![]() The Belli; the permanent, 2nd-highest trump | |
Origin | Austria, Bavaria |
---|---|
Type | Plain-trick |
Family | Rams group |
Players | 4 |
Cards | 32 |
Deck | German pack |
Rank (high→low) | A K O U 10 9 8 7 |
Play | Clockwise |
Playing time | 25-30 min/round |
Related games | |
Mulatschak • Ramsen • Schnalzen • Schnellen |
Lampeln or Lampln is an old Bavarian and Austrian plain-trick card game that is still played in a few places today. It is one of the Rams group of card games characterised by allowing players to drop out of the current game if they think they will be unable to win any tricks or a minimum number of tricks. [1] [2]
Historically, Lampeln was banned in the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1904 as a game of chance usually played for money; this ban was confirmed by the Austrian government in 1933. [3] [4]
The game was played by Bavarian peasants in the 19th century alongside Handeln, Grasobern, Zwicken and Hopfen, [5] [6] and by Bavarian troops in the First World War [7] and, today, Lampeln is still played in the Austrian states of Salzburg and Upper Austria as well as in Old Bavaria, Germany (Upper Bavaria, Lower Bavaria and the Upper Palatinate). [8] [9] [10] In 2017, volunteer firemen at the fire station in Schäflohe claimed to be the only ones in the province of Upper Palatinate who played Lampeln. [11]
The name is derived from lampeln (Bavarian : lambben) which means lambing, because players who fail to take the minimum two tricks are called 'lambs'. [8]
To take as many tricks as possible, but in any case a minimum of two to avoid a penalty. [2]
The Austrian variant of Lampeln is more complicated that its Bavarian counterpart. Its distinguishing feature is 'hop and jump', whereby the role of dealer may switch to another player as a result of the cut and further contributions are paid to build up the pot more rapidly, which gives this variant more of a gambling flavour. In this respect it resembles Kratzen and Zwicken.
The game is usually played with 32 cards from a 36-card Tell pattern pack. The Seven of Bells is permanently the second highest trump and is nicknamed the Belli. [4] [2]
The first dealer of a session is the youngest player. Thereafter the role of dealer rotates clockwise. The hand begins with the dealer paying an ante of 40 euro cents to the pot (Stock or Kassa) and shuffling the pack. [2]
The player on the dealer's right cuts. In doing so, the cutter looks at the bottom card of the top packet without revealing it. Unless the card is an Ace (Sau) the 7 or
8, the dealer proceeds to deal the cards as described below. If, however, the bottom card is one of the aforementioned cards then a new deal is initiated as follows: [2]
The Ace, 7 and
8 must always be shown to the other players. [2]
The dealer now deals 8 cards, clockwise, to each player in packets of 3, 2 and 3. The dealer's fifth card is flipped to determine the trump suit. If it happens to be the 7, the dealer may choose any suit as trumps before looking at his or her hand. [2]
Beginning with forehand, the players announce, in clockwise order, whether they will "play" (mitgehen = "go with [the dealer]") or "pass" (daheimbleiben = "I'll stay at home") i.e. drop out of the current deal. The dealer always has to play. If all three players stay at home, the dealer wins all 8 tricks automatically. If there are only 40 cents (or fewer) left in the pot at the beginning of a deal, it is an 'empty game' (leeres Spiel) and no-one is allowed to stay at home. [2]
Forehand leads to the first trick. Thereafter the winner of the trick leads to the next. Players must follow suit, or trump if unable, and must win the trick if they can. [lower-alpha 1] A player who cannot follow suit or trump, may discard any card. [2]
Players win 1⁄8 of the pot for each trick taken. However, any player who takes fewer than two tricks is a 'lamb' (German: Lamm, Bavarian: lambbe) and has to pay penalty into the pot equivalent to the money remaining once the payments for tricks have been made. If there are two or three 'lambs', then each one has to pay the full amount. For example, supposing the players pay 20 cents each to the pot in each deal and the pot has built up to 160 cents. If one player wins five tricks and the rest win 1 trick each; the winner receives 50 cents and the others 10 cents each, leaving 80 cents in the pot. The three players who failed to take the minimum two tricks must each pay 80 cents into the pot (i.e. the equivalent of what was left in the pot after the payouts). [2]
This is simpler than the Austrian version, primarily because it omits the 'hop and jump' feature and makes it more suitable as a social, rather than a gambling, game.
