![]() The suit of Leaves in a William Tell pattern German-suited pack | |
Origin | Central Europe |
---|---|
Type | Plain-trick |
Players | 4 (-9) |
Cards | 32 |
Deck | William Tell (Double German) |
Rank (high→low) | A K O U 10 9 8 7 6 |
Play | Anti-clockwise |
Playing time | 2 hours [1] |
Related games | |
Quodlibet |
Rumpel is a card game, that is native to the Danube region from Regensburg to Linz, [2] but is played especially in the region of Hauzenberg in the German county of Passau in Bavaria. [3] Mala describes a version with 8 or 12 contracts from a menu of 29 called Großer Rumpel. [2] It is a descendant of the old Austrian student's game of Quodlibet. [3]
Rumpelspiel is an old German word – Martin Luther describes the world as the Teufels Rumpelspiel or "devil's playground" [4] – but it is not clear when it attached itself to a card game. The earliest definite record is a diary entry for 5 May 1715 when a citizen of Augsburg recorded that he had drunk 3 litres of beer and eaten 2 rolls and a sausage at a cost of 12 kreuzer and 2 heller; and lost 59 kreuzer and 2 heller playing Rumpelspiel. [5]
A very similar game, Quodlibet, has been played since at least 1845, particularly in student circles as a drinking game. In a 400th anniversary magazine for the University of Tübingen that year, students from Mainz describe the rules for Quodlibet. [3] Mala states that Rumpel is a relic of the Ottoman Wars. [2] Rumpel was apparently being played in Erlangen as early as the 1850s because it is mentioned as one of the games, along with Tarock and Skat, that had "long since superseded Schlauch" around that time. [6]
In 1882, Rost published a treatise on Rumpel, equating it with Quodlibet, and listing twenty contracts from which typically the first ten plus one or two from the second ten were actually played. Writing in Nuremberg, Bavaria, he says that the game "has had a great reception in all social circles." [7]
In 1890, we read of a Rumpel competition taking place in a pub in Griesbach near Passau, alongside the game of Grasobern. There were prizes: one each for apparently different games or contracts, known as Naturrumpeln, Generalquarte and Mach-Rumpeln, as well as for the most and fewest Stangen (marks) and for each team which finished first. [8]
However, as a student game, Rumpel was introduced to Hauzenberg in the 1970s by teacher, Karl Rothdauscher, who worked there for 31 years. [9] The name of the game in Hauzenberg is derived from the special contract of Rumpel. A game of Rumpel consists of a sequence of eight individual contracts. In special cases there are also the special contracts of Quart and even Rumpel.
The aim of Rumpel is to score as few penalty points as possible. [3]
Rost says that Rumpel or Quodlibet comprises twenty contracts, but there are numerous options to choose from and he has only listed the twenty most common. In most cases only his first ten are used, but sometimes a contract from his second series is swapped for one in the first series. His rules assume some prior knowledge. Nevertheless we are told that there are always four active players and up to seven may participate. A 32-card German-suited pack is used. Except where stated, players are dealt 8 cards, forehand leads to the first trick and players must follow suit if able, otherwise may play any card. Scoring is entirely in minus points. The contracts are: [7]
There was an elaborate method for turning scores into payments for the drinks bill.
Rumpel is played today in the county of Passau using a pack of 36 Bavarian pattern cards by four to nine players. [b] Each of them completes four rounds that are known as 'kingdoms' (Königreiche). [3]
In each contract, players must follow suit ( Farbzwang) but do not have to win the trick (i.e. no Stichzwang). Only penalty points are recorded. The contracts in each kingdom, together with their individual objectives, are as follows: [3]
Rumpel: This special bonus is claimed if anyone has a hand with all the cards from seven to ace. Obers may be used as wild cards. Rumpel scores up to 60 penalty points.
