Bavarian Tarock () or, often, just Tarock, is a card game that was once popular in Bavaria and also played in parts of Austria as well as Berlin. The name is a clue to its origin in the historical German game of [Gross-]Tarock, a game using traditional Tarot cards. At some point in the mid- to late-18th century, attempts were made to emulate Tarock using a standard 36-card German-suited pack, resulting in the formerly popular, south German game of German Tarok. During the last century, the variant played with a pot (Haferl) and often known as Bavarian Tarock or Haferltarock, evolved into "quite a fine game" that, however, has less in common with its Tarock progenitor. German Tarok also generated the very similar game of Tapp, played in Württemberg, and both are related to Bauerntarock, Dobbm and the American games of frog and six-bid solo.
While in Bavaria "Tarock" without additions will usually mean this game, in Austria the term refers to true Tarock games, most commonly Königrufen.
History Bavarian Tarock is descended from an earlier game called German Tarok (Deutschtarok) whose rules are first described in 1839, but which rose to prominence during the 19th century in Bavaria and Swabia, notably in Munich where it was the favourite game of the middle classes. In Württemberg, it became known as Tapp when played with the French-suited cards that were introduced in the mid-19th century, its German-suited equivalent becoming known there as Württemberg Tarock. Meanwhile, the game had spread to Bavaria where it became known simply as Taro(c)k, occasionally as Sansprendre or, if played with a pot, as Haferltarock or Haferltarok. The earliest mention of the name "Bavarian Tarock" occurs in 1917 when it is recorded as being played on the western front at the Somme by German soldiers but this could well be German Tarok under a different name.Salomonski (1917), p. 91. Meanwhile Haferltarock is mentioned as early as 1880 being played in Munich with a "kitty of 30 or 50 pfennigs"An Oberndoerffer Family History at www.alemannia-judaica.de. Retrieved 8 Mar 2019. and in 1888 of the "pleasant game of Haferltarock being played for a mark", but this is almost certainly German Tarok played with a pot called a Haferl.
After the First World War, German Tarok was superseded by a family of variants bearing its likeness, all characterised by fixed payments instead of payments based on overshoot points, but retaining Hearts as a preference suit. Variations included game values based on suit hierarchy, and payments for Schneider. After the Second World War, a new variant quickly dominated to become the modern game of Bavarian Tarock or Haferltarock. This version dropped any special status accorded to the suit of Hearts and introduced a more elaborate auction process using point bidding in steps of 5 and a correspondingly more complex payment system recalling that of German Tarok. The result is "quite a fine game", better than Tapp albeit further removed from Grosstarock.
Nevertheless, some simpler variants appear to have survived, according to Sirch (2008), which retain the old three-tier bidding and fixed payment schemes.Sirch (2008), pp. 46–47.
According to ASS Altenburger who produce 36-card Schafkopf Tarock packs, as at 2005 there were regions of Bavaria where the traditional game of Tarock was still played. Although the firm noticed that fewer and fewer Tarock packs were being bought they decided not to take the product off the market entirely.Rätsel des Alltags at sz-magazin.sueddeutsche.de. Retrieved 26 February 2022. In 2017, Bavarian card game author, Erich Rohrmayer, said that Tarock was now extinct in Bavaria,Bayerische Kartenspiele: Vom Aussterben bedroht - Retten Sie das Karteln! at abendzeitung-muenchen.de. Retrieved 26 February 2022. but there is evidence that it was still being played in the late 2010s in Franconia, for example, in Plech, and there are even tournaments in places like Kappel.Trotz Corona: Fränkische Wirtshauskultur blüht wieder auf at nordbayern.de. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
Cards
German playing cards are used, traditionally those of the Bavarian pattern, with the values Ace (known in Bavaria as the Sau or "Sow") to 6. The card deck has a total of 36 cards (4 suits each of 9 cards). In the trade, special card games are sold which are labelled Schafkopf/Tarock (see illustration).
Suits of the German deck Bells (Schellen) Hearts (Herz) Leaves (Gras) Acorns (Eichel)
Card ranking In Bavarian Tarock, a card's trick-taking value generally increases with its face value. The Ace (Aß) or Sow (Sau), symbol A, is the highest card and it is followed by the: Ten (Zehner) (10) > King (K) > Ober (O) > Unter (U) > Nine (Neuner) (9) > Eight (Achter) (8) > Seven (Siebener) (7) > Six (Sechser) (6)
Card values The cards have the same point values as in Bavarian Schafkopf. The 10, with ten card points, is just below the Ace (11 points), but well above the King (4), Ober (3) and Unter (2). The value of the Spatzen ("sparrows" – 9 to 6) lies only in their trick-taking ability during a game, but they have no points value when calculating scores at the end of the round.
Ranks and card-point values of cards Rank A 10 K O U 9 8 7 6 Value 11 10 4 3 2 –
Trumps In the original game, Hearts formed the permanent trump suit unless a Solo was bid. In the later variant, Hearts are the permanent trump suit if the talon is used to replenish cards; otherwise in Hand contracts, the trumps are chosen by the declarer. In the complex version of the game, the trump suit is chosen by the declarer; all nine cards of the chosen suit are trumps and the sequence within the trump suit is unchanged. There are no permanent trump cards in this version, as for example, in Skat, Doppelkopf or Schafkopf.
