Sheepshead
Sheepshead or American Schafkopf is the American form of the old German card game Schafkopf . It differs considerably from the original version, which is particularly popular in Bavaria , in terms of both rules and social context , even if contacts between the American and German strongholds have been expanded in recent times.
Historical and social
Origin and development
The sheep's head game was brought to the United States by German immigrants around the middle of the 19th century. Presumably, the American forwards Sheepshead not from the Bavarian Sheepshead , today by far the most popular in Germany form, but from older versions such as the German Sheepshead from. In states with a strong German community, especially in Wisconsin , it quickly became very popular and was also a popular pastime for traditional "ladies' circles" in upscale circles.
Since the Americans, who were descended from German immigrants, were increasingly distancing themselves from Germany and its culture due to the deteriorating German-American relations during the Third Reich , Sheepshead became more and more "American" card games like Bridge in the war and post-war years or rummy . Only recently has a contrary development been observed here.
distribution
The American sheep's head stronghold is the metropolis of the state of Wisconsin , Milwaukee . The sheep's head game is understood in the cultural context of Central Europe, and sheepshead tournaments are often accompanied by German or Bavarian supporting programs of a musical and culinary nature - or what is understood by this in America.
Players, cards and trumps
The most common variant of the American sheep's head is the one with 5 players, but more or less common are all possible forms from two to seven players. Regarding its set of rules, the American sheep head is a strange mixture of Skat , Doppelkopf and Bavarian sheep head .
Game material
To use an ordinary comes queen sheet or poker hand in the Skatversion - ie with 32 cards ( cover ) - and four colors clubs ( Cross ), Spades ( spades ), Hearts ( Heart ) and Diamonds ( diamonds ).
Stabbing power
The order of the card values is homologous to that in Skat or Bavarian Schafkopf . Within the wrong suits (i.e. the suits that are not trumps), the following sequence of tricks always applies: Ace > Ten> King > Nine> Eight> Seven. In the case of the American Sheep Head, the 4 colors are not treated as equivalent, rather there are 3 wrong colors and the color trump.
Number
Regardless of the color it belongs to, each card value is assigned a specific number.
| Card value | symbol | eyes |
| Ace | A. | 11 |
| Ten | 10 | 10 |
| King | K | 4th |
| Queen | Q | 3 |
| Jack | J | 2 |
| Nine | 9 | 0 |
| Eight | 8th | 0 |
| Seven | 7th | 0 |
A total of 120 eyes are involved.
Trumps
Analogous to the sheep's head are the Queens and Jacks ( ladies and boys ) in the order named the highest trumps (ie Queen of Clubs matches the acorn top ). Furthermore, all diamonds ( i.e. check cards ) in the descending order Ace, Ten, King, Nine, Eight and Seven count as trumps (this regulation shows the origin from the German Schafkopf , see also Doppelkopf ). So there are a total of 14 trump cards.
| Hierarchy of cards | |||
| Trump ranking (descending to the right) | |||
| ♣ Q | ♠ Q | ♥ Q | ♦ Q | ♣ J | ♠ J | ♥ J | ♦ J | ♦ A | ♦ 10 | ♦ K | ♦ 9 | ♦ 8 | ♦ 7 | |||
| Ranking within the other colors (descending to the right) | |||
| Clubs | Spades | Hearts | |
| ♣ 10 | ♣ K | ♣ 9 | ♣ 8 | ♣ 7 | ♠ 10 | ♠ K | ♠ 9 | ♠ 8 | ♠ 7 | ♥ 10 | ♥ K | ♥ 9 | ♥ 8 | ♥ 7 | |
In the case of trumps, it should be noted that the individual trump cards are not assigned to their suit series, but must all be treated as belonging to the color trump. As a result, the Queen of Spades, for example, does not belong to the suit Spades, but - like all other Queens, Jacks and Diamonds cards - belongs to one and the same suit.
Game objective
The American Sheep's Head game idea is to achieve a total of at least 61 eyes, alone or together with a partner.
Card distribution
In the game of five, each player is dealt six cards. The remaining two cards form the “blind man”, also known as the “widow”. Depending on the agreement, the cards are dealt in two or three throws. The blind man is put aside face down while the cards are being dealt. In the less common types of games with three or four, each player receives a total of ten or seven cards. In these cases the blind person comprises two or four cards.
Style of play
Taking in the blind
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player explains in clockwise direction whether he intends to take the blind person. In a game of five, the player who picked up the blind person (the so-called " picker ") plays with a partner against the other three players. If, on the other hand, only three players are played, the picker plays alone against the other two players. In a game of four, however, it is different: Depending on the agreement, the picker plays alone against the rest of the players or forms a party with a partner against the two remaining players. This is handled differently from gaming table to gaming table. If a player is able to win against the other Sheepshead players alone on the basis of his hand, he can also declare a play alone. After the picker has picked up the blind man, he discards as many cards that seem to him to be less useful face down. The discarded cards can, however, also be drawn entirely or partially from the blind man's playing cards. The eyes contained in the cards placed face down also count towards the eyes of the picker or the playing party. Neither the blind man's cards nor the cards placed face down are shown to the other players.
