   The top cards when Bells are trumps:  O,  7,  O.The top trumps when Bells are the trump suit | |
| Origin | Germany |
|---|---|
| Alternative names | Solo zu Dreien |
| Type | Point-trick |
| Players | 3 |
| Cards | 24 cards |
| Deck | German pack |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Card rank (highest first) | T: O 7 O D K (O) U 10–8 Plain: D K (O) U 10 9 (8) 7 |
| Related games | |
| Quadrille, Ombre, German Solo | |
Spitzeln is an historical German card game for three players and a variant of German Solo. [1]
Spitzeln is recorded as early as 1840 in Neustes Spielbuch by Grimm, who describes two variants, [2] and it continues to appear in German game anthologies until the 1890s. [1] By 1909 it was being described as out of fashion. [3]
Von Alvensleben notes that it is a three-handed variant of Solo that is also called German l'Hombre after "the most successful card game ever invented". [4] However, this was an improper designation since it "has little more in common [with l'Hombre] than the fact that there are three people playing." He goes on to say that, while the game is not without interest, it does not have the diversity of four-handed Solo because a solo is the only contract that may be played. However, it is more expensive because stakes are placed more often, because if no-one opts to play a solo, the cards are thrown in and redealt. Thus the pot grows very rapidly. Spitzeln was also called Tritrille or called Solo Solitaire. [5]
The following rules are based on Grimm. [2]
Spitzeln is played with a pack of German-suited cards from which the 8 of Hearts and all the bells have been removed apart from the Seven of Bells, leaving 24 cards. The cards rank in their natural order: Deuce > King > Ober > Unter > Ten > Nine > Eight > Seven. [2]
The Ober of Acorns is the permanent top trump and is known as the Old Man (it corresponds to the Spadille in Ombre). The second-highest card is the trump Seven or Spitze. The Ober of Leaves is the third-highest (and corresponds to the Basta in Ombre). These three cards are matadors, as are any other cards of the trump suit that follow them consecutively. All matadors attract special bonuses. The suit of Bells ranks above the other suits and is called the couleur. [5] If trumps are not Bells, the Seven of Bells counts as a Deuce. Nevertheless, because there are no other cards in this suit, you have to ensure there are no trumps left before playing it otherwise it will be trumped. [2]
Player order and dealer are randomly determined. The dealer shuffles, offers the cut to rearhand and then deals eight cards, clockwise, to each player. Only Solo games are possible and, to win, the soloist has to take five tricks. Starting with the dealer's left, players announce whether they will play or pass. [2]
If the dealer plays, he antes four chips (Marken) to the pot (Pot) as a basic stake (Stamm); if not, he pays nothing, but after passing the next dealer must ante four chips. [2]
If all three players pass, the cards are thrown in and the next dealer takes over. [2]
Scoring is as follows: [2]
| Scoring in Spitzeln | ||
| Contract or Bonus | Solo ( , or  are trumps) | Solo Couleur ( Bells are trumps) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 Matadors | 3 | 6 |
| Each additional Matador | 1 | 1 |
| Solo | 4 | 8 |
| Solo and 3 Matadors | - | 14 |
| Tout | 8 | 16 |
| Solo Tout | 12 | 24 |
| Solo Tout and 3 Matadors | - | 30 |
| First 5 tricks (no matadors) | - | 12 |
| First 5 tricks (with matadors) | - | 12 |
If there are more than 12 chips in the pot, only 12 chips are won or lost, but a player who is bête and on deal must pay 16 chips. [2]
This variant differs from the first in that the cards are not thrown in if no-one bids to play Solo. [2]
If all three players pass, the forehand leads to the first trick and each player tries to win as many tricks and card points as possible. The Deuces score 5 points, the Kings 4, the Obers 3, the Unters 2, and the Tens 1, giving a total of 45 points. Players pay chips to the other players who outscore them, 1 chip per point difference. [2]
In this game nothing is drawn from the plate (Teller) and there are no matadors; the Old One and the Basta rank within their suits as normal Obers. [2]
Both variants may also be played by four players. For that, the dealer always passes and sits out. Otherwise the rules are the same as for three players. [2]
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 2 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".
Mariage or Mariagenspiel is a German 6-card trick-and-draw game for two players in which players score bonus points for the "marriage" of King and Queen of the same suit. The game, first documented in 1715 in Leipzig, spawned numerous offshoots throughout continental Europe and gives its name to the Marriage group of card games, the widest known of which is probably Sixty-Six. Many of these are still the national card games of their respective countries. It is unrelated to the Nepalese game of Marriage.
