Bauerchen, also Bauerchens, Bauerspiel, Bauersche or Bauersches, is a trick-taking card game of the Ace-Ten family for four players that is played in the Palatinate region of Germany, especially around the city of Kaiserslautern, as well as in south Hesse. It is often played during leisure times as an alternative to well known games such as Schafkopf or Skat. Regular Bauerchen tournaments also take place. The game is named after its four permanent trumps or "Bowers" (German and Palatine: Bauer).
History
Historically the game was popular in the Siegerland and in the county of Lahn-Dill-Kreis, where this "strange and traditional card game" was associated with the tradition of making Stauze(n)weck or Studdewäcke - local buns, particularly around the Christmas-New Year holiday period. The game was played in taverns that were often attached to bakeries. The winners of a game won a Stauzeweck from each of the losing players. It was already popular in Kaiserslautern in 1949. In 1965 it was reported as dying out with only 10 men in the village of Haiger able to master the game and being completely unknown in the surrounding area.
Today the game seems to have centred itself on the city of Kaiserslautern where Bauerchen tournaments (Bauersches Turniere or Preisbauer-Turniere) take place irregularly in various pubs in and around the city and also in the surrounding region, for example at Herborn, Oberwörresbach, Schwedelbach, Weilerbach and Rodenbach. Tournaments have also been organised in the Darmstadt area at Worfelden. The entry fee is decided by the publican or tournament organiser.
Players
Bauerchen is a game for four, the two players sitting diagonally opposite one another forming a team, resulting in two teams of two.
Cards
The game is played with 20 cards from a French-suited pack, typically of the Berlin pattern. A French-suited Skat pack may be used, in which case the Sevens, Eights and Nines are removed leaving the: Ace, Ten, King, Queen and Bower (Jack). The suits are:
Trumps
Permanent trumps are the so-called Bowers (Bauern) i.e. promoted Jacks, from which the game gets its name. In addition there are all the cards in the trump suit, the ranking of the individual cards remaining the same as normal. Consequently there are always eight trumps in the game. These are, from the highest Bower to the lowest trump card: Bower of Clubs (Pal.: de Ald) > Bower of Spades (Pal.: Noo-Beschd) > Bower of Hearts > Bower of Diamonds > Trump Ace > Trump 10 > Trump King (Pal.: Kenisch) > Trump Queen (Pal.: Dahm).
Card points
The values of the individual cards are as follows:
In addition, the last trick of the game usually scores 10 points extra, so that there is a total of 130 points per game. Where this is the case, it is referred to as the 'Lautern game' (Pal.: Lautrer Spiel) because there is a variant played outside of Kaiserslautern in which the last trick does not score a bonus. Schneider is then 31 points, not 33 and only 61 are required to win, not 66.
Playing
A 'game' is a deal of five tricks, a 'round' comprises several games - until one team reaches 12 points. The team that wins two rounds scores a stein ("rock"), sometimes called a knoddel; after which a new stein is played.
Dealing
Dealing and play are clockwise. Dealer shuffles the cards and offers them to the right for cutting. The cards are then dealt in packets of 2 and then 3 to each player, each player receiving five cards. Players pick up their cards and forehand (on the dealer's left) calls trumps before leading to the first trick. When the game is finished, forehand then becomes the next dealer. Sometimes, trumps are announced as soon as forehand receives and picks up the first two cards and before the rest are dealt.
Trick-playing rules
Each player must play to the trick in accordance with the following rules:
Players must always follow suit if possible (Farbzwang). If unable to follow suit, players must trump (Trumpfzwang). If unable to do either, a player may play any card (where possible 'smearing' their partner with high-value cards or playing low-value cards to tricks likely to be won by their opponents). If a trump is played, players must overtrump if possible (Stichzwang). If unable to do so, they must still play a trump. If that is not possible, rule 3 applies.