How to Play

Doppelkopf is a classic German trick-taking partnership game for four players using a 48-card doubled deck. All Queens, all Jacks, all Diamonds, and the two Tens of Hearts are trump; partnerships start hidden, and the first side to 121 of 240 card points wins the hand.

Doppelkopf (literally 'double-head') is Germany's second-most-popular card game after Skat, a 48-card partnership trick-taking game for four players using a doubled deck (every card appears twice). Its signature is a huge 26-card trump suit in which every Queen, every Jack, every Diamond, and the two Tens of Hearts (the mighty Dullen) are all trump. Partnerships are hidden at the start: whoever holds a Queen of Clubs plays together against the other two, but until those Queens appear on the table nobody is sure who is on which side. Each hand plays ten tricks (or twelve in the 48-card version); the Re team needs at least 121 of 240 card points to win the hand, and side declarations (Re!, Kontra!, 'no 90', 'no 60', 'no 30', 'black') raise the stakes before the real play begins.

Players

4 players, two secret partnerships of two. Partnerships form by the Queens of Clubs: whoever holds one of the two Queens of Clubs is on team Re with the other Queen-of-Clubs holder; the remaining two players are team Kontra. At the start of each hand the partnerships are unknown; as Queens of Clubs hit the table the alignments become clear. A player holding both Queens of Clubs may play a Silent Solo against the other three.

Card Deck

48 cards: two standard decks with all cards below 9 removed, leaving two copies each of A, 10, K, Q, J, 9 in each of the four suits. Modern tournament play often uses the same ranks but only 40 cards (9s removed). Card point values: Ace = 11, 10 = 10, King = 4, Queen = 3, Jack = 2, 9 = 0; the whole deck totals 240 points.

Trump Hierarchy

1. Doppelkopf has one enormous trump suit comprising 26 of 48 cards, ordered high to low:
2. 1. Ten of Hearts (the Dullen): Two copies; the highest trumps in the game.10♥
3. 2. Queens: All 8 Queens, in suit order Clubs > Spades > Hearts > Diamonds (two copies of each).Q♣Q♠Q♥Q♦
4. 3. Jacks: All 8 Jacks, in the same suit order.J♣J♠J♥J♦
5. 4. Diamonds: The remaining diamonds from Ace down to 9, in the order A, 10, K, 9.A♠10♠K♠9♠
6. Non-trump suits (Clubs, Spades, Hearts) keep only their A, 10, K, and 9 (the Queens and Jacks have left for the trump suit). Their in-suit ranking is A > 10 > K > 9.

Objective

Each hand the deck's 240 card points are split between the two teams by the tricks they take. The Re team wins the hand by taking 121 or more points; otherwise the Kontra team wins. The teams earn scoring 'game points' for the session; first side to an agreed session target (commonly played as a fixed number of hands rather than a score target) closes the session.

Setup and Deal

1. Shuffle the 48-card doubled deck. The player to the dealer's right cuts.
2. Deal 12 cards to each player, usually in three packets of four, clockwise.
3. No stock remains; the entire deck is in play.
4. Before the first lead, players may call a Solo or other Vorbehalt (reservation): the highest reservation wins and replaces the normal hand.
5. If there is no reservation, a normal game is played with the Queens-of-Clubs partnership rule.
6. The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick; turns proceed clockwise.

Gameplay

1. Trick play: The lead plays any card; other players must follow the led suit if able, otherwise any card including trump.
2. Winning a trick: The trick is won by the highest trump, or if no trump was played, the highest card of the led suit. Trumps include the entire 26-card trump set above.
3. Duplicate rule: When two identical cards are played in one trick, the first one played wins. This is the game's signature mechanic and demands careful order-of-play thought.
4. Announcements (before their second card is played): A Re-team player may say 'Re!' to declare confidence; a Kontra player may say 'Kontra!'. Each doubles the hand's value and is normally said before the second card is played. Further escalations must follow a fixed order: 'No 90' (my side will hold you below 90 points), 'No 60', 'No 30', and 'Schwarz' (zero tricks to you). Each tightens the required margin and raises the score.
5. Partnership reveal: The first time a Queen of Clubs is played, that player's team is revealed; usually a player saying 'Re' also outs themselves as holding a Queen of Clubs.Q♣

