Ramsen (card game)

Ramsen
The permanent trumps: Dallmutz, Belli, Großer Bube and Kleiner Bube
Origin Germany
Type Plain-trick game
Players 3 - 5
Cards 32
Deck Bavarian-pattern pack
Play Clockwise
Card rank (highest first) A K O U 10 9 8 7
Playing time 5 min/hand
Related games
Schafkopf

Ramsen is a traditional Bavarian plain-trick, card game for 3 to 5 players, played with a 32-card Bavarian pattern, German-suited pack.[1] It is at least 140 years old, having been recorded as "popular with ordinary folk" in Bavaria in 1877.[2] It is still taught and played in Bavaria, for example, in Memmingen[3] and Markt Rettenbach.[4]

Aim

Ramsen is a plain-trick game in which the aim is to win as many tricks as possible and be the first to complete the 2 crosses used for scoring. It may also be played for small stakes.[5]

Cards

Ramsen is played with a 32-card, Bavarian pattern, German-suited pack with the suits of Acorns, Leaves or Grass, Hearts and Bells. The ranking order of the cards within the plain suits is: Sow > King > Ober > Unter > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7.[1]

There are four permanent trump cards:[1]

  • 9 – the 9 of Bells or Dallmutz
  • 7 – the 7 of Bells or Belli
  • O – the Ober of Acorns or Großer Bube ("Big Boy" or "Big Jack")
  • U – the Unter of Acorns or Kleiner Bube ("Little Boy" or "Little Jack").

Thus the ranking order of the trump suit (T = trump, A = Sow, etc.) is: TA > 9 > 7 > O > U > TK > TO > TU > T10 > T9 > T8 > T7.[1]

Playing

Dealing and trumps

The dealer shuffles the pack and rearhand cuts. Rearhand may 'lap up' (schlecken) the bottom card of the top stack, but will then only be dealt 4 cards. Otherwise players are dealt 5 cards as one packet of 3 and one packet of 2. The next card is flipped to determine the trump suit and the remainder placed face down next to it as the talon.[1]

Exchanging

Each player, in clockwise order beginning with forehand, may now exchange cards from the hand for cards in the talon. In addition, the dealer may exchange with the trump upcard. If rearhand has schleckt when cutting the pack, he may not exchange.[1]

Bidding

Each player now reviews his cards and opts to "play" or "pass". If a player has exchanged, he must play. The reason a player may want to pass, is that, if he takes no tricks, he is penalised by having to complete an additional cross (i.e. by taking an extra 5 tricks) in order to win the game.[1]

Trick playing

Forehand leads to the first trick or, if he has passed, players play in order of positional seniority, beginning with forehand. Players must follow suit (Farbzwang), must play a trump if unable to follow suit (Trumpfzwang) and, in doing either, must head the trick if possible (Stechzwang). If a player cannot follow suit or trump, he may throw in any card.[1]

Scoring

A completed scoring cross

Before the game, two crosses (X X) are drawn for each player. For every trick won, a bar is drawn at the end of one of the arms of the crosses; for the 5th trick a bar is drawn horizontally across the middle of the cross (see diagram right). The first player to complete 2 crosses is the winner. If a player takes no tricks, he gets an extra cross to complete.[5]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Sirch 2008, p. 59.
  2. ↑ Schmeller, Johann Andreas (1877). Bayerisches Wörterbuch, Vol. 2. Rudolf Oldenbourg, Munich. p. 101
  3. ↑ Terminübersicht at www.spiegelschwab-memmingen.de. Retrieved 12 Oct 2018
  4. ↑ Markt Rettenbacher Sommer Ferien Programm at www.markt-rettenbach.de. Retrieved 12 Oct 2018
  5. 1 2 Sirch 2008, p. 60.

Literature

  • Sirch, Walter (2008). Vom Alten zum Zwanzger - Bayerische Kartenspiele für Kinder und Erwachsene - neu entdeckt. Bayerischer Trachtenverband.
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