Bierkopf ("beer-head") is a
trick-taking
A trick-taking game is a card game, card- or tile-based game in which play of a ''Hand (card games), 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 ...
ace–ten card game for 4 players, played in fixed partnerships. It is a simple version of the
Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
n national game of
Schafkopf
Schafkopf (, lit. 'sheep's head'), also called Bavarian Schafkopf, is a popular German Trick-taking game, trick-taking card game of the ace–ten family for four players that evolved, towards the end of the 19th century, from German Schafkopf. ...
that is played in
Franconia
Franconia ( ; ; ) is a geographical region of Germany, characterised by its culture and East Franconian dialect (). Franconia is made up of the three (governmental districts) of Lower Franconia, Lower, Middle Franconia, Middle and Upper Franco ...
(northern Bavaria) and usually for litre-glasses of beer.
[ It is especially popular in the area of ]Bamberg
Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian German, East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia district in Bavaria, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main (river), Main. Bamberg had 79,000 inhabitants in ...
. The game is popular enough for regular tournaments to be held.
Bierkopf is recorded being played in Franconia just before the Second World War
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. It is described as a four-hand partnership game played for penalty points called ''Bolln'' represented by a blob on the slate, each one "formerly usually worth 1 or even 2 pints f beer
F, or f, is the sixth letter of the Latin alphabet and many modern alphabets influenced by it, including the modern English alphabet and the alphabets of all other modern western European languages. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounce ...
" At that time a side hoping to take all tricks could announce a ''Bucher'', which is no longer a feature of the modern game.
Overview
The rules of Bierkopf are similar to those of its more widely known cousin, Schafkopf, but simpler. Bierkopf is always played by four players organised into two permanent teams of two; the partners sit opposite one another. The positions taken by the players before the start are decided with the aid of the cards used for the game.
The game is mainly played in the Franconian part of Bavaria
Bavaria, officially the Free State of Bavaria, is a States of Germany, state in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the list of German states by area, largest German state by land area, comprising approximately 1/5 of the total l ...
and is sufficiently well known for tournaments to be held and for it to be played at games nights in sports clubs.[e.g. se]
''20 Dez TiDaBi 2013''
at www.tsv-windheim.de, an
''Hahnenkampf im Geflügelzuchtverein in Erlangen''
at www.nordbayern.de. Retrieved 7 Oct 2018
Aim
Bierkopf is a point-trick game
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 suc ...
, so the aim is to win as many card points as possible through taking tricks.[
]
Cards
A Bavarian pattern
German-suited playing cards are a very common style of traditional playing card used in many parts of Central Europe characterised by 32- or 36-card packs with the suits of Acorns (''Eichel'' or ''Kreuz''), Leaves (''Grün'', ''Blatt'', ''Lau ...
, German-suited pack
German-suited playing cards are a very common style of traditional playing card used in many parts of Central Europe characterised by 32- or 36-card packs with the suits of Acorns (''Eichel'' or ''Kreuz''), Leaves (''Grün'', ''Blatt'', ''Lau ...
is used. From the usual 36-card Schafkopf pack, the nines, eights, sevens and sixes (the 'nixers') are removed. In some regions, the nines are retained and this is referred to as 'long Bierkopf' (''langer Bierkopf'').[
Unlike Schafkopf, in Bierkopf the ranking of trumps is always the same: the 4 Obers, the 4 Unters and then the 3 remaining heart cards. The trumps, from highest to lowest are:][
* O – Ober of acorns (''Eichelober''), the "old man" (''der Alte'')
* O – Ober of leaves (''Blattober''), the "blue man" (''der Blaue'')
* O – Ober of hearts (''Herzober''), the "red man" (''der Rote'')
* O – Ober of bells (''Schellober''), the "ball" (''der Bogel'')
* U – Unter of acorns (''Eichelunter'')
* U – Unter of leaves (''Blattunter'')
* U – Unter of hearts (''Herzunter'')
* U – Unter of bells (''Schellunter'')
* A – Sow/ace of hearts (''Herzas'')
* 10 – Ten of hearts (''Herzzehn'')
* K – King of hearts (''Herzkönig'')
The rank of cards in the plain suits is: Sow/ace > ten > king.
The card values are as follows:][
* Sow = 11 points
* Ten = 10 points
* King = 4 points
* Ober = 3 points
* Unter = 2 points
There are thus 120 points in play.
]
Playing
Partners
The remaining 20 cards are shuffled
Shuffling is a technique used to randomize a deck of playing cards, introducing an element of chance into card games. Various shuffling methods exist, each with its own characteristics and potential for manipulation.