Matthias Mala describes rules for "Großer Rumpel" in his 2004 compendium, published in Munich. This game is simply four-hand Rumpel with a pack of 32 Bavarian pattern cards, [c] but with eight or twelve contracts selected from a field of twenty-nine. These include all the above with the exception of Greteln. However, Manderlspiel is known as Plus, Eins-Zwei-Drei as Progress and Fressen as Fessare. In many of the contracts, if a player fully achieves the opposite aim, the remainder lose and incur penalty points. All the contracts can be played as individual games; indeed Grün-Ober and Bierkopf (Kappa in this list) are traditional Bavarian games. The remaining contracts comprise the following: [10]
![]() The suit of Leaves in a William Tell pattern German-suited pack | |
Origin | Central Europe |
---|---|
Type | Plain-trick |
Players | 4 (-9) |
Cards | 32 |
Deck | William Tell (Double German) |
Rank (high→low) | A K O U 10 9 8 7 6 |
Play | Anti-clockwise |
Playing time | 2 hours [1] |
Related games | |
Quodlibet |
Rumpel is a card game, that is native to the Danube region from Regensburg to Linz, [2] but is played especially in the region of Hauzenberg in the German county of Passau in Bavaria. [3] Mala describes a version with 8 or 12 contracts from a menu of 29 called Großer Rumpel. [2] It is a descendant of the old Austrian student's game of Quodlibet. [3]
Rumpelspiel is an old German word – Martin Luther describes the world as the Teufels Rumpelspiel or "devil's playground" [4] – but it is not clear when it attached itself to a card game. The earliest definite record is a diary entry for 5 May 1715 when a citizen of Augsburg recorded that he had drunk 3 litres of beer and eaten 2 rolls and a sausage at a cost of 12 kreuzer and 2 heller; and lost 59 kreuzer and 2 heller playing Rumpelspiel. [5]
A very similar game, Quodlibet, has been played since at least 1845, particularly in student circles as a drinking game. In a 400th anniversary magazine for the University of Tübingen that year, students from Mainz describe the rules for Quodlibet. [3] Mala states that Rumpel is a relic of the Ottoman Wars. [2] Rumpel was apparently being played in Erlangen as early as the 1850s because it is mentioned as one of the games, along with Tarock and Skat, that had "long since superseded Schlauch" around that time. [6]
In 1882, Rost published a treatise on Rumpel, equating it with Quodlibet, and listing twenty contracts from which typically the first ten plus one or two from the second ten were actually played. Writing in Nuremberg, Bavaria, he says that the game "has had a great reception in all social circles." [7]
In 1890, we read of a Rumpel competition taking place in a pub in Griesbach near Passau, alongside the game of Grasobern. There were prizes: one each for apparently different games or contracts, known as Naturrumpeln, Generalquarte and Mach-Rumpeln, as well as for the most and fewest Stangen (marks) and for each team which finished first. [8]
However, as a student game, Rumpel was introduced to Hauzenberg in the 1970s by teacher, Karl Rothdauscher, who worked there for 31 years. [9] The name of the game in Hauzenberg is derived from the special contract of Rumpel. A game of Rumpel consists of a sequence of eight individual contracts. In special cases there are also the special contracts of Quart and even Rumpel.
The aim of Rumpel is to score as few penalty points as possible. [3]
Rost says that Rumpel or Quodlibet comprises twenty contracts, but there are numerous options to choose from and he has only listed the twenty most common. In most cases only his first ten are used, but sometimes a contract from his second series is swapped for one in the first series. His rules assume some prior knowledge. Nevertheless we are told that there are always four active players and up to seven may participate. A 32-card German-suited pack is used. Except where stated, players are dealt 8 cards, forehand leads to the first trick and players must follow suit if able, otherwise may play any card. Scoring is entirely in minus points. The contracts are: [7]
There was an elaborate method for turning scores into payments for the drinks bill.
Rumpel is played today in the county of Passau using a pack of 36 Bavarian pattern cards by four to nine players. [b] Each of them completes four rounds that are known as 'kingdoms' (Königreiche). [3]
In each contract, players must follow suit ( Farbzwang) but do not have to win the trick (i.e. no Stichzwang). Only penalty points are recorded. The contracts in each kingdom, together with their individual objectives, are as follows: [3]
Rumpel: This special bonus is claimed if anyone has a hand with all the cards from seven to ace. Obers may be used as wild cards. Rumpel scores up to 60 penalty points.
Matthias Mala describes rules for "Großer Rumpel" in his 2004 compendium, published in Munich. This game is simply four-hand Rumpel with a pack of 32 Bavarian pattern cards, [c] but with eight or twelve contracts selected from a field of twenty-nine. These include all the above with the exception of Greteln. However, Manderlspiel is known as Plus, Eins-Zwei-Drei as Progress and Fressen as Fessare. In many of the contracts, if a player fully achieves the opposite aim, the remainder lose and incur penalty points. All the contracts can be played as individual games; indeed Grün-Ober and Bierkopf (Kappa in this list) are traditional Bavarian games. The remaining contracts comprise the following: [10]