Players Bavarian Tarock is a game for 3 players, each of whom is dealt 11 playing cards. Three cards lie face down in the middle of the table and are called the stock or . This is the same as the talon in many Tarock games. If 4 players are available, the dealer sits out, so that there are 3 players and one dealer who rotates.
Aim The player who wins the bidding (Reizen) is the 'declarer'. The declarer plays against the other two, the opposition or defenders, and must score at least 61 points to win the deal. In earlier variants, it is a draw and there is no payment if both sides score 60; in the latest variant the declarer loses if the result is 60-60. The game is normally played for small stakes, the amount won depending on the nature of the bid.
Rules The rules of Bavarian Tarock varied considerably over time. Today there are two main variants. The most commonly published version is called Bavarian Tarock or Haferltarock and is distinguished by its point-bidding system and in which Hearts have no special status. However, a simpler version, usually just called Tarock and reminiscent of the inter-war and immediate post-war period has also survived. The simpler variant will be described first.
Tarock (simple) The following is a summary of the rules for the simple, contract-bidding game. The winner of the auction plays alone against two defenders and must achieve the stated contract by scoring at least 61 points. Settlement may be based on overshoot payments as in German Tarok or using fixed payments as in early 20th-century Tarock.
Each player draws a card from the pack. The player with the highest card (or first Ace) deals first. The dealer shuffles, offers the cut to his right, and places 3 cards as the talon, called the Gschdaad or , on the table. The dealer then deals 11 cards each in packets (4 – 3 – 4). There are three possible contracts and, in every case, the declarer must score at least 61 points to win. Scoring 91 or more is a Schneider and taking all tricks is a Durch. In a Frage the declarer exchanges 3 cards with the Gschdaad; in either Solo contract, it remains untouched. The Gschdaad or discards belong to the declarer at the end. The contracts are summarised below in ascending order:
Bavarian Tarock (simple) Name of contract Exchange with stock Trumps Point-based payments Fixed payments (alternative system) Frage Yes
Simple win: ½c/pointDurch: 60c Simple win: 25cSchneider: 30c Solo No
Simple win: 1c/pointDurch: 120c Simple win: 50cSchneider: 60c Herzsolo No
Simple win: 1c/pointDurch: 120c Simple win: 50cSchneider: 60c
Forehand opens the bidding with "pass" or "I'll play" ("ich spiele"). If unchallenged, he may announce any contract. A subsequent player wishing to overcall the first bidder says "I'll play better" ("Ich spiele besser"); thus committing to a Solo or Herzsolo. To overcall the second bidder, rearhand (the dealer) must announce "I'll play best" ("Ich spiele am besten"), but may then only play a Herzsolo. An earlier bidder may "hold" a higher subsequent bid. There is only one round of bidding with immediate hold.
Forehand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit or trump if unable to follow, but there is no compulsion to head the trick. If they can neither follow nor trump, they may play any card. The trick is won by the highest card of the led suit or highest trump if any are played. The two defenders keep their tricks in a single pile.
The declarer must score 61 to win. If both sides score 60, the game is drawn and no payments are made. There are two alternative payment systems:
Point-based payments. Players contribute an agreed amount to a pot, (Kasse) at the start of the session. If a game is won, the declarer collects the winnings from the pot; if it is lost the declarer pays directly to the two defenders who divide the winnings. The rate for a Solo or Heart Solo is double that of a Frage. For simplicity, payments are usually rounded up to the nearest 5ȼ. A declarer who wins every trick makes a Durch and collects double. In the following examples, the tariff is assumed to be ½c/point for a Frage and 1c for a Solo or Heart Solo. Example 1: Anton wins a Frage with 71 points. There are 11 overshoot points worth 11c , so this is rounded up and he collects 15c from the pot. Example 2: Anton loses his Heart Solo to Berta and Charlotte, scoring 50 points. He pays 10ȼ to the two defenders who receive 5ȼ each. Had he scored 49, he would have paid 15ȼ and an additional 5ȼ would have been drawn from the pot in order that Berta and Charlotte could each receive 10ȼ. Example 3: Charlotte wins a Leaf Solo, taking every trick. She has 60 overshoot points worth 60 x 1c = 60c, but this is doubled to €1.20 for the Durch which she collects from the pot.
Fixed payments. Sirch describes an alternative system in which there is no pot and players pay one another directly. So a simple Solo or Heart Solo win (61-90 points) earns 50ȼ from each defender and a schneider (91 or more points) earns 60ȼ from each. If the declarer loses, the amount is paid to each defender. A Frage is worth half these payments.
Tarock (with Bettel) The simple version of Tarock may be played with a Bettel contract; an optional feature that emerged during the interwar period. It is a misère-type contract in which the declarer aims to lose every trick; this is found in many other games including Skat (under the name Null) and Bavarian Schafkopf. As before, there are 3 players who use a 36-card Bavarian pattern pack. Deal and play are clockwise. There are typically five bids which, in ascending order, are:
Frage (Stockspiel in den übrigen Farben) Heart Frage (Stockspiel in Herz) Solo (Handspiel in den übrigen Farben) Heart Solo (Handspiel in Herz) Bettel