One of the simplest shuff ...
and the dealer hands them round individually, face up, until a Sow
Sow or SOW may refer to:
* Sowing, the process of planting
Female animals
* Badger
* Bear
* Guinea pig
* Hedgehog
* Suidae
** Wild boar
** Pig
Arts, entertainment and media
* Sow (band), a musical project of Anna Wildsmith
* "Sow", a poem by Sy ...
(marked with an "A" and sometimes, misleadingly called an ace) appears. That player stays where he is. The other three continue to receive cards until the second Sow turns up. The player with the second Sow is the partner of the player with the first Sow and, if necessary, moves places to sit opposite. The two players who did not receive Sows form the second partnership and take the remaining places at the card table (''Kardeltisch'').[
]
Dealing
The player with the first Sow (there are other variants) now shuffles the cards and offers them to rearhand
Card players are those participating in a card game. Various names are given to card players based on their role or position.
Position
Games of Anglo-American origin
In games of Anglo-American origin played in English-speaking countries, ...
, the player to his right, to cut
Cut or CUT may refer to:
Common uses
* The act of cutting, the separation of an object into two through acutely directed force
** A type of wound
** Cut (archaeology), a hole dug in the past
** Cut (clothing), the style or shape of a garment
** ...
. Rearhand cuts as often as he wants to. The dealer then deals a packet of 3 cards and then a packet of 2 to each player, the cards being dealt in clockwise order and face down.[
]
Bidding
Forehand, the player left of the dealer, briefly confers with his partner before play begins. They may not discuss which cards they have, but only how well they are able to help one other depending on whether they have a good hand, indifferent or poor hand. At this point they may announce a ''schuss'' or ''spritze'' which doubles the winnings. If they decide not to double, the opposing team may now confer. But they may only say whether they can help or not help. If either team announces ''spritze'', the other team may announce a ''retoure'' after the 2nd card has been played to the table. This doubles the game value again. The ''retoure'' may be further raised and, theoretically, this may continue until the winnings would be enough to erase all the remaining lines on the beermat. If neither of the first two players calls a ''spritze'', player 3 has the opportunity to raise the stakes with his partner. If he doesn't raise the stakes, the last player at the table makes an announcement in accordance with a Bierkopf 'code of honour'. This is declared with the words "weil mer hinter hocken" ("because I sit at the back") or "an anzer mach mer net" ("do not reply to me"), whereupon no ''retoures'' may be announced. Otherwise, after each doubling and after the second card has been played, ''retoures'' may be declared.[
]
Trick-taking
Forehand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit (''Farbzwang
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 suc ...
'') if possible; failing that they must play a trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...
(''Trumpfzwang
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 suc ...
'') if they have one. If they have neither a card of the led suit nor a trump, they may throw in any card. The winner of the trick leads to the next one. Tricks are picked up by the winning team and placed face down on the table. Players may always look at their own tricks, but you can only ask to see the last trick of your opponents.[
]
Scoring
A game is called a ''Bollen'' and consists of 21 game points. At the start of the game, the teams each mark 21 lines (i.e. , , , , , , , , etc.) on a spare beermat (''Deckel'') representing the game points to be won. The team that wins more than half the card points in each deal (i.e. more than 60) wins that particular hand and erases or cross out one of its lines. If the losers fail to reach 30 points, they are '' schneider'' and the winners may erase 2 lines. If the winners take all the tricks - known as '' schwarz'' - they may erase 3 lines. Usually, however, the stakes have been doubled by a so-called ''schuss'' or ''spritze'' and the winners may then erase 2, 4 or 6 lines respectively. If stakes have been quadrupled the game points that may be erased increase accordingly.[
As soon as a team has erased all 21 lines from its beermat, it has won the ''Bollen''. This means that the other team must pay for a ''Maß'' (2 pints) of beer. To record this a blob is made on the losers' beermat.][
]
In popular culture
In the crime thriller, ''Kontra, Re, und Tot'', by Dieter Wirth, the crime scene is the Bierkopf card table in the local pub. As four friends play Bierkopf, one of them mysteriously falls dead at the table before he can respond to a call of ''Re'' ("redouble"). The novel includes the rules of Bierkopf at the end.
See also
* Mucken
* Schafkopf language
The Bavarian card game of Schafkopf has such a plethora of special words, terms and phrases that it is described as a Schafkopf language () which is often unintelligible to outsiders. The language ranges from associative terms to coarse language. ...
References
Literature
*
External links
''Bierkopf - Spielregeln''
("Bierkopf rules") at www.rackoon.de.
{{Trick-taking card games
German deck card games
Bavarian card games
Four-player card games
Schafkopf group
Franconian culture
Point-trick games
Drinking card games