German form of English Quadrille | |
![]() The top trumps when Bells are the trump suit | |
Origin | Germany |
---|---|
Alternative names | Deutsches Solo |
Type | Plain-trick |
Players | 4 |
Cards | 32 cards |
Deck | Piquet or German pack |
Play | Clockwise |
Related games | |
Quadrille, Ombre, Spitzeln | |
Clubs may be preference suit |
German Solo or just Solo is a German 8-card plain-trick game for 4 individual players using a 32-card, German- or French-suited Skat pack. It is essentially a simplification of Quadrille, itself a 4-player adaptation of Ombre. [1] As in Quadrille, players bid for the privilege of declaring trumps and deciding whether to play alone or with a partner. Along with Ombre, Tarock and Schafkopf, German Solo influenced the development of Skat. [2] Parlett calls it a "neat little descendant of Quadrille" and "a pleasant introduction" to the Ombre family of games. [3]
The game is often called German Solo in English and German sources to distinguish it from other national games such as American Solo, Spanish Solo and English Solo. However, it was often known locally just as Solo or, in the Münsterland, as Sollo. [4] Historically it was also referred to as German Ombre and some American publications actually call the game Ombre. [5]
Different nations have card games called "Solo" which, although not identical, have a "common base". [6] The German game, Solo, descends from the French Quadrille and has been described as "a pleasant introduction to games of the stock of Hombre." [3] The game is mentioned in the literature as early as 1776, being played for a 4 pfennig stake. [7] In 1794, it is mentioned in the poem, Junker Kord by Johann Heinrich Voss, where a footnote describes it as "a card game of the lower classes." [8] In 1796, we learn that students, probably of Leipzig University, liked to repair to disreputable bars to play Solo or Schafkopf for a couple of Dreiers. [9]
In the late 18th century, the three player version of German Solo was often referred to as German Ombre (Dütsch Lumber or Deutsch(e) l'Hombre), [10] a game popular with "the lower classes" in northern Germany. [11] However, the normal four-hand version of Solo was commonly called German Ombre, as was a variant also called Casco or Kauf-Solo was also known by this name. [10]
Its earliest rules appear in Hammer (1812), [12] while, in 1820, Von Abenstein says it may be regarded as a German card game because it is frequently played by Germans (especially the middle classes) and with German-suited cards. [13] It goes back a long way, being mentioned, for example, in the Theater-Journal für Deutschland in 1779 [14] and described in the Bavarian Courier in 1826 as being played at home around the table by the "master craftsmen, journeymen and apprentices", along with Schafkopf, Kreuzmariage, Matzlfangen, Grünober and others. [15]
In 1839, it is described as the "German Hombre" and "with great cause" because it is really an emulation of French Quadrille or four-player Hombre. At that time it was popular with the middle classes, especially across the whole of north Germany down to the River Lahn and Rhine region. In Prussia, Saxony and the like it was usually played with German-suited cards and that factor alone – having 32 cards instead of 40 – made it simpler than Hombre. [16] In 1836 it was being played in Mecklenburg by the lower classes, exclusively with French-suited cards, alongside Dreikart, Fünfkart and Schafskopf, the dignitaries playing Whist, Boston, Ombre, Faro and, less often, Solo as well. [17]
In north Germany it was the most popular game in the period leading up to the First World War; afterwards it was superseded by Skat. As Grünberg notes in 1938 "before the war we mostly played Solo. Now everyone plays Skat. Only in the pub, when there is a lot of conversation is a social game of cards played, and that game is called Knüffeln". [18]
The game is still recorded in modern Anglo-American and German games compendia and Gisela Muhr (2014) says it is mainly found in the Münsterland region of central Germany, where it is dialectically known as Sollo, but appears to be threatened with extinction. [19] [4]
Hierarchy
Trump | ![]() | 7 | ![]() | A | K | (O) | U | 10 | 9 | 8 | |
Other | A | K | (O) | U | 10 | 9 | 8 | 7 |
Historically the game was played with a pack of 32 German-suited cards. More recent sources vary, some using German- and others using French-suited cards. Aces rank high and Tens rank low.
The top three cards, sometimes known as matadors, in descending order, are the Ober of Acorns, trump 7 and Ober of Leaves, often known by names borrowed from Ombre: Spadille, Manille and Baste. In German, they are also called the Alte ("Old One" or "Old Woman"), Spitz ("Top") and Bass (from Basta in Ombre). If French-suited cards are used, Spadille is the Queen of Clubs and Baste is the Queen of Spades.
