Brandeln

Full rules

1. Overview
2. Card values and ranking
3. Setup and deal
4. Bidding
5. The play
6. Scoring and settlement

Overview

Brandeln (historically also called Stichbrändeln, Brandl, or Brändeln) is a classic Austrian trick-taking card game dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries. Highly popular in Salzburg during the era of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart—who was an enthusiastic player—the game is praised by card historians as a refined and clever pub game. Today it is still actively played across Lower Austria, Styria, and Carinthia.

Brandeln is a plain-trick game (Stichspiel): card points do not exist, and rounds are decided entirely by whether the soloist wins the exact number of tricks bid. One soloist bids for the right to name the trump suit (or play without trumps) and plays against the three defenders. Play is governed by strict rules requiring players to follow suit, head the trick, and trump when void.

• Players: 4 players (can also be played with 3).
• You need: a 28-card deck created by removing all four 8s from a standard 32-card German- or French-suited pack (7 through Ace, no 2s–6s or 8s). Chips or counters for scoring.

Card values and ranking

Brandeln features an idiosyncratic trump hierarchy in which the Jack and the Seven are elevated to the highest ranks:

• In the trump suit (high to low): Jack / Unter – 7 – Ace – King – Queen / Ober – 10 – 9
• In non-trump suits (plain suits, high to low): Ace – King – Queen / Ober – Jack / Unter – 10 – 9 – 7

Cards carry no point values. Only the number of tricks captured counts.

Setup and deal

1. Players draw for seats, and the first dealer is chosen by high card. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand.
2. The player to the dealer's left is forehand (Vorhand).
3. The dealer shuffles, the player to the right cuts, and the dealer distributes all 28 cards clockwise in packets of 2, then 3, then 2. Each of the four players holds 7 cards. There is no talon or stock.

Bidding

Bidding proceeds clockwise, starting with forehand. Each player in turn may either pass or make a higher contract bid:

1. Brandle (Brändl): The soloist commits to win at least 3 tricks with trumps. Worth 3 points.
2. Brand (Bränd): The soloist commits to win at least 4 tricks with trumps. Worth 4 points.
3. Bettel: The soloist commits to win zero tricks. There are no trumps. If the soloist wins even a single trick, the contract fails immediately. Worth 6 points.
4. Mord: The soloist commits to win all 7 tricks with trumps. If the defenders win any trick, the contract fails immediately. Worth 12 points.
5. Herrenmord: The soloist commits to win all 7 tricks without trumps (no trump suit). Worth 18 points.

Earlier players in bidding order have positional priority: if a later player bids a higher contract, an earlier bidder may hold ("Halte ich" or "Selbst") to retain the contract.

If all four players pass without bidding, forehand is typically compelled to play a basic 3-trick Brandle (Muss-Spiel). Alternatively, all players pay 1 chip to a communal pool (Haferl) and the deal passes.

The highest bidder becomes the soloist (Alleinspieler) and plays alone against the three defenders.

The play

The soloist names the trump suit (except in Bettel and Herrenmord, where there are no trumps) and leads to the first trick. Trick play is governed by strict Bavarian-Austrian rules:

1. Must follow suit (Farbzwang): You must play a card of the suit led if you hold one.
2. Must head the trick (Stichzwang): When following suit, you must beat the highest card currently in the trick if able.
3. Must trump (Trumpfzwang): If you are void in the suit led, you must play a trump if you hold one. If another player has already trumped, you must overtrump if able.
4. Only if you cannot follow suit and have no trumps may you discard any off-suit card.

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

Scoring and settlement

Once all 7 tricks are played, the outcome is settled directly between the soloist and the defenders:

• Soloist makes contract: Each of the 3 defenders pays the game value to the soloist (e.g. winning a Brandle yields $3 \times 3 = 9$ points).
• Soloist fails contract: The soloist pays the game value to each of the 3 defenders (e.g. failing a Brandle costs $3 \times 3 = 9$ points).
• Overtricks do not yield extra payment, and undertricks do not increase penalties; settlement is strictly based on the contract value.