Bonus Points

• In addition to card points for winning the 121 threshold, each team collects session bonus points:
• Caught Fox (Fuchs): +1 if your team captures an opponent's Ace of Diamonds in a trick.A♦
• Karlchen: +1 for winning the last trick of a hand with a Jack of Clubs.J♣
• Doppelkopf: +1 for winning a single trick containing 40 or more card points.
• Against the Queens (gegen die Alten): +1 to Kontra if they win the hand.
• Re/Kontra/'No N' stakes: Each successful prediction adds further session points; failing an announcement costs the announcing team instead.

Winning

Each hand is scored with game points for the session. A Re win from a normal hand is worth 1 base game point, plus any announcement multipliers and bonuses. Most groups agree a fixed session length (16, 24, or 48 hands so every player deals equally many times) and the team with the highest cumulative game points at the end wins. In tournament play, sessions run to a point target such as 30 or 50 game points. Solos count separately; a successful solo wins the soloist up to 2 or 3 points from each opponent.

Common Variations (Solos and House Rules)

• Diamond Solo: Normal trump structure, but the soloist plays alone against the other three; scoring is tripled.
• Hearts Solo / Spades Solo / Clubs Solo: The named suit (plus Queens and Jacks) is trump and the soloist plays alone.
• Queen Solo / Jack Solo: Only the Queens (or Jacks) are trump; the rest of the deck plays as no-trump.
• Trumpless Solo (Fleischloser): No trumps at all; ace-high in every suit.
• Hochzeit (wedding): A player with both Queens of Clubs may announce a 'wedding'; the first opponent to take a trick becomes their partner. If nobody takes a trick in the first three tricks, the holder plays Silent Solo.Q♣
• Armut (poverty): A player with very few trumps may declare poverty and hand their trumps to a partner who takes them; common tournament variation.
• Rheinischer Doppelkopf (regional): Specific announcement ordering and bonus-point schedule used in the Rhineland.
• Reserved-nine rule: In the 40-card version all 9s are removed; everything else is unchanged.

Tips and Strategy

• Partnership discovery is everything. Before revealing, play neutral cards; after revealing, support your partner's leads.
• The Dullen (Hearts 10s) are the trump kings. Save at least one for a high-value trick, and try to lead it after most higher Queens are already gone.
• The Fox matters. The Ace of Diamonds is a small trump but a 1-point bonus if captured; protect your own and hunt the opponents'.A♦
• Counting tricks: With 26 trumps in play, mentally track how many trumps remain to decide when to force opponents to follow and drain their trumps.
• Announcements discipline. Saying 'Re' reveals you hold a Queen of Clubs; only announce when your hand is strong enough to justify the exposure, or when bluffing to misdirect the opponents.Q♣
• Capture the Karlchen: If you hold a Jack of Clubs and expect the last trick to go your way, keep it back; winning the final trick with it is a valuable bonus.J♣

Glossary

• Re / Kontra: The two partnerships, based on who holds the Queens of Clubs.Q♣
• Dullen: The two Tens of Hearts, the highest trump cards.10♥
• Fuchs (Fox): The Ace of Diamonds; 1 bonus point if captured from the opponents.A♦
• Karlchen: The Jack of Clubs; 1 bonus point for taking the last trick with it.J♣
• Doppelkopf (trick): A trick worth 40 or more card points; earns 1 bonus.
• Solo: A contract in which one player plays alone against the other three with customised trumps.
• Vorbehalt: A reservation called before the opening lead that replaces the normal hand with a special contract.
• Hochzeit (Wedding): Holding both Queens of Clubs; the holder takes the first opponent who wins a trick as partner.Q♣