Neither Spadille nor Baste count as members of their natural suits. Below the matadors, cards rank normally, except for omitting any Obers or Queens that are permanent trumps. Thus, depending on which suit is chosen, the trump suit will contain either 9 or 10 cards.
In the Münsterland variant known as Sollo, only 24 cards are used, the 8s and 9s being omitted. [4]
The following rules are based on the Erweitetes Spielregelbüchlein aus Altenburg (1988). [20]
A 32-card German-suited pack is used with cards ranking as above and the matadors are called Spadille, Manille and Baste. First dealer is chosen by lot and play is clockwise. Dealer shuffles, offers to the right for cutting and deals 8 cards each in batches of 3–2–3. The declarer is determined by a bidding process described below. Declarer decides which suit will be trumps, and plays either in alliance with a partner or as a soloist.
The following three bids can be made in ascending order.
In a Frage, [lower-alpha 1] the declarer aims to take five of the eight tricks with the help of a partner. The declarer chooses the trump suit and names a plain suit Ace he or she does not have. [lower-alpha 2] For example, the declarer may say "Hearts with the Ace of Leaves" and whoever holds that Ace becomes the declarer's partner. The partner must not reveal this; instead their identity will become clear during play. If all four Aces are held, the declarer may call a King in one of the plain suits.
A Grossfrage [lower-alpha 3] must be announced by a player who is dealt both the Spadille and Manille unless they intend to call a Solo or a Solo has already been bid in which case they may pass. A Grossfrage is played as a Frage, but is worth more. The declarer names a plain suit Ace and whoever holds that Ace will be declarer's partner. This time the partner must reveal this and choose the trump suit, which may not be the suit of the called Ace. During the bidding, a Grossfrage in Acorns has precedence over the same contract in other suits.
In a Solo the declarer chooses the trump suit and plays alone with the aim of taking at least five tricks. An Acorn Solo takes precedence over a Solo in other suits.
The procedure is bidding with immediate hold or raise. First, eldest hand bids "Frage" or passes. If eldest hand did not pass, the next player may pass or bid higher. Eldest hand must then respond with "pass", hold with "yes", or name an even higher game. The second player must now pass or bid even higher. Once one of the two players passes, the third player may will either pass or make an even higher bid. Finally, the fourth player bids, and after another player has passed the remaining player declares at least the mode of play which he or she bid.
If all four players pass, then the player who holds the Spadille ( O or ♣Q) has to play a Force (Mußfrage). This is played like a Grossfrage but scores less than a Frage.
Trick play is as in Whist. Forehand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit if possible; if not, they can play anything. Whoever plays the highest trump or, if no trumps are played, the highest card of the suit led, wins the trick and leads to the next trick. The declaring party, i.e. the soloist or, in an alliance, the declarer declarer's partner, must win 5 of the 8 tricks. If declarer's party wins the first 5 tricks they can stop the game to get a bonus for prime. Or they can continue playing: they cannot score prime but may be able to score a Durchmarsch (slam, lit. "all tricks") by winning all tricks. [1] [21] [20]
In a Frage or Grossfrage, if the suit of the called Ace or King is led, the called card must be played. If that hasn't happened by the fifth trick, the declarer may ask "partner?" (Helfer?) and the partner responds "here" (Hier!). In this case, a slam is not permitted. A Frage with Acorns as the trump suit has precedence during the auction, but is played in the same way as a Frage in other suits.
Scoring rules were relatively complicated and not uniform. The following simpler rules are from an anthology that appeared in the late 20th century, when the game had already largely fallen out of use. In this version, only declarer's party scores (positively or negatively).
The base value of a declaration is 1 point for a Force, 2 for a Frage or Solo, 3 for a Großfrage and 6 for Solo. There is a bonus of 2 points for prime, 4 points for Tout (slam, and 6 points for Tout if it was announced along with the declaration. There is also a bonus to the winners of 2 points if the 3 matadors were dealt to the same party.
The bonus for Tout accrues if declarer's party continues playing after winning the first 5 tricks, whether they make it or not, and the bonus for Tout also accrues whenever it is declared. The bonus for prime only applies if declarer's party stops after the 5th trick. The base value plus any scores is added or subtracted to the scores of declarer and declarer's partner (if any), provided they achieve their objective, which is winning 5 or all tricks. If they do not meet their goal, it is subtracted from their scores. [20]
A trick-taking game is a card or tile-based game in which play of a hand centers on a series of finite rounds or units of play, called tricks, which are each evaluated to determine a winner or taker of that trick. The object of such games then may be closely tied to the number of tricks taken, as in plain-trick games such as contract bridge, whist, and spades, or to the value of the cards contained in taken tricks, as in point-trick games such as pinochle, the tarot family, briscola, and most evasion games like hearts. Trick-and-draw games are trick-taking games in which the players can fill up their hands after each trick. In most variants, players are free to play any card into a trick in the first phase of the game, but must follow suit as soon as the stock is depleted. Trick-avoidance games like reversis or polignac are those in which the aim is to avoid taking some or all tricks.
