Discover Mariasch: A Captivating Card Game from Central Europe

Mariasch is a popular card game played for money, usually by three or four players. It exists in two main forms: the chosen and bid Mariasch, or a simplified, so-called "drawn" Mariasch for two players.

Introduction

Mariasch is a traditional card game with roots in Central Europe, particularly popular in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, and parts of Germany. While it might be unfamiliar to players in other parts of the world, Mariasch offers a unique and engaging experience for anyone interested in learning a new card game.

The name "Mariasch" comes from the French word "mariage," meaning "marriage." This refers to a specific combination of cards – the Ober (Queen) and King of the same suit – which forms a valuable meld in the game. Although the name has French origins, the game itself evolved in the German-speaking regions during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Mariasch combines elements of strategy, risk-taking, and social interaction. Players compete to score points, fulfill commitments, and outsmart their opponents through clever card play and strategic betting. The game offers a variety of game types and betting options, adding depth and excitement to each hand.

For players seeking a fresh and intriguing card game, Mariasch provides an excellent opportunity to explore a lesser-known gem from the heart of Europe. Whether you're a seasoned card player or new to the world of traditional games, Mariasch promises hours of entertainment and a chance to discover a fascinating piece of gaming culture. Dive in and learn the rules, and you might just find your new favorite pastime!

Cards in Mariasch

Mariasch is played with a deck of 32 German-suited cards (acorns, leaves/green, hearts/red, bells/balls). The cards have values of 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – Unter (lower knave) – Ober (upper knave) – King – Ace. The game originated in Germany at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries, but its name comes from the French game (and word) mariage, which translates to "marriage". This word, in Czech Mariasch, refers to the so-called meld (more below), which is formed by the Queen (Ober) and King of the same suit in one player's hand. Note that in French cards, the Jack (J) is in place of the Unter, and the Queen (Q) is in place of the Ober, the King (K) remains the King. When playing Mariasch with German cards, also known as "Mariaschky", the meld consists of the Ober and King.

Rules of Mariasch, Goal of the Game

In Mariasch, players are divided into two opposing sides, who compete to score more points or to successfully complete the chosen game type or commitment. The ability to take on a commitment, and thus risk succeeding or failing, makes the game very interesting. Furthermore, in the most popular chosen (and bid) Mariasch, the charm lies in the fact that one player (the actor) plays alone against two players playing together (the defenders). The roles alternate after each game.

There are two basic rules in Mariasch: follow suit and overtrump. The player must follow the suit that was initially led, and must also overtrump if they have a higher card in hand. If they do not have a higher card in the suit led, they can discard any card in the suit led. If they do not have the suit at all, they must play a trump card (and possibly overtrump the previous player's trump card). If they have neither the led suit nor any trumps, they can discard any card.

Game Variants

The basic variants of Mariasch are chosen Mariasch and bid Mariasch, designed for three players who directly participate in the game. Chosen and bid Mariasch can also be played with four players, but one player always sits out (the one who played alone previously).

Player Designations, Shuffling, Gameplay

In Mariasch, players are designated from the dealer's perspective. The player to the left is the forehand, the player to the right is the rearhand. Mariasch is a game where roles alternate. After the game is played, the roles rotate clockwise, meaning the forehand becomes the dealer, etc.

The cards in Mariasch are shuffled only at the beginning of the game. Shuffling the cards during the game is considered a violation of the rules, a so-called renounce, which carries a penalty. Stacks of cards that lie on the table after the round has been played can only be collected by the new dealer. The dealer stacks the cards on top of each other (without shuffling them) and asks the rearhand to cut the deck. The rearhand must cut at least two cards from the top or bottom of the stack and, of course, must not count them in any way.

As mentioned above, the opposing sides in Mariasch compete to gain more points. The point cards are tens and aces – the player (or side) who takes them in a trick gets 10 points for each ten or ace. Ten points are also awarded to the player who wins the last trick (sometimes called ultimo). Therefore, each game is always played for a minimum of 90 points (4 aces, 4 tens, 1 last trick).

Points can also be earned for the previously mentioned melds – "Mariasch", after which the game is named. A meld is when a player holds the Ober and King of the same suit in their hand. The trump meld is worth 40 points, while melds in other suits are worth 20 points. Therefore, a maximum of 190 points can be scored in one game (4 aces, 4 tens, 1 last trick at 10 points each + trump meld for 40 points + 3 melds in other suits at 20 points each = 190 points).

Announcing a meld is done by placing one of the cards (Ober or King) face up on the player's tricks (won piles). It is treated as if this card was discarded on the table. The player discards the second card from the meld normally at any time during the game.

