 The top trumps in Bierkopf - Obers and Unters | |
| Origin | Franconia |
|---|---|
| Type | Point-trick |
| Players | 4 |
| Age range | 18+ |
| Cards | 20 |
| Deck | German |
| Rank (high→low) | A 10 K O U |
| Play | Clockwise |
| Related games | |
| Schafkopf • Blattla • Mucken | |
Bierkopf ("beer-head") is a trick-taking ace–ten card game for 4 players, played in fixed partnerships. It is a simple version of the Bavarian national game of Schafkopf that is played in Franconia (northern Bavaria) and usually for litre-glasses of beer.[1][2] It is especially popular in the area of Bamberg. The game is popular enough for regular tournaments to be held.
Bierkopf is recorded being played in Franconia just before the Second World War. It is described as a four-hand partnership game played for penalty points called Bolln represented by a blob on the slate, each one "formerly usually worth 1 or even 2 pints [of beer]." At that time a side hoping to take all tricks could announce a Bucher, which is no longer a feature of the modern game.[3]
- ^ Wirth 2017, p. 4.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
BRwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Fränkische Tageszeitung, 14 January 1938.