User:Bermicourt/Färbeln

[sort duplication] Färbeln or Färbln was a popular gambling card game for three to seven players, played in parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its successor states from the early 18th century. It bears similarites with Grobhäusern.

History

Färbeln is an old gambling game that was frequently banned in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Tscherwenka variant described below was played in Munich from summer 1948 to the early 1950s. It had been brought there by German refugees expelled from the former, mainly German, town of Tscherwenka (now Crvenka) in Serbia.

Rules

The following description is based on the Tscherwenka rules.

Färbeln was a game for three to seven players using a French-suited Piquet pack or German-suited Tell pack of 32 cards ranking from 7 (low) to Ace (high). The numeral cards were worth their face value, the court cards were worth 10 and the Aces 11.

Stakes

Stakes were agreed beforehand or a limit was set. Alternatively forehand could announce a "mouse" (usually higher than the stake limit), whereby he set the amount of the stake.

First deal

Forehand paid an open stake or announced a mouse. The dealer then dealt 2 cards each. After viewing their cards, players decided whether to play or fold. If playing a mouse contract, forehand announced the value of the mouse without seeing his cards and anted it to the bank. Those remaining in the game each paid the mouse as well. Forehand then looked at his cards and anted a stake of his choice.

Another 2 cards were dealt, face down, and the remaining players decided whether to stake and play or drop out. At this point, rearhand could ask forehand to reveal his two cards before deciding whether to end play by saying Auf! ("up") or to play for a new stake by saying Noschlaad, after which the remaining players decided whether to pay the new amount to stay in the game or drop out.

Players could now buy fresh cards. Alternatively they could choose between demanding a single card or asking for 4 fresh cards with one face up.

Second deal

The procedure was as in the first round, except that after the remaining players had seen their cards, the previous forehand could reinstate it [?] by requesting it or placing a new stake, nogschlan and start a new round.

Subsequent deals

All is as above with forehand and rearhand determining the course of play.

Winning combinations

The Tscherwenka variant made a distinction between rank (Kunst) and suit (Farbe). To win the game and sweep the stakes, a player had to hold the highest value combination in his hand. They were valued as follows:

• A quartet beats a four-card flush or a triplet
• A triplet beats a pair or a three-card flush
• A pair beats a two-card flush or a single card
• A higher ranking set beats a lower ranking one (e.g. 3 Kings beat 3 Tens)
• In a tie, positional priority applies

See also

• Färbeln or Färbln was a popular gambling card game for three to seven players, played in parts of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and its successor states from the early 18th century. It bears similarites to Grobhäusern.

History

Färbeln is an old gambling game that was frequently banned in the Austro-Hungarian Empire.

The Tscherwenka variant described below was played in Munich from summer 1948 to the early 1950s. It had been brought there by German refugees expelled from the former, mainly German, town of Tscherwenka (now Crvenka) in Serbia.<ref name=Seel>Seel (2003), pp. 24–26.

Rules

The following description is based on the Tscherwenka rules.

Färbeln was a game for three to seven players using a French-suited Piquet pack or German-suited [[Tell pack of 32 cards ranking from 7 (low) to Ace (high). The numeral cards were worth their face value, the court cards were worth 10 and the Aces 11.

Stakes

Stakes were agreed beforehand or a limit was set. Alternatively forehand could announce a "mouse" (usually higher than the stake limit), whereby he set the amount of the stake.

First deal

Forehand paid an open stake or announced a mouse. The dealer then dealt 2 cards each. After viewing their cards, players decided whether to play or fold. If playing a mouse contract, forehand announced the value of the mouse without seeing his cards and anted it to the bank. Those remaining in the game each paid the mouse as well. Forehand then looked at his cards and anted a stake of his choice.

Another 2 cards were dealt, face down, and the remaining players decided whether to stake and play or drop out. At this point, rearhand could ask forehand to reveal his two cards before deciding whether to end play by saying Auf! ("up") or to play for a new stake by saying Noschlaad, after which the remaining players decided whether to pay the new amount to stay in the game or drop out.

Players could now buy fresh cards. Alternatively they could choose between demanding a single card or asking for 4 fresh cards with one face up.

Second deal

The procedure was as in the first round, except that after the remaining players had seen their cards, the previous forehand could reinstate it [?] by requesting it or placing a new stake, nogschlan and start a new round.

Subsequent deals

All is as above with forehand and rearhand determining the course of play.

Winning combinations

The Tscherwenka variant made a distinction between rank (Kunst) and suit (Farbe). To win the game and sweep the stakes, a player had to hold the highest value combination in his hand. They were valued as follows:

• A quartet (four of a kind) beats a four-card flush (four of a suit)
• A quartet beats a triplet (three of a kind)
• A triplet beats a pair or a three-card flush
• A pair beats a two-card flush
• In a tie, positional priority applies

See also

• User:Bermicourt/Card games/Färbeln

Bibliography

• Beel, Karl, ed. (2003) "Impler-Lager in München 1945–1957" in Tscherwenkaer Heimat-Zeitung, Issue 41, 17th Year of Publication. Munich: Heimatausschuss Tscherwenka.