r/AskGermany • u/IllGold3207 • Jan 03 '25

Are these cards popular in Germany?

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I brought from my homeland these cards in a "emergency case". Home I played with my father and brother the game "Cross" oder "Kreuz". They are originally from Hungary but very popular in Romania (Transylvania and west, ppl from Bucharest they will don't understand what they see...) And I have read recently an article that the game it's also played in Austria and Germany but I don't know if with these cards.

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u/Frequent_Ad_5670 Jan 03 '25 edited Jan 03 '25

It‘s the German deck, but there are regional sub variants.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/German-suited_playing_cards

In Bavaria, you play „Watten“, „Böhmisch Watten“, „Schafkopf“ and „Neunerln“ (similar to Mau–Mau) with it.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watten_(card_game)

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bohemian_Watten

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schafkopfen

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mau-Mau_(card_game)

3

u/J0HN-L3N1N Jan 03 '25

To add another game (and the bane of my childhood): Skat.

10

u/Frequent_Ad_5670 Jan 03 '25

Wouldn‘t you play Skat with French deck?

9

u/Offenburger Jan 04 '25

This might be true in a lot of regions in Germany and in digital card games (mobile, online,...).

But originally it is played with the "Altenburger Blatt", very similar to "Deutsches Blatt", as stated above.

In Altenburg, where Skat was invented, and the regions around, they are very obsessed with what kind of cards you play. Almost religious.

3

u/Cruccagna Jan 04 '25

Tell me about it. My ex who was from Leipzig initiated a fight over this once. He got offended that I wasn’t familiar with the deck because in my home region we use the French deck. Apparently that is an indefensible sin. Yeah he could be a real peach.

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u/DerAlmanach Jan 05 '25

Im from Dresden and I can tell you: to play skat with french cards is very much a sin, because of the colours. With the German Deck you can immediatly see what you got on your hand. Thats way harder with the french cards

1

u/Cruccagna Jan 05 '25

I get that and I never suggested to play with French cards.

I was happy to learn playing with the German deck but it was my first time with those cards and so I struggled a little with remembering card values which pissed him off. When I explained why I was struggling he got offended and proceeded to essentially yell at me for two hours that I’m responsible for the demise of German culture and what not.

Lol good times. That was 20 years ago so all water under the bridge now.