Kontraspiel, also called Contra, is a German 5-card plain-trick game for four individual players using 24 cards. Eldest hand has the first right to accept or make trumps. The Unters of Acorns and Leaves are permanent highest trumps, the Wenzels. Kontraspiel is similar to the Scandinavian game Polskpas and is recorded as early as 1811.
Réunion, Reunion or Vereinigungsspiel is an historical German point-trick game for three players which, despite its French name, appears to have originated in the Rhineland. It is a 10-card game of the Ace-Ten family and uses a 32-card French-suited piquet pack or 32-card Skat pack. Players who cannot follow suit must trump. Otherwise the game can be described as a simplified version of Skat, but is also reminiscent of Euchre with its two permanent top trumps, the Right and Left Bowers.
German 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. 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. Parlett calls it a "neat little descendant of Quadrille" and "a pleasant introduction" to the Ombre family of games.
Tippen, also known as Dreiblatt, 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.
German Schafkopf is an old German card game and the forerunner of the popular modern games of Skat, Doppelkopf and Bavarian Schafkopf. Today it is hardly ever played in its original form, but there are a number of regional derivations.
Bavarian Tarock or, often, just Tarock, is a card game played in Bavaria and several regions of Austria as well as in Berlin. The name is a clue to its origin as an attempt to design a game resembling Tapp Tarock but without using a Tarock pack. The original form of Bavarian Tarock thus incorporated several elements of the true Tarock games, whilst being played with a 36-card German deck. However, during the last century, the variant played with a pot (Haferl) and often known as Haferltarock, has evolved into "quite a fine game" that, however, has less in common with its Tarock progenitor. It is descended from Tapp Tarock via the very similar game of Tapp, played in Württemberg, and is thus related to Bauerntarock, Frog and Dobbm. It 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 originates from the south German state of Württemberg. It is probably very old. Earlier versions were also known as German Tarock, Württemberg Tarock, Solo or Sans Prendre and may have originated from an attempt to play Tapp Tarock with a standard pack of, initially, Württemberg pattern cards. It is one of a family of similar games that include Bavarian Tarock, the Austrian games of Bauerntarock and Dobbm, and the American game of Frog. Although probably first played in the early nineteenth century, the game of Tapp is still a local pastime in its native Württemberg.
Dobbm or Tappen is a card game played in the Stubaital valley in Austria which, like Brixental Bauerntarock, Bavarian Tarock and Württemberg Tarock, is not a true Tarock game, but is one of a family of games derived from Tapp Tarock by adapting its rules to a regular, shortened pack of 36 cards. The ranking and point value of the cards in Dobbm is identical with those of the other variants mentioned. In Dobbm as well, one player always plays as a soloist against all the others. It most strongly resembles the Brixental variant: Dobbm is also played by four players, each player is dealt eight cards, four cards go to the talon and Hearts are the permanent trump suit. The fundamental difference between games of the Tapp family and true tarot games is in the use of shortened German or French packs instead of true Tarot playing cards.
Poch, Pochen or Pochspiel is a very old card game that is considered one of the forerunners of poker, a game that developed in America in the 19th century. An etymological relationship between the game names is also assumed. Games related to Poch are the French Glic and Nain Jaune and the English Pope Joan. Other forerunners of poker and possible relatives of the game are the English game, Brag, from the 16th century and the French Brelan and Belle, Flux et Trente-et-Un. Poch is recorded as early as 1441 in Strasbourg.
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.
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.
Mauscheln, also Maus or Vierblatt, is a gambling card game that resembles Tippen, which is commonly played in Germany and the countries of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Mistigri, historically Pamphile, is an old, French, trick-taking card game for three or four players that has elements reminiscent of poker. It is a member of the Rams family of games and, although it is a gambling game, often played for small stakes, it is also suitable as a party game or as a family game with children from the age of 12 upwards.
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".
Bester Bube, Bester Bauer, Bester Buur, Beste Boeren (Holland), Fünfkart, Fiefkarten, Fiefkaart, Fiefkort or Fiefander (Holstein), or Lenter is an historical German card game for 3–6 players played with a Piquet pack. 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. It appears to be loosely related to Five-Card Loo.
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.
Karniffel or Thuringian Karnöffel was a trick-taking card game for four players, playing in pairs, the rules of which were recorded in some detail in a German periodical of the late 18th century where it was described as being played by the Thuringian peasantry. Karniffel was a descendant of the original Karnöffel.
Historical card games | ||
|---|---|---|
| English |  | |
| French |
| |
| German | ||
| Italian | ||
| Spanish | ||
| Other |
| |