A 32-card, German-suited Schafkopf pack is used in Bavaria. The Seven of Bells has the same role as a permanent trump, ranking just below the Ace, and is nicknamed the Beankei (pronounced "beh ank-eye"), which means "a reward" or "rewarding" (from beanken, "to reward"). [10]
Each player antes e.g. 16¢ to start the pool (Stock). [lower-alpha 2] The dealer shuffles and the player to the right cuts. The bottom card of the top stack is placed face up and determines the trump suit. The dealer looks at the bottom 3 cards of the pack in the light of the trump suit (all of which he would get anyway from the deal) and decides whether to play or not, depending on whether he has further trumps in addition to the trump upcard. If not, the cards are thrown in, players add a further stake to the pot and the next player deals. If the dealer decides to "play" (ich spiele or i spui) then 2 × 4 cards are dealt in clockwise order beginning with forehand. Now the other players decide whether to play or "pass" (weg or weida), based on the number of trumps and Aces they hold. A game is viable if at least 2 players offer to play. [10]
Players must follow suit, or trump if unable, and must win the trick if they can. [lower-alpha 3] A player who cannot follow suit or trump, may discard any card. [10]
To score, a player now has to win at least 2 tricks. The money in the pot, which must always be divisible by 8, is distributed among the trick winners. A player who wins no tricks or just one trick is 'sunk' (untergegangen) and has to pay a full stake (16¢) into the pot. Once the pot is empty, a new game is started and everyone pays the ante in again. This is called a Hudere. If one or more players 'sink', the pool gets replenished from the penalty payments alone – no ante is required. [10]
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 is their national card game played by around two million people, but it also played elsewhere in Germany and in Austria. It is an official cultural asset and important part of the Old Bavarian and Franconian way of life. Schafkopf is a mentally demanding pastime that is considered "the supreme discipline of Bavarian card games" and "the mother of all trump games."
Tippen, also known as Dreiblatt, Dreikart, Drei Karten, Dreekort, Kleinpréférence or Labet, is an historical German 3-card, plain-trick game which was popular as a gambling game for three or more players. The Danish version of the game was known as Trekort and more elaborate Swedish variants include Knack and Köpknack. It appears to be related to the English game of 3-Card Loo. It was banned as a gambling game in some places.
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.
Chratze is a trick taking card game, mainly played in the German-speaking part of Switzerland as well as in Bavaria. It is one of over 70 variants of Jass and played with a pack of 36 cards, either a Swiss-German or French one. It appears to be related to the Austrian game, Kratzen.
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.
Tapp is a trick-taking, card game for 3 or 4 players using 36 French-suited cards that is played in the south German region of Swabia, especially in the former Kingdom of Württemberg. It is the French-suited offshoot of German Tarok; its German-suited form being called Württemberg Tarock in that region. Tapp is one of a family of similar games that include Bavarian Tarock, the Austrian games of Bauerntarock and Dobbm, and the American games of Frog and Six-Bid Solo. Although probably first played in the early nineteenth century, the game of Tapp is still a local pastime in its native Württemberg, albeit in a greatly elaborated form.
Zwicken is an old Austrian and German card game for 4 to 6 players, which is usually played for small stakes and makes a good party game. It is one of the Rams group of card games characterised by allowing players to drop out of the current game if they think they will be unable to win any tricks or a minimum number of tricks. Despite a lack of sources, it was "one of the most popular card games played from the 18th to the 20th century in those regions of what is today Austria."
Grasobern, Grasoberl, Grasoberln, Graseberla, Grünobern, Lauboberl or Laubobern is a card game that was once commonly played in Old Bavaria, especially in the old counties of Bad Aibling and Rosenheim, and is still popular in eastern Bavaria, especially in Upper Palatinate. The game has relatively simple rules and thus a rather relaxing and leisurely character without the mental demands of Schafkopf or psychological stress of Watten, two other traditional Bavarian card games. The name is taken from the game's penalty card, the Ober of Leaves. The suit of Leaves is known in German variously as Laub, Gras ("grass") or Grün ("green").