The hierarchical order of cards in a regular Mariasch game is as follows: 7 – 8 – 9 – Unter – Ober – King – 10 – Ace. The ten, as a point card, is the second strongest card after the ace. The strength of the other cards is classic.

In the, let's say, supplementary games of Mariasch, such as Betl (Small) or Durch (Grand), which will be discussed below, the order of the cards is completely classic: 7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – Unter – Ober – King – Ace. In Betl and Durch, the game is not played for points, and therefore the ten has its usual value.

In Mariasch, there are several types of games, listed in the table below. Games are ranked according to how difficult they are to achieve. The player, which is what makes the game interesting, can commit to achieving a higher-level game. The stakes logically increase accordingly. The word "better" characterizes the game when trumps are in the heart (red) suit – the bet is double compared to other suits, otherwise the essence of the game remains exactly the same.

Mariasch is played for money. This adds more flair and seriousness to the game than if it were played only for points. Players can agree on any basic stake/rate at the beginning of the game. For example, if they were playing a "crown" Mariasch, the rate for the game would be 1 CZK, for a better game 2 CZK, etc. – see the table above. Most often, a so-called "twenty-heller" Mariasch is played in tournaments, the rate for the game is then 1 × 0.20 CZK, for a better game 2 × 0.20 = 0.40 CZK, etc.

Game

In the game, the sides simply compete to score more points. As mentioned, points are scored by the player (side) who collects a point card in the trick. These are aces and tens (for 10 points), and 10 points can also be scored by collecting the last trick (ultima), and points can be increased using melds (trump meld for 40 points, non-trump meld for 20 points). The side with more points at the end of the game wins.

With the help of melds, one side may be able to score a hundred or more points, and then we talk about a so-called silent or unannounced hundred. For a silent hundred, the winning side receives double the stake for which the game was played, and for each ten above a hundred, again double the stake.

In addition, a so-called silent seven can be achieved if the player takes the last trick with the trump seven (which they did not announce). They are then entitled to payment for the silent seven. Conversely, if they were forced to play the seven in the last trick and did not win it, they would have to pay it (or their teammate) – killed seven.

Seven

A player who announces seven commits to taking the last trick with the trump seven and also winning the game, i.e., scoring more points than the opposing side. The seven and the game are doubled separately. For example, the player announces seven, but the opposing side doubles the game, doubles the seven, or doubles both.

The commitment to achieve seven is not fulfilled if the player who announced it is forced to play the trump seven earlier than in the last trick, or if the opposing side has any trump in the last trick that overtrumps the seven, as the weakest trump card.

A player who wants to play seven or better seven must have the seven in hand. Without it, seven cannot be announced. Seven is usually announced by the actor if they have enough trumps (or generally good cards) and the seven in hand. If they do not have the seven, they may, however, be faced with an announced seven against from the defenders.

Hundred

Hundred means a commitment by the player (or side) to score at least 100 points. It is important to remember that only one meld is included in this number. If the player (side) has a trump meld (for 40 points), they must score at least 60 points out of a possible 90 (reminder: 4 aces, 4 tens, 1 last trick). If the player (side) has only a meld in a non-trump suit (for 20 points), they must score at least 80 points (8 "tens").

It also logically follows that the defense wins if it manages to score at least 40 points when playing with a trump meld (the opposing side would have a maximum of 50 points + 40 points for the meld = max. 90 points = unfulfilled hundred), or at least 20 points when playing with a meld in another suit (the opposing side would have a maximum of 70 points + 20 points for the meld = max. 90 points = unfulfilled hundred).

Hundred is usually announced by the actor if they have enough trumps (or otherwise good cards). However, if they get weak cards, they may be faced with an announced hundred against from the defenders.

How the Hundred is Scored and Melds are Counted

Example 1 – Hundred Won

The player plays a hundred with a trump meld (for 40 points). They manage to score 80 points (out of a possible 90), meaning they scored 80 + 40 = 120 points. For the won hundred (and points scored above the hundred), they receive 3× the rate for the hundred from each opponent (1× rate for 100, 2× rate for 110, 3× rate for 120; the basic rate for the hundred is 4 times the basic stake; if, for example, a crown Mariasch was played, the winning player would thus receive 3 × 4 = 12 CZK – the bets will be discussed below).

Example 2 – Hundred Won with Two Melds (i.e., one extra counted)

The player again plays with a trump meld (for 40 points). They score 70 points, meaning they meet the conditions for achieving a hundred, as they scored 70 + 40 = 110 points, plus they announce another non-trump meld (for 20 points), meaning they score a total of 70 + 40 + 20 = 130 points. For the won game, they receive 4× the rate for the hundred from each opponent.

