How to play Sheepshead: card game rules & interactive tutorial
Sheepshead is a 4-player trick-taking game of German origin. Unlike most trick-taking games, Sheepshead features a permanent trump suit and secret partnerships that are revealed during play.
The rules may seem complex at first, but they're quite logical once you understand the trump structure and partnership mechanics. Below you'll find a complete guide on how to play Sheepshead. If you prefer learning by doing, you'll find an interactive tutorial above that'll guide you through the game.
After you've learned the rules, you can play Sheepshead online directly at World of Card Games. We recommend a game against bots first. Once you feel comfortable with that, you can switch to multiplayer against other people online or with your friends.
So prepare to dazzle your friends and confound your foes as you become a master of this classic card game!
Sheepshead at a glance
A Wisconsin favorite with a picker, a hidden partner, and a 32-card deck.
- Players: 4, the picker's team against the defenders
- Deck: 32 cards (7 through Ace), all Queens, Jacks and diamonds are trump
- Type: trick-taking with card points and a hidden partner
- Objective: the picker's team needs 61 of the 120 card points
- Winning: highest cumulative score after 4 scored hands
The deck
Sheepshead is played with a 32-card deck consisting of 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace of each suit. The 2 through 6 of all suits are removed from a standard 52-card deck.
Trump cards
There are 14 permanent trump cards in Sheepshead, ranked from highest to lowest.
- Queen of Clubs
- Queen of Spades
- Queen of Hearts
- Queen of Diamonds
- Jack of Clubs
- Jack of Spades
- Jack of Hearts
- Jack of Diamonds
- Ace of Diamonds
- 10 of Diamonds
- King of Diamonds
- 9 of Diamonds
- 8 of Diamonds
- 7 of Diamonds
Fail suit cards
The remaining 18 cards (clubs, spades, and hearts, excluding Queens and Jacks) are called "fail" suits, ranked from highest to lowest.
- Ace (highest)
- 10
- King
- 9
- 8
- 7 (lowest)
Card point values
Cards have point values used for scoring.
- Ace = 11 points
- 10 = 10 points
- King = 4 points
- Queen = 3 points
- Jack = 2 points
- 9, 8, 7 = 0 points
The total points in the deck is 120 points.
Objective
The picker's team tries to capture 61 or more of the 120 card points in the deck. The defenders win by holding them to 60 or fewer.
Deal
A random player is chosen to be the dealer.
Each player is dealt 7 cards. The remaining 4 cards are placed face down in the center as the "blind".
The player to the dealer's left goes first.
Picking the blind
Starting with the player to the dealer's left and proceeding clockwise, each player has the opportunity to "pick" the blind.
The player who picks becomes the "picker" and takes the 4 blind cards into their hand. The picker then must "bury" 4 cards face down. These buried cards remain secret and count toward the picker's point total at the end of the hand.
If all players pass, the cards are thrown in and the next dealer deals a new hand.
Calling a partner or going alone
The picker either calls a partner or goes alone. Going alone is decided at the pick, by choosing "Go alone" instead of "Pick blind". Otherwise the picker calls a partner after burying. A picker with no card to call goes alone.
Calling a partner: The picker names an Ace of a fail suit (clubs, spades, or hearts). The picker must have at least one card of that suit in their hand, and cannot call an Ace that is in their hand or that they buried. The player holding the called Ace becomes the picker's partner, but their identity remains secret until the called Ace is played. If the picker has all three fail suit Aces, in their hand or buried, they may call a 10 instead. A called 10 follows the same rules as a called Ace.
Going alone: If the picker has a strong hand, they may choose to "go alone" and play without a partner. When going alone, the picker plays 1 against 3 defenders. The same scoring rules apply, but since there is no partner, only the picker gains or loses points on the maker side.
Play
The player to the dealer's left leads the first trick by playing any card from their hand.
You must follow suit if you can. Trump counts as its own suit. Every Queen, Jack and diamond is trump, so the Queen of Hearts is not a heart and the Jack of Spades is not a spade. If a trump is led, you must play a trump if you have one. If you can't follow suit, you may play any card, except a card that the called suit rules below tell you to keep.
The highest card of the suit led wins the trick, unless a trump card is played, in which case the highest trump wins.
The trick winner leads the next trick. This continues until all 7 tricks are played.
The called suit: When the picker calls a partner, the called suit has extra rules until it is led for the first time.
- The picker must keep at least one card of the called suit. They may not play their last card of that suit when another suit is led.
- The partner must keep the called Ace. They may not play it when another suit is led.
- If the partner leads the called suit, they must lead the called Ace.
- The first time the called suit is led, the picker must play a card of that suit and the partner must play the called Ace.
