Schafkopf – Short deck

Player: 4 · Cards: Bavarian deck (Acorns, Leaves/Green, Hearts, Bells), 32 (short deck: 24) · Type: Trick-taking game with call and solo games

Play Schafkopf against the computer

Objective

Take at least 61 card points with your partner (Sauspiel) or alone (solo/Wenz).

Equipment & setup

Sevens and eights are removed from the deck. Deal 3 – 3 cards. Then announcements in turn as with the long deck (solo > Wenz > Sauspiel).

Card ranking & card values

Card points as with the long deck (120 in total). Trump (Sauspiel/Hearts solo): Acorns Ober, Leaves Ober, Hearts Ober, Bells Ober, Acorns Unter, Leaves Unter, Hearts Unter, Bells Unter, then Hearts A, 10, K, 9. Side suits: A, 10, K, 9.

Gameplay

1) Sauspiel: the player calls a Sow (Acorns, Leaves or Bells) of whose suit they hold at least one card themselves (not the Sow). The owner of the Sow is the partner (secret).

2) The player left of the dealer leads; must follow suit and trump (whoever doesn’t have the suit doesn’t have to trump – but may).

3) Called suit: if it is led, the partner must play the Sow; they may not lead the called suit themselves without playing the Sow (except 'running away' with ≥4 cards of that suit).

Special rules & special cards

Suit solo: the player chooses the trump suit and plays alone. Wenz: only the 4 Unters are trump. Tout: all tricks announced. Sie: all 4 Obers + 4 Unters in one hand (highest game, won without playing). Kontra/Re double.

Scoring & points

Stakes (example): Sauspiel 10 cents, solo/Wenz 50 cents per opponent; schneider (opponents <31 card points) and schwarz (no tricks) increase it; 'runners' (unbroken top trumps from 3, or from 2 in Wenz) each add an extra stake. Kontra/Re/knocking double.

End of game & winning

After an agreed number of rounds / settling up money at the end.

Origin & history

Documented in central Germany at the end of the 18th century and the forerunner of Skat and Doppelkopf. In Bavaria the form played today, with the call game (Sauspiel), developed in the 19th century. The origin of the name is disputed (among others 'Schaff' = barrel, on whose lid people played). Considered part of Bavarian cultural heritage.