How to Play the Card Game Watten
Watten is a classic German card game played throughout much of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the nearby Southern Tyrolean region. The most common version of this game, sometimes known as Bavarian Watten, is designed for four players playing in two partnerships consisting of two players each. See the variations section below for rules for various other forms of the game. Most forms of Watten are traditionally played with the German suited deck. This German pack is a deck consisting of 32 cards in four suits; Acorns, Leaves, Hearts and Bells. In each of these suits, there is one card in each of the following ranks: 7, 8, 9, 10, Unter (Jack), Ober (Queen), King, and Ace.

If such a German deck is not currently at hand, a standard French suited deck can also be used to play the game, with certain cards removed. To thus create such a deck, all cards of rank lower than seven should be removed from a standard 52 card French deck. Since the suits in this deck are mostly different, these suit substitutions would be Spades (Leaves), Diamonds (Bells), Hearts (Hearts), and Clubs (Acorns). The cards as used in this game have a very specific ranking which can also vary based on which suit is the designated trump suit for the hand. This game actually features both a trump suit and a trump rank which are determined by the first two players in the hand (to be described later). The following describes the specific ranking of the cards in the game. Example of card ranking in Watten Determination of partnerships, seating positions and first dealer can be performed in a number of ways, with a draw for high cards a common method. The players drawing the two highest cards would play as partners against the players drawing the two lowest. The players would also take seats in the order of cards drawn, however, each player must sit directly across the table from his partner. The player drawing the highest card of all is set as the first dealer.

The designated dealer for the hand would thoroughly shuffle deck and then offer it to the player at his immediate right. This player, would then cut the cards, and in doing so is entitled to look at the bottom card of the top stack from the cut. If this card is any of the three Criticals he may then take that card, to later be part of his hand. He then passes both cut portions of the deck back to the dealer. In the case the bottom card from the cut portion of the deck was any of the Criticals (and taken by the cutter of the cards), the dealer is then entitled to look at the next card from that stack. If this card is also any of the Criticals, the dealer may take it, to later be formed into his hand. In the event that next card was also a Critical (and taken by the dealer), the cutting player may again look at the current bottom card of that stack, and if this too is a Critical, he may take it, which will be considered part of his hand. Once the bottom card is no longer a critical, the dealer then completes the cut and prepares to deal the hand. The cutter or the dealer may opt to not take the card exposed if a critical, and if this occurs, the cut is immediately completed with neither player entitled any additional cards from the stack. In addition, since the players do not show the card they take from the cut portion of the deck, the cutting player may actually take a card which is not actually one of the three Criticals. However, if this is discovered by that player playing out all five cards from his hand and not found to have any Criticals in that hand, his team must subtract 2 points from it's current score as a penalty.

After the deck is returned to the dealer he then begins dealing out the cards to the players. He deals the cards in a clockwise direction, starting with the player to his right. He first deals a packet of three face-down cards to each player in rotation and then a packet of two, such that each player receives a total of five cards. If the dealer and/or the cutter already have one or two cards (from during the cutting procedure), those players would receive fewer cards in the first dealt packet, to ensure each player has exactly five cards to form the hand. The remaining cards from the deck are then placed aside, out of play for that hand. Players should not yet pick up their hands as dealt.

After the deal, the dealer and the player at his immediate left (called forehand) pick up their hands, but the other two players leave their hands face-down on the table. The forehand player then, after reviewing his hand announces which rank of cards will be the designated trump rank for the hand (called schlag). After the forehand player has announced the trump rank to be used for the hand, the dealer then, after examining his own hand, announces the trump suit to be used for the hand. Either of these players, if unsatisfied with his dealt hand may request a redeal, but only amongst these two players. If the other player also agrees, those two players discard their cards which are shuffled in with the undealt cards, and each of those players is dealt five replacement cards. If neither of these players requests a redeal, or one refuses, the cards are played as dealt. Another option available for the forehand player is to offer a Striker Swap. This is an offer by that player to swap the option of choosing the trump rank and suit amongst these two players. If accepted, the dealer then first chooses the trump rank (Schlag) and the forehand player selects the trump suit for the hand. This swapping is called Schlagwechsel. If the dealer refuses, the normal procedure is used for selection of the trump rank and suit. After both the trump rank and then the trump suit have been announced, the remaining two players can then pick up their hands as well.

After the trump rank and suit have been selected, play of the hand can begin. The forehand player is entitled to play the first card to the first trick, and each other player than plays one card to the same trick in a clockwise direction around the table. The leader to a trick, as well as each other player can play any card still remaining in the hand to the trick, regardless of the suit or rank of card that was played to the trick.

