Doppelkopf Rules

Doppelkopf Rules

Game Overview

Doppelkopf is a popular card game originating from North Germany, primarily enjoyed by four players. The game requires a double deck of 2x24 cards, with the cards ranking from Ace (A) to Nine (9) in each of the four suits: Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, and Clubs. The game is part of the Schafkopf group, and similar games include Schafkopf (Bavarian), Schafkopf (Deutscher), Schafkopf (Palatinate), Asserufen (Schafkopf), Sheepshead, and Bauernstoss.

Objective

The objective of Doppelkopf is to capture valuable cards in tricks, with the aim of taking more than half of the total card points (240) in a hand. The card points are used to determine the winning team, but they are not the same as game points recorded on the score-sheet.

Setup

The dealer shuffles the deck, and the cards are cut. All the cards are then dealt out, three at a time, starting on the dealer's left and continuing clockwise. The deal passes to the dealer's left for the next hand. It is common to play a series of complete rounds in a session, so the order of dealing first is not significant.

How to Play

Bidding

The bidding consists of a single round, starting with the player to the dealer's left. Each player says either "Gesund" (meaning they are content to play a normal game) or "Vorbehalt" (meaning they want to play a different type of game). If one or more players say "Vorbehalt," they each in turn say what type of game they wish to play. The player with the highest ranking "Vorbehalt" plays their game.

In a normal game, when everyone says "Gesund," the two players holding the queens of clubs are partners. They do not reveal their partnership during the play, although specific announcements can be made during the game to reveal partnerships. If a player has both queens of clubs but says "Gesund" along with everyone else, they play alone against the other three players in partnership, known as a "silent solo."

Hochzeit (Marriage)

A player who has both queens of clubs will often not be strong enough to play a silent solo and will want a partner. This is achieved by saying "Vorbehalt" during the bidding, and announcing a Hochzeit (marriage). If no one has a better "Vorbehalt," a normal game is played, but the first player other than the holder of the marriage who wins a trick becomes the marriage holder's partner.

Armut (Poverty)

A person with three or fewer trumps can say "Vorbehalt" and then announce Armut (poverty). If no one has a better "Vorbehalt," the player announcing Armut places three cards face down on the table. These three cards must contain all the Armut player's trumps. A player who wishes to become the Armut player's partner has the right to take these three cards (without seeing them first) and then discard any three cards, which are returned to the Armut player. The returned cards may contain trumps and may include cards originally passed. The player to the left of the player who says Armut has the first chance to become the partner; if this player does not wish to, the opportunity passes around the table to the left.

Solo

A solo is a game played alone, against the other three players in partnership. There are several types:

• Trump Solo: The declarer names a trump suit. If it is diamonds, the cards rank as normal. If the trump suit is not diamonds, the Ace, 10, King, and 9 of diamonds become a side suit, and the cards of the suit named as trumps become part of the trump suit in their place.
• Queen (Damen) Solo: Only the 8 Queens are trumps, ranking Q Q Q Q as usual. All four suits rank A 10 K J 9.
• Jack (Buben) Solo: Only the 8 Jacks are trumps, ranking J J J J as usual. The suits rank A 10 K Q 9.
• Ace Solo: There are no trumps, all suits rank A 10 K Q J 9. This contract is also called Fleischloser (meat free or vegetarian solo).

Play

The play is in tricks of four cards, with the winner of each trick leading to the next. The player to the left of the dealer leads to the first trick. You must follow suit if you can; if you cannot follow suit, any card may be played. If there is a trump on the trick, the highest one wins, otherwise the highest card in the suit led wins. If there are two identical highest cards played, the first one played wins.

The trumps are a suit of their own for suit following purposes - for example, in a normal game, the queen of spades is a trump, not a spade. You cannot play the queen of spades when spades are led (unless you are out of genuine spades, in which case you can play anything). Similarly, if the queen of spades is led, everyone must if possible play trumps (not spades).

Announcements during the play

In a normal game, the team with the queens of clubs are called the Re team. In case of a "Vorbehalt," the Re team is the team of the player who specifies the game (the marriage holder, the team who exchanges cards in Armut, or the lone player in a solo). The basic aim of the Re team is to take at least 121 card points in the cards they win in their tricks. The opposing team is called the Kontra team; their basic aim is to take cards worth at least 120 points.

A member of the Re team may at any time while they have 11 or more cards in their hand announce "Re," which increases the score for the game. Similarly, a member of the Kontra team may while they have 11 or more cards in their hand announce "Kontra." If Re or Kontra has been announced by the appropriate team, a member of the other side can announce Kontra or Re while they have 10 or more cards in their hand. If Kontra is announced but not Re, then the Re team only need 120 points to win, rather than 121.

Note that announcements can be made at any time during the play, provided that you have at least the requisite number of cards, not just when it is your turn to play.

Scoring and End of Game

The team that reaches or exceeds 121 points first wins the game. Bonuses are awarded for not reaching certain point thresholds (no 90, no 60, no 30, and Schwarz - all the tricks). Each of these bonuses can be increased in value by announcing it in advance.

Common Variants

Several variants of Doppelkopf exist, such as "Schafkopf" and "Asserufen." These games may have different rules for bidding, partnership formation, and scoring.

Where to Get the Game

Start your Doppelkopf journey by purchasing a deck of Doppelkopf cards on Amazon: jeu de cartes doppelkopf on Amazon

Beginner Mistakes to Avoid

1. Not understanding the importance of partnerships and the role of the queens of clubs.
2. Failing to announce "Re" or "Kontra" when you have the necessary cards to do so.
3. Not paying attention to the trump suit and playing the wrong card when trumps are led.

FAQ

1. What is Doppelkopf? Doppelkopf is a popular card game from North Germany, part of the Schafkopf group. It is played with a double deck of 2x24 cards and involves capturing valuable cards in tricks.

2. How many players does Doppelkopf require? Doppelkopf is typically played by four players.

3. What is the objective of Doppelkopf? The objective of Doppelkopf is to take more than half of the total card points (240) in a hand, with the aim of reaching or exceeding 121 points first.

4. What are the different types of games in Doppelkopf? The main types of games in Doppelkopf