Sheepshead Glossary

All the terms you need to know — many with German roots

A

Ace: The highest-ranking card in each fail suit, worth 11 points. In Sheepshead, fail Aces (Clubs, Spades, Hearts) are often called as partners.; Example: If you call Clubs, whoever has the Ace of Clubs is your partner.

Blind: The two face-down cards dealt in the center of the table. The player who 'picks' takes these cards into their hand.
Blitz: A variant where the picker can declare 'Blitz' if they hold both black Queens (Q♣ and Q♠). This doubles the stakes like a crack.; Example: Also called 'The Ma's' because the two black queens are the highest cards.
Bury: After picking up the blind, the picker must discard ('bury') 2 cards face-down. These count toward the picker's team's points.; Example: Good players bury point cards like Aces and Tens when safe.

Call: When the picker names a fail suit Ace to designate their partner. The partner is the player holding that Ace.; Example: 'I call Spades' means whoever has the Ace of Spades is the partner.
Crack (Doubling): A variant where defenders can 'crack' to double the stakes after someone picks. The picker can then 're-crack' to double again.

Dealer: The player who deals the cards. The deal rotates clockwise after each hand. The player to the dealer's left gets first chance to pick.
Defender: One of the three players opposing the picker and partner. Defenders work together to capture 60+ points.
Diamonds: The suit that forms the lower trump cards. All Diamonds (A♦ through 7♦) are trump, ranked below the Jacks.

Fail (Fail Suit): Any suit that is not trump. In Sheepshead, Clubs, Spades, and Hearts (without their Queens and Jacks) are fail suits.; Example: If you can't follow trump, you might have to play from a fail suit.
Follow Suit: The requirement to play a card of the same suit that was led, if you have one. Trump is considered its own suit.
Forced Pick: A variant where the dealer must pick if everyone else passes, preventing a Leaster.

Go Alone: When the picker chooses not to call a partner and plays against all four opponents. The picker gets/loses all the points.; Example: With 7+ strong trump and buried Aces, going alone can be very profitable.

Hand: A complete round of Sheepshead, from dealing through scoring. Also refers to the cards a player is holding.
Hold Card: The called Ace when you're the partner. You must keep this card (can't bury it) since it designates you as partner.; Example: If Hearts is called and you have A♥, that's your hold card.

Lead: To play the first card of a trick. The player who won the previous trick (or the player left of dealer on the first trick) leads.
Leaster: German: Possibly from 'letzt' (last) — the last resort when no one picks; A special hand played when all 5 players pass. Everyone plays for themselves, and the player who takes the FEWEST points wins.; Example: In a Leaster, you want to avoid winning point-heavy tricks!

The Ma's: Slang for the two black Queens (Q♣ and Q♠), the two highest cards in the game. Having 'The Ma's' lets you declare a Blitz.
Mauer: German: 'Mauer' — wall; you're 'walling off' and refusing to pick; To deliberately pass on a pickable hand, often to avoid risk or because the blind looks unfavorable. Considered poor etiquette by some players.; Example: He had 6 trump but mauered anyway — didn't trust the blind.

Partner: The player holding the called Ace who teams up with the picker. The partner's identity is secret until the called Ace is played.
Pass: To decline picking up the blind. If all players pass, a Leaster is played (or forced pick, depending on rules).
Pick: To take the blind cards. The picker leads their team against the defenders and must choose what to bury and which Ace to call.
Picker: The player who took the blind. They're the 'captain' of their team and score double points (win or lose).
Points: The scoring value of cards: Aces=11, Tens=10, Kings=4, Queens=3, Jacks=2, 9/8/7=0. Total in deck: 120.

Re-crack: When the picker doubles the stakes again after a defender has cracked. Results in 4x the normal stakes.
Reveal: When the partner plays the called Ace, revealing their identity to all players.; Example: Once revealed, the partner can openly help the picker.

Schafkopf: German: 'Schafkopf' — barrel head, or literally 'sheep's head'; The German ancestor of Sheepshead, originating in Bavaria in the 1700s. The name likely refers to playing on a barrel head ('Schaff' = barrel, 'Kopf' = head), though it's often translated as 'sheep's head.'
Schmear: German: 'Schmieren' — to grease or smear; you're 'greasing' the trick with points; To throw high-point cards (Aces, Tens) on a trick your teammate is winning. Essential strategy for maximizing points.; Example: When the picker wins with a Queen, their partner should schmear their A♣ for +11 points.
Schneider: German: 'Schneider' — tailor; they were 'cut short' like fabric; When the losing team scores fewer than 31 points. Doubles all scores for the hand.
Schwarz: German: 'Schwarz' — black; a complete shutout, as in 'blackened'; When the losing team wins zero tricks. Triples all scores for the hand. Rare but devastating!

Trick: One round of play where each player contributes one card. There are 6 tricks in a hand. The highest card wins the trick.
Trump: The powerful suit that beats all fail cards. In Sheepshead: all Queens, all Jacks, and all Diamonds are trump (14 cards total).
Trump In: To play a trump card when a fail suit was led (because you have none of that fail suit). A way to win tricks you otherwise couldn't.

Void: Having no cards in a particular suit. Being void in a fail suit is valuable because you can trump in when it's led.; Example: 'I'm void in clubs' means you have no clubs, so you can trump club leads.

Practice against AI and see these concepts in action!