Tapp (card game)

Württembergischer Tarock cards

According to Dummett, like its relative Bauerntarock, Tapp is probably of "considerable antiquity", originating in the "first two decades of the nineteenth century" and one of a family of games that began as a means of playing Tapp Tarock with a German-suited pack. However, Tapp has a number of variants. Dummett surmises that the earliest rules reflect those of Beck[4], corroborated by Braun,[5] where Hearts form the permanent trump suit, emulating the tarocks in Tapp Tarock, and there were only two contracts: Frage (with the tapp) and Solo (without the tapp).[lower-alpha 1] The game was probably played with Württemberg pattern cards[lower-alpha 2] and there may also have a Pagat-like bonus, as in Bauerntarock. Dummett refers to this as Württembergischer Tarock.[3]

However, as early as 1879, Anton describes the game of Tapp with a third contract. The original bid of Solo became Coeursolo or Herzsolo ("Heart Solo") and Solo became, in effect, a Suit Solo where the declarer could nominate another suit as trumps and, as in Herzsolo does not use the tapp.[6] This variant Dummett calls Tapp. Since Beck described the earlier version in the 1980s, it would appear that the two variants co-existed for over a century.[3]

Today, another game is being called Tapp by Nuremberg playing card makers, NSV, that appears to have imported terminology and contracts from Skat and deviates markedly from the original. It has eight Skat-like contracts, two corresponding to the Herzsolo and Solo, but there is no equivalent of Frage and the tapp is never used.[7] According to Dummett it is highly likely that the original versions of Tapp are still played in Swabia.[3]

Tapp traditionally consists of 9 cards in the four suits of Hearts (Herz), Diamonds (Karo), Clubs (Kreuz) and Spades (Schippen or Pik), with the following values:

The trick-taking ability or ranking of the cards within their individual suits from Ace / Deuce (highest) to Six (lowest) is shown by the sequence in the table below.

German deck
Permanent trumps - Hearts (except in Suit Solo)
D 10 K O U 9 8 7 6
Plain suits
Acorns	Leaves	Bells
D 10 K O U 9 8 7 6	D 10 K O U 9 8 7 7	D 10 K O U 9 8 7 6
French deck
Permanent trumps - Hearts (except in Suit Solo)
A 10 K Q J 9 8 7 7
Plain suits
Clubs	Spades	Diamonds
A 10 K Q J 9 8 7 6	A 10K Q J 9 8 7 6	A 10 K Q J 9 8 7 6

Württemberg Tarock is described by Beck as a south German variant of 'German Tarock'. It is a game for three players, played with 36 German-suited (Dummett) or French-suited (Beck) cards. Deal and play are clockwise and Hearts are permanently trumps. Cards follow the Deuce/Ace - Ten ranking and card values described above.

Dealer shuffles, offers the cut to his right, and then places 3 cards as a talon or tapp on the table. He then deals 11 cards to each player in packets (4 – 3 – 4). A pot may be used as in Bavarian Tarock.

There are two bid options: Frage and Solo. Frage is a bid to score 61 or more points against the two defenders with the aid of the tapp, i.e. the winning bidder may pick up the tapp and exchange up to 3 cards with it, laying his discards to one side. Solo is identical, but the talon is not picked up. In either case, the tapp and any discards belong to the declarer. Bidding starts with forehand who says "pass", "Frage" or "Solo". A player who bid Frage' earlier may "hold" a higher bid of Solo.

Before the first trick is played, the declarer may announce a Tout, also called a Schwarz, Durchmarsch or Valat, the last term being the same as that used in true Tarock games. This is a contract to take all the tricks. If all pass, the cards are thrown in and the next dealer takes over.

Forehand leads to the first trick. Players must follow suit (Farbzwang) or trump if unable to follow (Trumpfzwang) but there is no compulsion to head the trick (i.e. no Stichzwang). The trick is won by the highest card of the led suit or highest trump if trumps are played. The two defenders keep their tricks in a single pile.

The declarer must score 61 points to win. If both sides score 60, the game is drawn and no-one scores. The winner(s) score 1 game point for every point above 60. This is doubled for a Solo. A Tout is worth double (Anton) or triple (Beck) the normal score. If a pot is used, the dealer antes two to the pot at the start of the deal. If a Frage is lost, the declarer pays the same amount to the pot as to each defender. If a Solo is won, the declarer claims the pot; if lost, he doubles it.

The rules for Tapp as described by Anton are the same as those for Württemberg Tarock above except that now we see the introduction of the French-suited pack and an additional bid. Essentially Solo becomes Herzsolo or Coeursolo (Heart Solo) and the new bid of Solo is a Suit Solo with the declarer choosing a suit other than Hearts as trumps. Frage is referred to by Meyer as Coeurfrage, emphasising that Hearts remained trumps for that contract.[10]

The scoring is also slightly different. In Frage. the winner(s) earn a game point for every four card points (or part thereof) scored. In Solo this is effectively doubled i.e. the winner(s) earn a game point for every two card points scored. A pot may be used as described above.