Schafkopf – Play Online for Free

In Old Bavaria and Franconia Schafkopf counts as part of the way of life, yet its name is first recorded around Leipzig, in the 1780s. Paul Hammer's book on card games, published in Leipzig in 1811, already describes nine variants. Skat and Doppelkopf also grew out of this old Schafkopf, and the Bavarian form, in which you call a sow to find your partner, probably took shape in Franconia in the first half of the 19th century. The name means sheep's head; one theory traces it to chalk tallies that formed the outline of one as the score was kept. The aces are called sows, and the Wenz takes its name from the jack, also known as the Wenzel. German immigrants carried the game to Wisconsin, where it lives on as Sheepshead, often called the state's unofficial card game. On this page Schafkopf is free to play online, no registration required, with three computer opponents at the table.

Ober, Unter, Sau: Schafkopf rules, games and tactics

Four players sit at the table, the game uses the long deck of 32 cards, and each player gets eight. The cards here are French-suited: the queens take the role of the Ober, the jacks that of the Unter, and clubs, spades and diamonds stand in for acorns, leaves and bells. Only five ranks score, the ace with 11 card points, the ten with 10, the king with 4, the queen with 3 and the jack with 2. Whoever announces a game needs at least 61 of the 120 card points together with their party.

• Trumps: In a Sauspiel there are 14 trumps. At the top are the four queens, below them the four jacks, each in the order clubs, spades, hearts, diamonds, and then the remaining hearts from the ace down to the seven. In the other suits the order is ace, ten, king, nine, eight, seven, so the ten beats the king.
• Following suit: The player to the dealer's left leads to the first trick, and whoever wins a trick leads to the next. A suit that is led must be followed, and so must a trump. If you have neither, you may trump or play any card you like.
• Declaring the game: Going around the table, everyone says "Pass" or "I want to play". If more than one player wants to play, the ranking of the games decides: Sauspiel, Wenz, Solo, Wenz Tout, Solo Tout. A later player has to name a higher game, and the player who held the right to play before can hold on with "I play myself" or give way with "Pass". If everyone passes, the cards are thrown in and the next player deals.
• Sauspiel: You call an ace in clubs, spades or diamonds that you do not hold yourself, and you need a card of that suit to do so; queens and jacks do not count, as they are trumps. Whoever holds the called ace is your partner, without anyone knowing. When that suit is led, the ace has to be played, it may be thrown off only in the last trick, and its holder may lead the suit without the ace only with at least four cards of it. That is called running away.
• Wenz: Only the four jacks are trumps. The queens slot into their own suits between the king and the nine, and you play alone against three.
• Solo and Tout: In a Solo you name a trump suit in place of hearts, queens and jacks stay trumps, and once again you play alone. With a Tout you promise all eight tricks in a Wenz or Solo: the value doubles, but a single trick for the opponents loses the game.
• Sie: If one player gets all four queens and all four jacks, they lay them face up and win the highest game there is on the spot.
• Kontra and Retour: If a defender does not believe in the game, they say Kontra before the second card of the first trick is played. The declaring party can answer with Retour. Each of them doubles the value.
• Scoring: A Sauspiel brings 10 points, a Wenz or Solo 50. Another 10 each are added for Schneider, when a party takes 30 card points or fewer, for Schwarz, when it takes no trick, and for every runner. Runners are the top trumps without a gap that a party holds between them, counted from three, or from two in a Wenz. In a Wenz, Solo or Sie all three opponents pay, so the declarer collects three times over.

Eight games make a match, a deal that is thrown in does not count, and everyone deals in turn. At the end the player with the most points is ahead, and if there is a tie at the top, more games follow. The rules are those of the Schafkopfschule e.V. with the long deck. Ramsch, Geier, Bettel, Farbwenz, marriage and knocking are left out. On Easy and Normal the computer opponents never dare a Wenz or a Solo; on Hard they also try Solo and Tout and calculate the last tricks precisely.

Ways to make more of your cards:

• Declarers lead trumps, defenders lead suits: The old rule of thumb holds here as well. As the declaring party you draw the defenders' trumps so that your aces come through later; as a defender you lead side suits, preferably the called one.
• Smoke out the partner: When the suit of the called ace is led, the ace has to fall, and then it is clear who belongs with whom. As soon as that is settled, the name tag at the table shows "Partner".
• Fatten the trick: Whatever your partner is certain to win, you may enrich with a ten or an ace. Those card points count for your whole party.
• A Wenz needs backing: Without two high jacks and a few aces a Wenz is a gamble, because the queens are no help to you as trumps there.
• Kontra with strong trumps: Whoever announces a game usually holds a good hand. So say Kontra only with high trumps of your own, or you will mainly double your loss.

Not done taking tricks? Five more games for your card table

If you still feel like shuffling after the final tally, these games make a good fit:

• Doppelkopf: The relative from the north needs two decks of 24 cards each. The highest trump there is the ten of hearts, and the club queens decide who plays together.
• Skat: A sibling from Altenburg, played by three. The bidding uses numbers, and in a Grand the four jacks alone are trumps, much as in a Wenz.
• Mau-Mau: The long deck is on the table here too. The first player out of cards wins, a seven makes the next player draw, an eight makes them miss a turn, and with a jack you choose a suit.
• President: Four players and a full deck of 52 cards. Empty your hand first and you are President; finish last and you must give your best cards to the President in the next round.
• Durak: Attacking and defending instead of collecting tricks. Each attacking card must be covered, either by outranking it in its suit or by trumping it, or you pick up everything.