Whist is a classic English trick-taking card game which was widely played in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although the rules are simple, there is scope for strategic play.
Euchre or eucre is a trick-taking card game commonly played in Australia, Canada, Great Britain, New Zealand, and the Midwestern United States. It is played with a deck of 24, 28, or 32 standard playing cards. There are normally four players, two on each team, although there are variations for two to nine players.
Skat, historically Scat, is a three-player trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family, devised around 1810 in Altenburg in the Duchy of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg. It is the national game of Germany and, along with Doppelkopf, it is the most popular card game in Germany and Silesia and one of the most popular in the rest of Poland. A variant of 19th-century Skat was once popular in the US. John McLeod considers it one of the best and most interesting card games for three players, and Kelbet described it as "the king of German card games." The German Skat Association assess that it is played by around 25 million Germans – more than play football.
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The following is a glossary of terms used in card games. Besides the terms listed here, there are thousands of common and uncommon slang terms. Terms in this glossary should not be game-specific, but apply to a wide range of card games played with non-proprietary packs. It should not include terms solely related to casino or banking games. For glossaries that relate primarily to one game or family of similar games, see Game-specific glossaries.
Préférence, frequently spelt Preference, is a Central and Eastern European 10-card plain-trick game with bidding, played by three players with a 32-card Piquet deck, and probably originating in early 19th century Austria, becoming the second most popular game in Vienna by 1980. It also took off in Russia where it was played by the higher echelons of society, the regional variant known as Preferans being still very popular in that country, while other variants are played from Lithuania to Greece.
German Schafkopf is an old German, Ace-Ten card game that is still played regionally in variant form today. It is the forerunner of the popular modern games of Skat, Doppelkopf and Bavarian Schafkopf. It originated in Leipzig in the Electorate of Saxony. Today it is hardly ever played in its original form, but there are a number of important national and regional derivations.
Bavarian Tarock or, often, just Tarock, is a card game that was once popular in Bavaria and also played in parts of Austria as well as Berlin. The name is a clue to its origin in the historical German game of [Gross-]Tarock, a game using traditional Tarot cards. At some point in the mid- to late-18th century, attempts were made to emulate Taroc using a standard 36-card German-suited pack, resulting in the formerly popular, south German game of German Tarok. During the last century, the variant played with a pot (Haferl) and often known as Bavarian Tarock or Haferltarock, evolved into "quite a fine game" that, however, has less in common with its Tarock progenitor. German Tarok also generated the very similar game of Tapp, played in Württemberg, and both are related to Bauerntarock, Dobbm and the American games of Frog and Six-Bid Solo. Bavarian Tarock should not be confused with Königrufen, also known as Austrian Tarock or just Tarock.
Binokel is a card game for two to eight players that originated in Switzerland as Binocle, but spread to the German state of Württemberg, where it is typically played with a Württemberg pattern pack. It is still popular in Württemberg, where it is usually played in groups of three or four as a family game rather than in the pubs. In three-hand games, each player competes for himself, while in four-hand games, known as Cross Binokel (Kreuzbinokel), two teams are formed with partners sitting opposite one another. The game was introduced to America by German immigrants in the first half of the 20th century, where it developed into the similar game of pinochle. Binocle was still played in Switzerland in 1994. In south Germany, the game is sometimes called by its Swabian name, Benoggl.
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 played today only on the island of Fehmarn in the German state of Schleswig-Holstein. It may be a regional variant of German Solo with which it bears some similarities and it may also have been ancestral to Schafkopf. It is not related to a different game called Scharwenzel or Scherwenzel that was once played in Bavaria.
Taroc l'Hombre or Tarok-l'Hombre is an extinct card game of the European Tarot card game family for three players that was played with a full pack of 78 tarot cards, known as tarocs or taroks. It emerged in Italy around 1770 as Tarocc 'Ombre but later spread to Austria and Germany. It was a crucial development, with the important idea of bidding imported from l'Hombre, hence the name.
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 Danish game where the winner of the auction, the declarer, could choose a partner by calling an Ace. This principle has since been transferred to Call-Ace Whist (Esmakkerwhist).