Strohmandeln

Strohmandeln
"Rather fun and well worth learning"[1]
Origin Austria
Type Trick-taking
Players 2
Cards 54
Deck Industrie & Glück
Play Alternating
Card rank (highest first) Tarock: Sküs, XXI-I
K Q C V 10 - 7
K Q C V 1 - 4
Playing time 18 minutes/hand
Related games
Tapp-Tarock

Strohmandeln, also called Strohmanntarock, Strawman Tarock or Straw Man Tarock,[1] is a two-hand card game from the Austrian branch of the Tarock family. It takes its name from the three-packet talon of four cards, the Strohmänner ("strawmen"), each player has at the start of the game.

Cards

The game is played with the same Industrie und Glück card deck of 54 cards used for other Tarock games in Austria and other areas of the former Habsburg Empire, which is described in detail under Königrufen. This pack contains 22 tarocks as trumps and 32 suit cards in the four French suit colours.

The card ranking within the black suits is: K Q C V 10 9 8 7. Within the red suits it is: K Q C V 1 2 3 4.

Rules

The description of the rules largely follows that of Beck.[2]

Tricks

Higher-value plain cards beat lower value plain cards in their own suit, tarocks beat suit cards and lower tarocks. Players must follow suit (Farbzwang), but there is no pressure to win the trick (no Stichzwang), but if the lead suit cannot be followed, a Tarock must be played (Tarockzwang).

Dealing

The deck is cut to decide which of the two players deals first, then dealing alternates with each hand of cards. After shuffling and cutting, the dealer deals three packets of five cards each, beginning with forehand. The players then assess their cards. After assessing her hand, forehand has the right to decide first whether to "play" or to "pass". If she passes, this right passes to the dealer. If he passes as well, the cards are thrown in and a new hand dealt by the player who was forehand. Alternatively, they can agree to play regardless, but at a lower game value. Once a player has elected to "play", he or she becomes the declarer. The dealer then deals three packets of four cards to each player as talons, beginning with forehand again. These form the 'strawmen'.

Strawmen

When the game begins and the strawmen have been placed, the top card of the first (left-hand) one is flipped. Tarocks and kings are set aside, face up, for the player in question, other suit cards remain face up as the top card of the strawman. The process of uncovering and setting aside is repeated for the other strawmen, from left to right. The last card of each strawman packet, regardless of its value, is added to the player's hand without being revealed. Then the cards set aside are also added to the respective players' hands after the process of uncovering is over and the opponent has viewed these cards.

The now face-up top cards of the strawmen form an extension of the player's hand and may either be discarded, played or used to take tricks at their owner's discretion. Then the next card is flipped, tarocks and kings are revealed and added to the hand of the respective player; other suit cards remain on the packet and, finally, the bottom cards are added to the player's hand without being revealed.

Playing and declaring

Forehand always plays to the first trick. Subsequently the player who took the last trick leads, until all the cards are played.

If a player has the Trull in his hand (Tarock I, XXI, Sküs) or the Royal Trull (Königstrull, i.e. all four kings), he can announce this when playing the first card of the Trull or Royal Trull and earn a bonus of one game point.

It is possible to use the Tarock I ultimo, the Pagat and play it as the last card. This will (depending on whether it is tricked or not) win or lose one game point (it is also possible to play the Tarot II, the Uhu, as the penultimate card in the same way).

Card values and scoring

The usual values (e.g. as in Königrufen) apply:

  • 5 Points: Kings and Honours (I - Pagat, XXI - Mond, Sküs)
  • 4 Points: Queens
  • 3 Points: Knights or Cavaliers
  • 2 Points: Jacks or Valets
  • 1 Point: other tarocks and suit cards

Scores are counted in groups of three cards, deducting 2 points for each group, e.g. King + Knight + XIII = 9 points, minus 2 points equals 7 points. If there are fewer than three cards remaining, 2/3 points must be deducted from each card. 1/3 or 2/3 points are finally rounded up or down.

Deciding the winner

To win the game you need 36 points (out of 70). If both players have 35 points (if necessary after rounding up or down), the game is considered a draw, only announcements are recorded or paid out for such a game (there is also a variant whereby in such a case the recorded game is considered lost for the declarer).

The following values apply:

  • 1 game point: for a game won by the forehand
  • 2 game points: for a game won by the declarer
  • 2 game points: for the declaration of Trull or Royal Trull.
  • 2 game points: for playing the Pagat (Tarock I) as the last card (also for playing Tarock II as the penultimate card)
  • 2 game points: for a Mondfang, i.e. for the player who captures the Mond with the Sküs

Similar Skat variant

A two-hand, card game of the Skat series, Officers' Skat, also employs the method of playing from stacks of cards with the top one flipped. However, it uses a normal 32-card German- or French-suited card deck, and all the cards are placed on the table; there are no hand cards.

References

  1. 1 2 Furr, Jerry Neill. Tarocchi: An introduction to the many games played with tarot cards. Philebus (2009), p. 109.
  2. ↑ Beck, Fritz: Tarock komplett. Alle Spiele, Perlen Series No. 640, Vienna, 1972. Pages 40-45.
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