Trumpf oder Kritisch play The once exception to this rule is if the card of the trump suit and rank (Hauptschlag) is the lead card to the first trick of the hand. In that singular case, the player of that lead card may (but is not obliged to) call "Trumpf oder Kritisch" which then requires that each other player must play either one of the three permanent trump cards, or a card from the designated trump suit, if able. If the player does not have such a card they can play any card to that trick as usual. In addition, if another player (but not the leader to the trick) beats the lead card, the remaining players to that trick are no longer obligated to play a specific card to that trick.

After each player has played one card to the trick in turn, it is determined who won that trick. The player of the highest card from the trump suit (as per the ranking described above) wins the trick. If no cards of the trump suit have been played to the trick, it is won by the highest card in the suit originally led to the trick. In the case in which multiple Strikers (but not the Chief Striker) were played a trick, the first played of that same rank is considered the highest. After determining who won the trick, the cards from the trick are set aside out of play and the winner of the trick leads the first card to the next trick.

Once one team has managed to win three tricks, the hand immediately ends with the team winning these three tricks winning that hand and earning two points. However, during play of the hand either team also has the option to challenge the opposing team. This can occur any time from the moment after the trump rank and suit are announced to the completion of the last trick. A team does this by stating "Go". This immediately and temporarily pauses the hand, while the opposing team then can decide if they want to accept the challenge. Accepting, indicates that team agrees to increase the points awarded to the winning team on that hand by one point (to a total of three), and the game then continues as before. If the opposing team denies or refuses the challenge, play immediately stops and the challenging team earns two points for that hand.

After such a challenge is accepted, the accepting team can then, immediately thereafter or later during that same hand, also offer a challenge, offering to increase the scores for that again by one additional point. If accepted the hand continues, with the increased number of points awarded to the winner of that hand. If refused, play of that hand immediately stops and the challengers earn a number of points for that hand equal to those from the last accepted challenge. This increasing can continue almost indefinitely, however, the challenges must come from alternating teams (the same team can never make two consecutive challenges until the opponents were to make a challenge on that same hand). As noted, upon announcement of a challenge the game should immediately stop. If the opponents of the challenging team continue to play, that is construed as acceptance of the challenge.

As before, with one or more challenges that are accepted, the first team to win five tricks is declared the winner, earning the corresponding number of points (either two or the final value of the last accepted challenge).

If a team currently has a game score higher than 8, that team can no longer propose challenges, although they may, of course accept a challenge by the opposing team.

The first team to score 11 or more total points over the course of multiple hands is declared the winner of the game.

As in various other games of this type, players signaling to their partners is an accepted and common practice in Watten. The allowable signals at the game should be clearly understood by all four players. The following are some of the commonly accepted signals used in the game of Bavarian Watten:

                     
Variations and Optional Rules

Two Player Bavarian Watten: Bavarian Watten, as described above can also easily be adapted for play by two participants. The game is played identically to the standard game, with the opponent of the dealer first selecting the trump rank and the dealer then selecting the trump suit. Other than the fewer number of players, the game is played identically to the four player partnership variant described above.

Three Player Bavarian Watten: Bavarian Watten is also sometimes played as a three player game. In the three player variant, the forehand player, after reviewing his hand, is entitled to select both the trump rank and the trump suit. The other two players then form a temporary team, for that hand, playing against the player who has selected the trump rank and suit. If the announcing player manages to win the hand, he earns the appropriate number of points. If the temporary team manages to win the hand, each member of that team individually earns that number of points. Each player keeps an individual score, and the first player to accumulate a total of 11 or more points is declared the overall game winner. Other than these differences, the three player variant is played the same as the standard partnership variant of Watten.

Tyrolean Watten: Tyrolean Watten is a variant of Watten, played primarily in the Tyrol region of Austria, but also making the basis for several other variants of Watten widely played. Tyrolean Watten is played identically to standard Bavarian Watten with the following differences: Other than these differences the Tyrolean variant of Watten is played identically to the Bavarian version.

Blind Watten: Blind Watten (also known as Ladinisch Watten) has recently risen in popularity and is thus becoming one of the more popular versions of Watten currently played. This game has several unique features that are helping make this one of the favored versions of Watten. It is played identically to Bavarian Watten as described above, with the following differences: In all other aspects Blind Watten is played identically to standard Bavarian Watten.

Bohemian Watten: Although this game includes the name Watten and does have some similarities to other forms of Watten, this game is really more akin to the games in the Ramsen family and is thus described on the Bohemian Watten section on the Ramsen card game rules page.

Copyright © 2015 CatsAtCards.com. All rights reserved.
[Main][Site Map][Glossary][Copyright Page]