The most usual set of names for the suits is a mixture: Kreuz for clubs, Pik for spades, Herz for hearts and Karo for diamonds.Īlthough the 36 card German suited pack is generally labelled Tarock, the traditional 54 card French suited Tarock pack is used in Baden for their national game Cego. Schippen and Eckstein are rarely used for spades and diamonds, though I have come across them in the Black Forest.

The corresponding German names are Schippen, Herz, Eckstein and Kreuz. Bridge players tend to use the French derived names Pik, Coeur, Karo and Treff for spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs respectively. The French suits have two sets of names in German - one derived from the French suit names and one purely German set.

In the north and west of Germany, German suited cards are practically unknown, and games are played with French suited cards, which come in packs of 32 cards, 24 cards or 52 cards plus jokers. Each region has its own distinctive pattern, variously available in 32, 36, 24 and 48 card forms (the 48 card pack being a doubled 24 card pack). German suited cards with suits of acorns ( Eichel), leaves ( Gras or Grün), hearts ( Herz or Rot) and bells ( Schellen) are in general use in the south and south-east (Bayern, Sachsen, Thüringen, parts of Baden-Württemberg). This short survey of German games is at present arranged according to the type of cards used.

Black sevens card game