Herzla

Card game

Herzla

Suit of Hearts from a Bavarian pack

Origin| Bavaria, Germany
Alternative names| Herzl'n
Type| Trick-taking avoidance
Family| Hearts family
Players| 4 (3-8)
Age range| 6+
Cards| 32
Deck| Schafkopf pack
Rank (high→low)| A 10 K Q J 9 8 7
Play| Clockwise

Herzla or Herzl'n is a Bavarian, reverse trick-taking, card game for 4 players in which the aim is to avoid taking any Hearts. There is a simpler variant for children and adults that may be played by 3-8 players.

## History

[edit]

Herzla is reported as being popular in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg around 1900 and later, alongside  's Dappa, Spitzramsen, Mariaschen, 66 and Lügo.[1] It is still played there today[2] as well as in Bavaria.[3]

## Rules

[edit]

The following rules are based on Sirch (2008).[3]

## Cards

[edit]

A Bavarian pattern pack of 32 cards is used. Typically the Sixes are removed from a Schafkopf pack. Alternatively any German-suited pack may be used. The cards rank in their natural order: Sow (Sau), King, Ober, Unter, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven.

## Dealing

[edit]

Dealer shuffles the cards and offers to rearhand to cut. Each player is then dealt 8 cards, either in two packets of 4 or four packets of 2 cards. Dealing and play are clockwise.

## Bidding

[edit]

Players may bid for the following contracts:

* Beddl \- to take no tricks
* Mord \- to take all tricks

If no-one bids for a contract, a normal game is played as described below. If two players bid, positional priority applies. The successful bidder becomes the declarer and plays against the 3 'defenders'.

## Playing

[edit]

Forehand leads to the first trick. There are no trumps. Hearts may not be led to either of the first two tricks. Players must follow suit (Farbzwang), but there is no compulsion to win the trick (i.e. no Stechzwang).

### Beddl

[edit]

Beddl is Bavarian for Bettel, i.e. a contract in which the declarer undertakes to win no tricks. If they do have to take a trick, the hand ends immediately and the declarer loses. Hearts become irrelevant.

### Mord

[edit]

Mord literally means "murder", but is the equivalent of a slam or march (Durchmarsch), a contract in which the declarer undertakes to win every trick. As soon as an opponent wins a trick, the hand ends and the declarer loses. Again, who wins which Hearts is irrelevant.

### Schleichermord

[edit]

A Schleichermord or "sneaky Mord" is when a player decides to play a Mord without announcing it and aims to win all the tricks.

## Scoring

[edit]

In a normal game, players pay 10c for every Heart captured to the player who has avoided taking any. If 2 players are void in Hearts, they each receive 40c. If a player captures all 8 Hearts, they pay 80c to the stock (pot). If a Beddl or Mord is won, the losers pay the declarer 80c each. If the declarer loses, he pays 80c to each opponent. A Schleichermord is worth 80c if won; if it is lost no-one will know anyway!

## Variant

[edit]

A simple variant, suitable for children as well as adults, is to play the normal game. Any number of players from 3 to 8 may play; a Bavarian-pattern Schafkopf pack is used, 36 cards are dealt accordingly and any leftover cards put to one side, face down. Players only play a 'normal game' and score penalty points for each Heart taken. Players may agree to play a set number of rounds and the winner is then the one with the fewest points. Alternatively they may choose to play until the first person reaches an agreed total e.g. 50 points.

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Das Nationalspiel der Vorarlberger - Jassen at sagen.at. Retrieved 26 March 2022.
2. ^ Alle Vorarlberger Jass-Arten einfach erklärt! at jassa.at. Retrieved 25 September 2022.
3. ^ a b Sirch (2008), pp. 80–81.

