Info on Danish card game
Elizabeth H Bonesteel
My SO's parents taught us a card game last weekend that they say originated
in Denmark. I'm curious if anyone else knows anything about it (and might
maybe have some written rules!).
The general rules are as follows:
- 4 players
- Deck consists of 7s, and 9-A in each suit
- Card rankings are:
Queen of clubs
Seven of trump
Queen of spades
Jack of clubs
Jack of spades
Jack of hearts
Jack of diamonds
trump suit in order
all other suits in order
- Each player bids once, a number not a suit, indicating
how many trump he or she is holding (i.e. 3, 5, 7). There
are a number of special bids, including "Solo", in which
the bidder's partner doesn't play.
- Once the bidding is completed, the declarer names the trump
suit and must capture four of the seven tricks (regardless of
the number bid).
The name of the game was (phonetically, forgive me!) Servintzel.
Ring any bells with anyone?
Thanks,
Liz
--
li...@world.std.com
Web Page In Embryo: http://world.std.com/~lizb/oasis.html
Robert S Kissel
The name, "servintzel" is ringing a bell... I had some correspondence with
Thierry Depaulis, of Paris, some years ago, concerning that curious word,
which we find in other forms, such as "sharventzel" (so pronounced).
The game you're describing seems to be related to a family of games that
were once played in Germany, mostly, and seem to be vaguely related to
Ombre, in that an attempt has been made to mimic the structure of the
Ombre trump suit.
A very similar game was described, under the name "Solo (Ombre)" by
Morehead & Mott-Smith, in their "Culbertson's Hoyle" (New York: Greystone
Press, 1950), pp. 330 & ff. Unfortunately, they give very little clue as
to their informants or sources, saying only that it became popular during
the mid-19th century.
The game in Culbertson's Hoyle does NOT promote the four Jacks--only the
two black queens and the trump 7, modelled on "spadillo," "manillo," and
"basto" in Spanish Hombre. The promotion of the four jacks, as well,
betrays a German origin, as there are a number of German regional games in
which the four jacks, as well as two or four Queens, are promoted in this
way.
The NAME of this game will be of considerable interest to Thierry and
other researchers, as well as a thorough account, and, if possible, as
much information as your companion's parents can provide about how and
when THEY learned the game, as well as any Danish terminology they can
remember. If they have any information as to the geographical area where
players practice this game, or used to practice it, I'm sure we'd all like
to track this as well.
I attach your original post for reference, in case readers missed it:
Elizabeth H Bonesteel (li...@world.std.com) wrote:
: My SO's parents taught us a card game last weekend that they say originated
John McLeod
Elizabeth H Bonesteel <li...@world.std.com> wrote:
>My SO's parents taught us a card game last weekend that they say originated
>in Denmark. I'm curious if anyone else knows anything about it (and might
>maybe have some written rules!).
<summary of rules snipped>
>
>The name of the game was (phonetically, forgive me!) Servintzel.
>
>Ring any bells with anyone?
>
It must be Skaervindsel. I have a found brief description of this game
in "Spillebog for Hus, Hjem og Kro" by Sigrfed Pedersen (Copenhagen
1973).
This description agrees with what you said on card ranking, bidding,
etc, but is not detailed enough to be of any further use.
I will try to find out more. Alternatively, if you can get a full
decsription from your Danish contacts I will be happy to publish it in
the Card Games site.
--
John McLeod jo...@pagat.demon.co.uk 10011...@compuserve.com
For information on card games visit http://www.netlink.co.uk/users/pagat/
Thierry Depaulis
In article (Dans l'article) <Dwsuv...@world.std.com>, li...@world.std.com
(Elizabeth H Bonesteel) wrote (écrivait) :
> My SO's parents taught us a card game last weekend that they say originated
> in Denmark. I'm curious if anyone else knows anything about it (and might
> maybe have some written rules!).
>
> The general rules are as follows:
>
<summary of rules snipped>
>
> The name of the game was (phonetically, forgive me!) Servintzel.
>
> Ring any bells with anyone?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Liz
It is Skaervindsel. It is briefly dealt with in D. Parlett's Oxford Guide
to Card Games (=A History of Playing-Card), ed. 1990, p.270-1, where he
says that the game "bears material ressemblances to Schafkopf", but that
"its plain-trick nature and trump Seven feature (compare German Solo) make
it an equally obvious derivative of Hombre."
I have come across an 18th-century German card game called Scharwenzel
(1st mentioned in 1672: see Grimm's Deutsches Woerterbuch) and a Dutch
game called Scharwenselen, which must be the same game (1st mention 1716).
The only feature which I can trace from the German sources is that it is a
trick-taking game where the jacks have a decisive role... At the end of
the 18th century, the 4 jacks were promoted as permanent top trumps, under
the name of "Wenzel". The link with the Schafkopf / Skat group is obvious,
and that may lead to the conclusion that Scharwenzel is a (lost)
forerunner of Schafkopf, i.e. of Skat.
The Dutch sources are more informative. There are some indications in
Nicolaas Struyck's "Uytreekening der kanssen in het speelen door de
arithmetica en algebra" (Amsterdam, 1716), with many examples how to apply
the (new) probability theory to the game of "scharwenselen". Although the
rules are not explicitly given (they are supposed to be popular enough), I
can deduce:
- Scharwenselen is a game for three and exists in two forms: with 36 cards
or with 40 cards (called "wilde scharwenselen");
- it is a trick-taking game with trumps, where the turned-up card
determines trump; there is no mention of any points (but this is not
clear);
- with 36 cards, each player is dealt 10 cards, leaving a stock of 6; the
players may change their cards;
- to win, a player must take at least 5 tricks;
- 2 jacks are promoted as top trumps: "laage boer" (low Jack) and "hooge
boer" (high Jack)
- ranking is, from top: "hooge boer", "laage boer", Ace, King, Queen
- the player who loses is "beest" (see French "faire la bete")
- at "Wilde scharwenselen" (40 cards), the first player may say "Pass" and
is not forced to accept the turned-up trump (an elementary form of
bidding).
This is what I can say of this 18-century lost game. The Danish game of
Skaervindsel must be related, but it is obvious that it has been loaded
with new features in the process of its evolution. I would be interesting
to know more on the history of Danish Skaervindsel. More information on
German Scharwenzel and Dutch Scharwenselen (Schrevenselen, Scharwenseltje,
etc.) are welcome.
Thierry Depaulis
depa...@club-internet.fr