the lead in the game and names the trump suit.
If two players announce the same number of possible trumps, then the one with the higher number of trump points wins (''"I declare x trumps with y points"''); if this number is also the same, the higher trump wins (usually the higher jack).
Forced game
If none of the players can declare at least five trumps, the player with the Jack of Clubs (Unter of Acorns) must take the lead; if he loses, it only counts as single (i.e. he doesn't lose double or quadruple) game points.
Solo games
As in Bavarian Schafkopf and Doppelkopf, solo games are also possible in German Schafkopf. Here, a solo player plays against the other three players.
Play
Players must follow suit. If a player cannot do so, any card may be played.
Scoring
![Schafkopf scoring system](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Schafkopf_scoring_system.png)
There are three types of games won:
* Straight win (61 to 89 points scored): if the winner chose trumps he gets one game point, otherwise he gets two
* ''
Schneider'' win (more than 90 points scored): if the winner chose trumps he gets two game points, otherwise four
* ''
Schwarz'' win (opponents have no tricks): the winner gets nine game points, regardless of who chose trumps (nine dashes correspond to a whole sheep's head).
In a forced game, however, a winner who did not choose trumps gets the same as one who did.
For each game point won, the winner draws a line on a sheet of paper. The game is won by the first player to complete draw nine dashes in the shape of a sheep's head, the ''Schafkopf'': four dashes arranged in a rectangle form the shape of the head, two dashes form the eyes, two more the horns and a single dash in the middle represents the nose. Presumably the losers buy the beer.
Variants
The game described is the earliest form of German Schafkopf. Apart from Bavarian Schafkopf and the other early variants mentioned above, further variants have been developed, some in different regions. These include:
*
Blattla
Blattla is a Bavarian card game for four players, who usually form two teams of two for each deal. It is a simplified version of Schafkopf and Bierkopf and is thus a point-trick game. Unlike those two games, in Blattla the Ober (playing card), Ober ...
, no Wenzels, Hearts as permanent trumps
*
Bierkopf
Bierkopf ("Beer-head") is a trick-taking, Ace-Ten, card game for 4 players, played in fixed partnerships. It is a simple version of the Bavarian national game of Schafkopf that is played especially in Franconia (northern Bavaria) and usually for l ...
, a Franconian variant of modern Schafkopf with fixed teams and no solos
*
Mucken
Mucken or Muck is a variation of the popular German card game, Schafkopf. However, unlike Schafkopf, it must always be played in teams of 2 players, so there are no soloist or ''Rufer'' ("caller") contracts. Mucken is mainly found in the province ...
, another Franconian variant with different contracts
* Bauernstoß, which is played in the Palatine region of
Erfweiler
Erfweiler is a municipality in Südwestpfalz district, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany. It is a state-recognised resort.
Geography Location
Erfweiler lies in the German part of the Wasgau, as the southern end of the Palatine Fores ...
.
* Alte Schoofkopp, played in Niederhochstadt, another village in the Palatinate.
In an
East German
East Germany, officially the German Democratic Republic (GDR; german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, , DDR, ), was a country that existed from its creation on 7 October 1949 until its dissolution on 3 October 1990. In these years the state ...
book of game rules there are the following variations of German Schafkopf which appear to reflect, in part, von Alversleben's variants:
#Classic Schafkopf: as described, Jacks/Wenzel are always trumps, the player with the so-called 'old man', the Jack of Clubs or the Unter of Acorns, must choose trumps if all pass or cannot bid more than 5 trumps.
#Schafkopf with six (eight) Wenzeln and changing trumps: Queen of Clubs (Ober of Acorns) and Queen of Spades (Ober of Leaves) (and Queen of Hearts (Ober of Hearts) and Queen of Diamonds (Ober of Bells)) are declared as trumps and outrank the old man. The player with the old man calls trumps, if this has not been decided beforehand by the bidding process.
#Schafkopf with four (six, eight) Wenzels and remaining trumps: Jacks/Wenzel (plus the 2 highest Queens/Obers or all 4) and Diamonds/Bells are always trumps.
Related games
There are numerous European relatives of the family:
* Kop is a Polish game is played with just 16 cards, with four per player by excluding all but the Ace, 10s, Queens, and Jacks.
[http://www.pagat.com/schafk/kop.html Kop]
*
Sjavs
Sjavs is a Danish card game of the Schafkopf family that is played in two main variants. In Denmark, it is a 3-player game, played with a shortened pack of 20 cards; in the Faroe Islands, where it is very popular, it is a four-hand, partnership ...
is popular in the
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands ( ), or simply the Faroes ( fo, Føroyar ; da, Færøerne ), are a North Atlantic island group and an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
They are located north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway bet ...
where it is played with 32 cards.
*
Scharwenzel
Scharwenzel, formerly also called Schipper-Schrill, is a traditional north German plain-trick card game of the Schafkopf family that is played by two teams with two to four players on each team. The game is at least three centuries old and is pla ...
is an old German game, possibly ancestral to German Schafkopf. It is now only played on the island of
Fehmarn
Fehmarn (, da, Femern; from Old Wagrian Slavic "''Fe More''", meaning "''In the Sea''") is an island in the Baltic Sea, off the eastern coast of Germany's northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is Germany's third-largest island, after Rüg ...
and, as
Skærvindsel
Skærvindsel is a Danish card game for four players that is a member of the Schafkopf family. Today it is mostly played in Jutland and is therefore often spelled Sjervinsel, but was previously widespread throughout Denmark. It was the first Dani ...
, in Denmark.
See also
*
Officers' Schafkopf
Footnotes
References
Literature
* _ (1988). ''Spielregelbüchlein mit Skatordnung''. p. 177, 8th edn., Spielkartenfabrik Altenburg.
* Bruckmann, Karl (1811). ''Karl Bruckmann oder William Sterne, Findling des Harzgebirges und Bewohner einer einsamen Insel der Südsee'', Part 2, J.D. Schöps, Zittau and Leipzig.
* Danyliuk, Rita (2008). ''1 × 1 der Kartenspiele - Bridge, Skat und Schafkopf. Glücks- und Familienspiele. Patiencen, Kartentricks u.v.m.'' Humboldt, Baden-Baden,
* Danyliuk, Rita (2008). ''Das große Taschenbuch der Freizeitspiele: Spiele für unterwegs und Schönwettertage'', Munich: Humboldt, pp. 149-151.
* Grupp, Claus D. (1997). ''Doppelkopf - Schafkopf - Tarock.'' Original edition. Falken, Niedernhausen/ Ts., 1997,
* Hammer, Paul (1811). ''Taschenbuch der Kartenspiele'', Weygandschen Buchhandlung, Leipzig.
*
McLeod, John (1978). "Rules of Games: No. 8. Schafkopf" in ''The Journal of the Playing-Card Society'', Vol. VII, No. 2. pp. 38-47. ISSN 0305-2133.
*
Von Alvensleben, L. (1853)
''Encyclopädie der Spiele'' Otto Wigand, Leipzig.
External links
at www.pagat.com.
{{Trick-taking card games
Schafkopf group
German deck card games
French deck card games
Four-player card games
Point-trick games