## Literature

[edit]

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

* v
* t
* e

Trick-taking card games (list)

French packs
52 cards
(except where stated)|

* 3-2-5 (30)
* 3-5-8
* 400
* 500 (43)
* 1000 (24)
* 1001 (24)
* All fours
* Auction bridge
* Barbu
* Baśka (16)
* Bid whist
* Bisca (40)
* Black lady
* Black Maria
* Bluke
* Bonken
* Boston
* Bourré
* Bridge
* Call-ace whist
* Cinch
* Clabber (24)
* Clag
* Chlust (20)
* Court piece
* Cucumber
* Femkort
* Forty-fives
* French whist
* German whist
* Gong Zhu
* Hearts
* Hucklebuck
* Kachufool
* King
* Knock-out whist
* Konter a Matt (24)
* Kop (16)
* Köpknack
* Knüffeln (48)
* Lanterloo
* Mizerka
* Napoleon
* Ninety-nine
* Norseman's knock
* Oh hell
* Pedro
* Pinochle (2x24)
* Pitch
* Phat
* Polskpas (24)
* Priffe
* Put
* Ristikontra
* Rödskägg
* Shelem
* Sheng ji
* Sixty-three
* Sjavs (Danish) (20)
* Skærvindsel (28)
* Smear
* Spades
* Spoil Five
* Stýrivolt (48)
* Sueca (40)
* Tarneeb
* Thunee (24)
* Turkish King
* Twenty-five (Spoil Five)
* Two-ten-jack
* Vira
* Whist
* Zwikken (20)

French packs
36 cards|

* Agram
* Bête
* Bräus
* Brus
* Brús
* Bruus
* Bura
* Catch the ten
* Dapp
* Frog
* Hindersche
* Knack
* Marjapussi
* Rutersju
* Scharwenzel
* Six-bid solo
* Svängknack
* Tapp
* Tarabish
* Trekort
* Viersche
* Voormsi

French packs
32 cards|

* 304
* Baloot
* Bassadewitz
* Bauerchen
* Bauernheinrich
* Belote
* Bezique
* Bierlachs
* Brandeln
* Bruus
* Chouine
* Coinche
* Écarté
* Enflé
* Euchre
* Fipsen
* Fünf dazu
* Herzblatt
* Kaiser
* Klaberjass/Bela
* Klammern
* Klaverjas
* Letzter
* Letzter Stich
* Manille
* Marjolet
* Mistigri
* Officers' Skat
* Oma Skat
* Pilotta
* Piquet
* Polignac
* Preferans
* Préférence
* Rams
* Schwimmen
* Sheepshead
* Siebenschräm
* Sjavs
* Skat
* Slobberhannes
* Solo 66
* Tausendundeins
* Tippen
* Toepen
* Tuppen
* Twenty-eight
* Zwanzig ab
* Zwicken

German packs 36 cards|

* Bauerntarock
* Bavarian Tarock
* Bieten (33)
* Brusbart
* Dobbm
* Haferltarock
* Jaggln (33)
* Kratzen (33)
* Mulatschak
* Perlaggen (33)
* Schnalzen (33)
* Württemberg Tarock

German packs
32 cards
(except where stated)|

* Bauernfangen (20)
* Bauernschnapsen (20)
* Bierkopf (20)
* Binokel (2x24)
* Blattla
* Bohemian Schneider
* Bohemian Watten
* Bolachen
* Doppelkopf (2x24)
* Dreeg (24)
* Dreierschnapsen (20)
* Elfern
* Gaigel (2x24)
* German Schafkopf
* German Solo
* Gilten
* Grasobern
* Herzeln
* Herzla
* Kein Stich
* Lampeln
* Lorum
* Lupfen (20)
* Lusti-Kartl'n
* Mariáš
* Matzlfangen
* Mauscheln
* Mucken
* Officers' Schafkopf
* Quodlibet
* Ramsch
* Ramscheln
* Ramsen
* Rosbiratschka
* Rumpel
* Russian Schnapsen (24)
* Schafkopf
* Schnapsen (20)
* Sedma
* Sedmice
* Sixty-six (24)
* Sticheln
* Trischettn
* Wallachen
* Watten
* Wendish Schafkopf
* Ulti
* Unteransetzen
* Zehnerlegen

Italian or Spanish packs|

* Aluette
* Bestia
* Botifarra
* Brisca
* Briscola
* Calabresella
* Gilé
* Julepe
* Tressette
* Truc
* Truc y Flou
* Truco
* Tute

Swiss German packs|

* Jass (Chratze, Schieberjass, Hindersi-Jass)
* Kaiserspiel

* Category

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template