Jass cards
Jassen or Jass
The card game Jassen or Jas or Jass is very widespread, especially in Switzerland and in the Alemannic-speaking area, and is even considered a national game among the Swiss. This is also where people buy the most Jass cards in the world. Typically played with four players and 36 cards, the rules may vary in different regions.
Origin and origin of the card game
It is assumed that this Card game originally came from the Netherlands. It is said to have been carried further south by Protestant mercenaries; also to Switzerland. The oldest evidence of a game dates back to 1796 Schaffhausen .
The Jass cards
The game is played with 36 cards in total. However, there are different cards that can be used depending on the playing region: a distinction is made between the French, German and Swiss cards.
The French hand contains the common playing suits of clubs, spades, hearts and diamonds as well as the respective numbers 6-10, jacks, queens, kings and aces. On a Swiss sheet there are the colors acorn, rose, schilte and bell. The German version, in turn, is a mixture of the two already presented: here there is acorn, leaf, heart and bell. The remaining cards are the same for German and Swiss: numbers 6-10, Unter (= Jack), Ober (= Queen), King and Ace. So if you only have normal and universal playing cards on hand, you can simply use the French hand play without having to buy extra Jass cards.
Rules of the game
Basic rules: At the beginning of the game, one color is chosen as trump. Of these, the pawn as the highest trump counts 20 points and the nine counts 14 points. The players now place one card each in an anti-clockwise direction. The aim of the round is to win the four cards and thus the points (“take away”). To do this, the highest value of the first card placed or a trump must be played.
If a trump card has already been played, it may not be “trumped” for tactical reasons because a higher one must always be played. If you don't have any cards of the same color on your hand, you can play any card.
The trump: There are several ways to define the trump. One variant is to randomly select a card from the middle by cutting it during the shuffle.
However, any card can also be specified before it is dealt. The person who is dealt this card is then free to choose the trump suit.
The third and simplest version is governed by a determiner, who is usually not the giver.
Weis (Wyys) or Stöck: The so-called Wyys points can also be collected through certain combinations of Jass cards. A Weis, Wyys or Wys must be announced before the first round and consists of either all suits of a number or three consecutive cards of a suit.
If you have a stick, i.e. if you have the queen (upper) and king of a trump, you get 20 extra points.
Early end of round: A round of Jass can be ended early by a player if he only has Jass cards for tricks in his hand or is able to do so due to the course of the game. In this case, he can put all his cards on the table, even if it is not his turn.
End of game: A game of Jass is over when either a predetermined number of rounds has been played or a player has been able to achieve a defined number of points.
Game variant “Slider”
The most well-known variant of jassen is called Schieber jassen and is particularly widespread in Switzerland. In addition to the trump card, there are other game types such as Obenabe, Slalom and Undeufe. The main difference is the determination of the points for the corresponding Jass cards. If you want to try out slider jassen in addition to normal jassen, it's best to have experienced players explain it to you, because the procedure, special rules, etc. are very complex and initially quite complicated.
For all variants, the points are recorded and written down for each round. You can even buy slate tablets suitable for Jass, but that will do for now Pen and paper .