Dobbm or Tappen is a card game played in the Stubaital valley in Austria which, like Brixental Bauerntarock, Bavarian Tarock and Württemberg Tarock, is not a true Tarock game, but is one of a family of games derived from Tapp Tarock by adapting its rules to a regular, shortened pack of 36 cards. The ranking and point value of the cards in Dobbm is identical with those of the other variants mentioned. In Dobbm as well, one player always plays as a soloist against all the others. It most strongly resembles the Brixental variant: Dobbm is also played by four players, each player is dealt eight cards, four cards go to the talon and Hearts are the permanent trump suit. The fundamental difference between games of the Tapp family and true tarot games is in the use of shortened German or French packs instead of true Tarot playing cards.
Aim
The aim of the soloist is to score more than 60 card points in tricks, unless he has announced a higher target. The opposing team only needs to score 60 points to win.
Players
There are 4 active players. Five can play, in which case the dealer takes a holiday.
The cards’ trick-taking power broadly corresponds to their card point value. Thus the Sow or Deuce is the highest-ranking card. Then follow the: Ten > King > Ober > Unter > Nine > Eight > Seven > Six. This ranking is also valid within the trump suit as well as the plain suits. Hearts are permanent trumps in the normal game. Solo games may have different trump suits.
Card value
The card values are the same as in Schafkopf or the related games of Bauerntarock, Bavarian Tarock. The ten, with 10 points, is just below the Sow in value, but well above the King, Ober and Unter. The so-called Spatzen only play a role during the game based on their trick-taking ability, but do not score points at the end of the hand.
Card value
Card points
Sow
11
Ten
10
King
4
Ober
3
Unter
2
Nine
0
Eight
0
Seven
0
Six
0
There are 120 card points in the deck. The Six of Bells is marked as "WELI" but has no significance in this game.
Deal
The first dealer is chosen by lot. The dealer shuffles the cards and the player on the dealer's right cuts. The dealer then deals 2 packets of four cards to each player in clockwise order. The last four cards are placed face down on the table to form the Dobb. The role of dealer does not rotate; instead the last declarer becomes the dealer.
Bidding
Contracts
There are basically two types of contract:
Dobbm: A form of Exchange contract. The soloist takes the talon and discards four cards of his choice. Because the points of the discarded cards count as part of the declarer's tricks, a Sow may only be discarded if it is accompanied by a trump card. If two Sows are discarded, two trump cards must also be discarded.
Solo: the soloist turns down the option of exchanging cards with the talon.
Forehand opens the bidding. Each player has one chance to bid and there is no holding. Players may say "pass", "Dobbm" or "I'll dobb" or "Solo". Players may accept a bid by saying "good" or "play on". If all pass, the cards are thrown in and redealt.
Doubling
After exchanging with the Dobb, the declarer says "done". The defenders may then double the stake. This starts with the player to the dealer's left who says "good" or "play on" if happy to continue, or "Schwacher" to double the stakes. If he wants to play on, the other defenders in turn may opt to double the stakes. If one of the defenders says Schwacher, the declare may either accept it by saying "good" or double the stake again by saying "Retour". The defenders may then say "Retour" in response.
Playing
Play is clockwise and the declarer leads to the first trick. Each player must follow suit if possible. If a player is unable to follow suit, he must trump. The winner of the trick leads to the next trick. The defenders keep their tricks in one place.
Scoring
After the last trick has been taken the sides count their card points, the declarer remembering to including the dobb. There are 120 card points in toto. If the winning side takes all tricks it is a matsch. The stake is expressed in terms of the cost of a matsch and is typically a multiple of six e.g. 6 or 12 schillings. The winning side claims the amount of money, chips or game points based on the number of card points above 60 that they have scored e.g. if a matsch is worth 12 schillings and the declarer scores 71 points, he receives 3 schillings from each defender. If both sides score 60 it is a draw. The payments are doubled for a Solo, a Schwacher and each Retour. Revoking is called verleugnen or laungen and is penalised with half the value of the game being played.
Ending
A session of Dobbm often ends with a Mußrunde, which is where each player in turn must be declarer and choose to play either a Dobbm or a Solo. It ends when every player has been a declarer.