Partner finding
There are two versions of the game, in which way partner finding takes place.
Jack of Diamonds
After one form of play, the Jack of Diamonds (Jack of Diamonds or Bells-Under) decides that its owner becomes a partner of the picker. If the Jack of Diamonds is found in the blind man's cards when the blind man is accepted, or if the picker holds the Jack of Diamonds himself in his hand, the picker is often allowed to pick the next higher trump, the Jack of Hearts (Jack of Hearts or Jack of Hearts) . Heart-sub) to call. If this is also in the blind or in the hand of the picker, he may call the Jack of Spades. If he even has all three of the lowest jacks, he calls the Jack of Clubs.
Called Ace
In an alternative variant, the picker calls the ace of a non-trump suit, as is common with the Bavarian sheep head. The owner of the called playing card subsequently becomes a partner of the picker. The latter, however, must have at least one card of the same suit of the called ace in his hand. At the same time, the caller is not allowed to name an ace that he himself has in his cards. Only if the picker has the corresponding ace in his hands for all the color cards he owns, he is allowed to call an ace of a color that he does not have. If he even has all the aces, he can call a ten of one suit.
Play and add rules
The player to the left of the dealer plays a card for the first trick. All following players are obliged to use color. For example, each player has to add a different card of spades to a played card of spades. Only if a player is not in possession of a playing card of the suit played can he either play a trump card or deal any other card. A trump card that has been played must also be served. All trump cards are treated as members of the same suit. The player who dealt the highest card in a trick takes the trick and always leads to the next trick.
Billing
| Total eyes / stitches | Picker (alone) | Picker (with partner) | partner | opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| all stitches | +12 | +6 | +3 | −3 |
| 91 to 120 eyes | +8 | +4 | +2 | −2 |
| 61 to 90 eyes | +4 | +2 | +1 | −1 |
| 31 to 60 eyes | −4 | −2 | −1 | +1 |
| 0 to 30 eyes | −8 | −4 | −2 | +2 |
| no stitch | −12 | −6 | −3 | +3 |
If the picker's party has fewer than 31 points or the opposing party has fewer than 30 points, the respective party is " tailor ".
variants
Alternative trump suit
In a variant of the sheepshead, in addition to all queens and jacks, Ace to Seven of the color Diamonds are not trump cards, but Ace to Seven of the color Clubs.
| Hierarchy of cards | |||
| Trump ranking (descending to the right) | |||
| ♣ Q | ♠ Q | ♥ Q | ♦ Q | ♣ J | ♠ J | ♥ J | ♦ J | ♣ A | ♣ 10 | ♣ K | ♣ 9 | ♣ 8 | ♣ 7 | |||
| Ranking within the other colors (descending to the right) | |||
| Spades | Hearts | Diamonds | |
| ♠ 10 | ♠ K | ♠ 9 | ♠ 8 | ♠ 7 | ♥ 10 | ♥ K | ♥ 9 | ♥ 8 | ♥ 7 | ♦ 10 | ♦ K | ♦ 9 | ♦ 8 | ♦ 7 | |
Sharpener
In a variant of the American Sheep's Head, which is played in some areas of Wisconsin and Minnesota and especially in the northeastern part of Michigan, the order of the trump cards is slightly changed: The trump seven, the so-called " sharpener ", is always the second highest trump card and therefore ranks above the Queen of Spades. Diamonds are an additional trump suit to queens and jacks.
| Hierarchy of cards | |||
| Trump ranking (descending to the right) | |||
| ♣ Q | ♦ 7 | ♠ Q | ♥ Q | ♦ Q | ♣ J | ♠ J | ♥ J | ♦ J | ♦ A | ♦ 10 | ♦ K | ♦ 9 | ♦ 8 | |||
| Ranking within the other colors (descending to the right) | |||
| Clubs | Spades | Hearts | |
| ♣ 10 | ♣ K | ♣ 9 | ♣ 8 | ♣ 7 | ♠ 10 | ♠ K | ♠ 9 | ♠ 8 | ♠ 7 | ♥ 10 | ♥ K | ♥ 9 | ♥ 8 | ♥ 7 | |
The Queen of Clubs is called the "Big Queen", while the Queen of Spades, who is relegated to the position of the third highest trump card, is also called the "Little Queen".
Spitzer is always played with four players. When the cards are dealt, each player receives eight cards, which are dealt in three throws of three, two and again three cards. A blind person does not exist in the game Spitzer. Usually the owners of the Big Queen and Little Queen are partners and form the gambling party. If both black queens are on one hand, the affected player has two options:
- He plays alone against the other three players
- He calls a partner: Depending on the agreement, the owner of the two black queens calls either the winner of the first foreign trick or the owner of an ace of a wrong color, of which the player has at least one card in his hand.