European Card Games 101
Host a party or workshop today!
Host a party or workshop today!
As stated on the home page of this site, The Cleveland Card Game Players (CCGP) is a local educational and social organization of which membership is made available to the Cleveland area public by TaroBear's Lair, North America's premier distributor of European regional playing cards and accessories. To further promote Europe's classic card games among the Cleveland area public, Gary Brunger, Owner of TaroBear's Lair and Organizer of the CCGP, is now making himself available as an "instructor for hire" to formally teach small to medium groups of students some of these fine games. Individuals who believe that they and their friends, family members, church youth group, foreign language class, or other organized group would enjoy attending a party or workshop centered around learning one (or in some cases, two) of these games may contact Mr. Brunger by filling out and submitting an online request form to initiate the process of getting one scheduled. You will receive an email or phone reply within two business days to discuss scheduling options.
The price for each party or workshop will vary, but will be set to include the following items:
The price for each party or workshop will vary, but will be set to include the following items:
- The party or workshop itself, where the instructor will spend about three hours with your group, sharing his knowledge of the game and helping to give you a basic foundation on which you can continue to build. You will concentrate on learning the rules, plus some very basic points of strategy. Advanced strategies are something that will be learned in time with continued play, and are often unique to the individual.
- For each attendee, a brand new deck of cards appropriate for the game being featured.
- For each attendee, a set of printed rules and "cheat sheets".
- At our discretion, package may possibly include a punch card good for five prepaid admission fees to events hosted by the CCGP.
- Scopa & Briscola: Two Italian card games whose rules are easy to learn, while offering a good amount of opportunity for skillful play. These games are often spoken of as a pair when discussing Italian card games, and they are without a doubt the first two Italian games that a new student should learn. Scopa is a game belonging to the "fishing" category, while Briscola is a trick-taking game. Because these games are easy to learn, they make an excellent introduction to European card games in general.
- Schafkopf: The national card game of Bavaria has proven to be one of the most popular games played by the CCGP. This is the original trick-taking game that was transformed into its American counterpart, Sheepshead, by German settlers in Wisconsin, where the game has changed greatly. The American game is not taught in this party or workshop, but once you have mastered the original Bavarian game, American Sheepshead will probably be very easy for you to pick up on your own at a later time.
- Jeu de Tarot: A French trick-taking game played with a special seventy-eight card French-suited Tarot deck. These are not to be confused with modern "fortune-telling" card decks. They are, in fact, very similar to a regular American deck of playing cards, but with a fifth suit (permanent trump suit) added to the regular four. Currently the second most popular card game in France, this game has been gaining popularity in other countries, including the US, in recent years. Though its rules are easy to learn, this game will continue to challenge you for years to come! You should be warned of the probability of addiction to this game. Once you learn it, you may simply not be able to stop playing! It is, and always has been, the most popular game in the CCGP!
- Tute: One of the most popular trick-taking card games of Spain. There are several variations of this game, for different numbers of players. Rules for several of them are included in this party or workshop.
- Tapp Tarock: An Austrian trick-taking game, played with a fifty-four-card Tarock deck. Tarock games are very popular in the central European countries of Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Slovenia, Romania, and the Czech Republic, and Tapp Tarock is an excellent introduction to them. Once you have it mastered, you may decide to explore some other, more complex, Tarock games, either on your own or with the CCGP.
- Jass: The Jass family of trick-taking games is extremely popular throughout Switzerland. It is very common for people in Switzerland to carry a Jass deck with them at all times, so as to be ready to play a few hands whenever possible. The current Jass party or workshop covers the four-player variation known as Schieber Jass (currently the most popular form).