Wallachen is an Old Bavarian card game which used to be very popular in eastern Bavaria. Although, by 2012, it had become a rarer sight at pub tables, there have been more recent moves to revive it. Wallachen is a relatively simple three-hander that is easy to learn. As a result, like Grasobern, it has a relatively relaxed character without the mental demands of Schafkopf or the psychological stress of Watten. It is a member of the Préférence family of card games.
Bolachen is a traditional card game for 3 players that is played in parts of southern Upper Bavaria, especially in the Rupertiwinkel area of the Berchtesgaden Land, where there is a cultural influence from Salzburg, and the state of Salzburg itself. It is a Bavarian variant of the more complex, old Austrian game of Préférence. Like its Bavarian cousin, Wallachen, Bolachen is threatened by extinction.
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 Obers and Unters are not permanent trumps. In order to learn the rules of Schafkopf, it can be an advantage to first become familiar with Blattla. The game is traditionally played with Bavarian pattern cards.
Ramsen or Ramsch is a traditional Bavarian plain-trick, card game for three to five players that is played with a 32-card German-suited pack and is suitable both for adults and for children. It is one of the Rams group of card games that are distinguished by allowing players to drop out if they think they will fail to win the required number of tricks. An unusual feature of Ramsen is the presence of four permanent trump cards that rank just below the Trump Sow (Ace). It should not be confused with the contract of Ramsch in games like Skat or Schafkopf, nor with the related game of Rams which is also called Ramsenin Austria, but is played with a Piquet pack, does not have permanent trumps and has a different card ranking.
Matzlfangen is a traditional point-trick, card game for 4 players that originated in the Bavarian province of Upper Palatinate over 200 years ago and spread to Austria. It is still played in a few places today. The game is named after the Ten or Matzl, which plays a key role.
Schnalzen is an Austrian card game for 4 players and a member of the Rams group of games in which the key feature is that players may choose to drop out of the game if they believe their hand is not strong enough to take a minimum number of tricks. It is, broadly speaking, Ramsen with the Weli as the second-highest trump. Players are dealt 5 cards and may not exchange. The Weli is the second-highest trump and game is 20 points.
Mulatschak or Fuchzenawa is an Austrian card game for two to five players that comes from the Salzburg area and is considered the quintessential game of the region. Although Mulatschak has been called the national card game of Salzburg, its rules were almost certainly unpublished before 2004. Mulatschak is a member of the Rams family in which the key feature is that players may choose to drop out of the game if they believe their hand is not strong enough to take a minimum number of tricks. There is a variant known as Murln or Murlen, which is played in Vienna and the Styria.
Kratzen is an Austrian card game for three to six players that is played for small stakes usually using a 33-card William Tell pack. It is a member of the Rams group of card games characterised by allowing players to drop out of the current game if they think they will be unable to win any tricks or a minimum number of tricks. The game is related to the Swiss Jass form, Chratze and has been described as "fun" to play.
Lupfen is a card game for 3–5 players that is played mainly in west Austria and south Germany, but also in Liechtenstein. The rules vary slightly from region to region, but the basic game in each variation is identical. It is one of the Rams group of card games characterised by allowing players to drop out of the current game if they think they will be unable to win any tricks or a minimum number of tricks.
Sticheln is an easy-to-learn, trick-taking, card game for 4 players that originated from Austria. It is an old game, being recorded as early as 1756 and its rules being first described in 1830. The name means "playing [for] tricks".
Jaggln or Jaggeln is an historical Tyrolean card game designed for five players that used to be played purely as a winter pastime by farming folk. An unusual feature are its three highest trumps known as Jaggl, Zanggl and Buggl. The aim is to win the majority of Gewisses – i.e. the four Sows, the four Tens and the Jaggl. So, for example, if a player holds all three top trumps, he is certain to win 3 tricks. And if, in doing so, he captures the four Sows, he has won because he has five of the nine Gewisses.
Köpknack is an old Swedish card game which is a development of Knack and, like the latter, is mainly played for stakes. The game is also known as Trekort which, however, usually refers to a simpler version of Danish origin that may have been its progenitor.