Example 3 – Hundred Lost

The player announces a hundred, playing with a non-trump meld (for 20 points). They score only 60 points (out of a possible 90), meaning they did not fulfill the "test" for the hundred, as they scored only 80 points. The defense also announced a non-trump meld themselves (for 20 points). What will the "settlement" of the game look like? The unearned points to the hundred are doubled and the melds are counted for the defense. The player therefore pays the defense 4× the rate for the hundred (90 points = 1×, 80 points = 2×, for the meld 3× and 4×).

Hundred and Seven

The player commits to scoring a hundred, taking the last trick with their trump seven. Both the hundred and the seven are doubled and evaluated separately. Unlike the seven, the hundred and seven can be announced even if the player does not have the trump seven in hand.

Betl (Small)

Betl is a commitment by the player not to take a single trick, while always leading. Betl is also referred to as "Small", precisely because the player usually decides on it if they have low cards (or do not have a certain suit at all). In Betl, the ten has its usual value, and trumps are not played. If the player takes even a single trick (for example, because the other players had lower cards or did not have the suit led), they lose.

Durch (Grand)

Durch is a commitment by the player to win all the tricks, while always leading. Again, trumps are not chosen and the ten has its usual value between the nine and the Unter. If the defenders take one trick from them, the game ends and the player loses. Durch can usually only be played with high cards, so it is sometimes called "Grand".

Two Sevens

As the name suggests, with this game the player commits to taking the last two tricks with sevens, as follows. For example, the player announces "Acorns trump, greens push" and it means that the penultimate trick the player takes with the pushing seven (green) and the last trick the player takes with the trump seven (acorn). The principle that the trump seven must come only at the end remains, similar to the "one" seven. The player loses if either seven is overtrumped or if they are forced to play the trump seven earlier than in the last trick. Two sevens are only played in bid Mariasch. Aces and tens must not be discarded into the talon.

Hundred and Two Sevens

Hundred and two sevens are the highest game in bid Mariasch. The player must fulfill both commitments, i.e., take the penultimate trick with the pushing seven, the last trick with the trump seven, and score at least one hundred points with one meld. Both parts of the game are doubled and counted separately.

Silent Seven and Killed (Silent) Seven

If a player takes the last trick with a trump seven that they did not announce themselves, they achieved a so-called silent seven and are entitled to the price of the silent seven. In the opposite case, if a player plays an (unannounced) trump seven in the last trick and is overtrumped by another player, they pay the price of the silent seven to the opposing side – killed seven.

Doubling and Accepting Bets

Doubling refers to raising the stakes in Mariasch, where each double represents a doubling of the rate of the announced game commitment. Doubling proceeds clockwise. A player must not announce a double before it is their turn – this is considered a violation of the rules, a so-called renounce.

A player who is in turn and does not want to double must announce "Good". If they want to raise the stakes, they announce "Double!" with a possible clarification of what they are doubling. In Mariasch, there are many synonyms for double. They have no special meaning, it is always just about doubling the stakes, for example: "Double! - Redouble! - Tutti! - Retutti! - Boots! - Shirt! - Pants!" etc. If only a regular game were played, the bet would increase in this case: 2 - 4 - 8 - 16 - 32 - 64 - 128…

Renounce

Renounce is a violation of the rules of Mariasch. A player who commits a renounce pays a penalty. The game is usually not finished, unless the injured party insists on it (it seems advantageous to them). The following is usually considered a violation of the rules - renounce:

• Failure to follow suit and overtrump.
• Shuffling the cards (except for shuffling at the very beginning of the game).
• Looking into the tricks (only the last trick can be looked into).
• Failure to comply with the order - when asking for a suit, when doubling, etc.
• Mistake when discarding into the talon.

Games That Are Not Played

In Mariasch, there are situations when the game is not played at all. Most often because the stakes are not raised (for example, the defenders do not double the game). Situations in which the game is not finished in Mariasch:

• folded game, for example, the player (the choosing player in chosen Mariasch) offers to pay the game directly and the defenders accept it;
• game without a double - the defenders do not double (instead they announce "good");
• seven without "double on seven" or without "re on the game" - if the player announces seven, the defenders can fold the game ("good") and pay - it is not played or double on both and it is played or double on the game, and if the player does not accept it with the words "re on the game", the game is also not played and it is free;
• loaded games.

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Based on the original Czech article: Mariáš – pravidla, druhy mariáše, sázky a flekování.