Any player may lead the called suit, but no player has to. If the called suit is never led, the picker and the partner play these cards on the last trick. After the called suit has been led once, these rules end.
Scoring
After all tricks are played, card points from captured tricks are counted. The picker's buried cards count toward their total.
The picker and their partner are called the makers. The makers need 61+ card points to win the hand. Scoring is zero-sum, so losers pay points to winners.
If the picker's team wins (61+ points)
- Defenders scored 30-59 points: Each defender loses 1 point to each maker.
- Defenders scored 0-29 points but won at least one trick (schneider): Each defender loses 2 points to each maker.
- Defenders won no tricks (schwarz): Each defender loses 3 points to each maker.
If the picker's team loses (60 points or fewer)
Because the picker's team was expected to win, losing is an upset and the stakes are doubled.
- Picker's team scored 31-60 points: Each maker loses 2 points to each defender.
- Picker's team scored 0-30 points but won at least one trick (schneider): Each maker loses 4 points to each defender.
- Picker's team won no tricks (schwarz): Each maker loses 6 points to each defender.
In a standard 4-player hand with a partner (2 makers vs 2 defenders), each player's score changes by ±2, ±4, or ±6 when the picker wins. It changes by ±4, ±8, or ±12 when the picker loses.
Game end
The game ends after 4 scored hands, so usually each player deals once. A hand that all players pass is not scored and does not count as one of the 4. The player with the highest cumulative score at the end wins. If two or more players tie for the highest score, they share the win.
The rules in practice
The trump suit takes some getting used to. Say the Ace of Hearts is led and the next player has no fail hearts, so they throw the Jack of Diamonds. That Jack is trump, so it beats the Ace. Only a higher trump can take the trick back. Watch the Queens too. The Queen of Hearts looks like a heart, but it's trump, so it can't be used to follow a heart lead and it beats every Jack and every diamond.
The hidden partnership shapes the whole hand. Suppose the picker calls the Ace of Spades. Nobody at the table knows who holds it, so the other three players all play on as possible partners. The first time spades are led, the picker must play a spade and whoever holds the Ace of Spades must play it. The moment that Ace hits the table, the teams are out in the open.
Points decide the hand, not tricks. A trick containing the Ace, 10 and King of Clubs is worth 25 of the 120 card points, while a trick full of 9s, 8s and 7s is worth nothing. That's why a side can take most of the tricks and still lose. Keep a rough count of the points your side has captured, since 61 is the only number that matters.
Strategy basics
Here are a few habits to build from your first game.
- Pick on Queens and Jacks, not on hopes. Losing a hand you picked costs double.
- Bury points you can't defend. Keep the trump you'll need to win tricks.
- Call an Ace in a suit where you hold only a low card or two. You must keep at least one card of the called suit until that suit is led.
- Count trump as it falls. There are 14. Once they're gone your fail suit Aces and 10s are safe.
- As a defender, throw your Aces and 10s onto tricks your side is winning. Points win hands, not tricks.
History
Sheepshead is the American form of the German game Schafkopf (literally "sheep's head"). The game has been played for centuries in Germany and was brought to America by German immigrants, particularly to Wisconsin where it remains very popular. While variations exist for 3, 5, 6, and 7 players, the 4-player version offers an excellent balance of strategy and partnership play.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if every player passes on the blind?
The cards are thrown in, the next dealer deals a new hand and the chance to pick goes around again. The passed hand does not count as one of the 4 hands of a game.
Can the picker play without a partner?
Yes. A picker with a strong hand can go alone and play 1 against 3 defenders. The scoring works the same way, but with no partner to share it, only the picker gains or loses on the maker side.
Does the partner have to play the called Ace?
Yes. The partner must keep the called Ace until the called suit is led, and cannot throw it away on another suit. The first time the called suit is led, the partner must play the Ace and the picker must play a card of that suit. Until that happens, the partner's identity stays secret, even though the partner themselves knows it from the start.
Does the picker have to lead the called suit?
No. Any player may lead the called suit, but no player has to. If nobody leads it, the picker and the partner play the cards they kept on the last trick.
Can I play the Queen of Hearts when hearts are led?
Only if you can't follow suit. The Queen of Hearts is trump, not a heart, so it doesn't count toward following a heart lead. If you hold any fail hearts you must play one of those. If you don't, you may play any card, including the Queen, except a card you must keep for the called suit. Until the called suit is led for the first time, the picker keeps one card of that suit and the partner keeps the called Ace.
What happens if two players tie for the highest score?
They share the win. Ties are common in Sheepshead, because the picker and the partner always win or lose the same amount in a hand.
What happens if the picker's team takes exactly 60 points?
They lose. The picker's team needs 61 of the 120 card points, so a 60-60 split goes to the defenders. And because the picker's side was expected to win, the loss is paid out at doubled stakes.