Bavarian Tarock

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Card values and ranking
3. Setup and deal
4. Bidding
5. The play
6. Scoring and the Haferl
7. Strategy tips

Overview

Bavarian Tarock (Bayerisches Tarock, often called Haferltarock) is the traditional three-player point-trick game of Bavarian taverns. Despite its name, it does not use a true Tarot pack; in the 18th century, Bavarian card players adapted the structure of Grosstarock to their standard 36-card German pack.

One soloist bids to take on the other two players in partnership. The goal is to capture at least 61 of the 120 card points under strict trick-taking rules: players must follow suit, trump when void, and head the trick whenever possible.

• Players: 3 active players. If 4 play, the dealer sits out each hand in turn.
• You need: a 36-card German-suited deck (Bavarian pattern with Acorns, Leaves, Hearts, and Bells) or a standard deck stripped to 6 through Ace (no 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, or jokers). Chips or counters and a cup or pot (Haferl) for scoring.

Card values and ranking

Cards rank in the classic Ace-Ten order, with the Ten sitting directly below the Ace:

Ace / Daus (11) – Ten (10) – King (4) – Ober / Queen (3) – Unter / Jack (2) – 9 (0) – 8 (0) – 7 (0) – 6 (0)

Cards 9, 8, 7, and 6 carry no card points and are called Spatzen ("sparrows").

Each of the four suits holds 30 points, making 120 card points in total. The soloist must win at least 61 points to succeed; a 60–60 tie is a loss for the soloist.

Setup and deal

1. The player to the dealer's left is forehand (Vorhand), followed by middlehand (Mittelhand), with the dealer acting as rearhand (Hinterhand). The deal passes clockwise after each hand.
2. The dealer shuffles, the player to the right cuts, and cards are dealt in packets: 4 cards to each player, 3 cards face down to the table (the Stock or Gstaat), then 3 cards to each player, then 4 cards to each player. Everyone holds 11 cards.

Bidding

Starting with forehand, players speak in turn clockwise to determine who becomes the soloist:

1. Stockspiel (Aufnahme / Frage-Spiel): The bidder offers to take the 3 cards of the Stock into hand, discard 3 cards face down into their own trick pile (which count for them at the end, but no trumps may be discarded), and name a trump suit. In traditional Bavarian pub play (Herz-Neischaugn), Hearts is the compulsory trump whenever the Stock is taken. Worth 1 base unit.
2. Solo (Handspiel): The bidder offers to play without looking at the Stock. The Stock is placed unseen into the soloist's trick pile at the end. The soloist chooses any suit as trump (or Hearts for a higher game). Worth 2 base units (or 3 base units for Hearts Solo).
3. Bettel (Misère): A bid to win no tricks at all. There are no trumps, and the Ten drops to its natural rank below the Unter/Jack (A – K – O – U – 10 – 9 – 8 – 7 – 6). Worth 4 base units.

A higher contract outbids a lower one (Solo beats Stock; Hearts Solo beats regular Solo; Bettel beats all). If two players want the same contract, earlier position in bidding order has priority. If everyone passes, cards are thrown in and the next dealer deals.

The play

Forehand leads to the first trick. Trick play is governed by strict Bavarian rules:

1. Must follow suit (Farbzwang): You must play a card of the suit led if you hold one.
2. Must trump (Trumpfzwang): If you are void in the led suit, you must play a trump if you hold any.
3. Must head the trick (Stichzwang): You must beat the highest card played so far if able. If following suit, you must play a higher card of that suit if possible. If trumping, you must play a higher trump than any already played if possible.
4. Only if you cannot follow suit and have no trumps may you discard any card.

The trick is won by the highest trump played, or by the highest card of the led suit if no trumps were played. The winner of the trick collects the cards and leads to the next trick.

Scoring and the Haferl

At the start of the game, each player pays a stake into the pot (Haferl):

• Stockspiel: If the soloist wins (61+ points), they collect 1 base unit from the Haferl (or 1 from each defender). If they lose, they pay 1 base unit to each defender and 1 into the Haferl.
• Hand / Solo: Paid directly between players without touching the Haferl. If won, each defender pays the soloist (2 units for Solo, 3 for Hearts Solo, 4 for Bettel). If lost, the soloist pays that amount to each defender.
• Schneider bonus (+1 unit): Won if the losing side takes fewer than 30 points.
• Schwarz bonus (+1 unit): Won if the soloist captures all 11 tricks (Matsch).

Strategy tips

• Track the Tens and Aces: With 84 of the 120 points concentrated in the Aces and Tens, every trick containing an Ace or Ten is crucial.
• Respect Stichzwang: Because you must beat cards if able, defenders can force the soloist to spend high trumps early by leading through them.
• Discard safely: In a Stockspiel, discard high non-trump counters (like Tens and Kings of short suits) so they are safely stored in your point pile.