Editing Sheepshead (card game) (section)

==Play variations==
There are a number of different play variations for sheepshead. Variants may change how partners are chosen, scoring, the suits considered fail, or what occurs when the blind is not picked. Variations in the number of players are discussed in the next section.

===Partners===
The following two variants apply only to five and six-player games, and possibly four-player games. Variants differ in whether the picker is permitted to choose to play alone, and in whether there are some situations where the picker may be ''required ''to play alone.

====Called Ace====
The picker chooses a ''called ace suit'' after picking the blind. Whoever has this called ace will be his partner. There are a few further rules behind this.

*  The called suit must be a fail suit (clubs, spades or hearts).
*  The picker must have at least one of the fail suit in his/her hand. The picker ''must ''keep at least one card of the fail suit in his hand (i.e. cannot [[Sheepshead (game)#Throwing Off / Slough|throw them all off]]) until the first trick for which that suit is led, and then of course must follow suit. Also on the first trick for which that suit is led, the partner ''must ''play the ace (even if the player has another card of that suit).
**  If the picker has all 3 fail aces, he may call a 10 instead of an ace. The picker is obligated to hold the ace of that suit in his hand. When the called suit is led, the picker must play the ace. In addition, the person with the 10 takes the trick if it is not trumped.
**  If the picker does not have all 3 fail aces but has no fail suits for which he or she does not also have the ace, the picker may still call another fail suit's ace and utilize an ''"unknown."'' The picker lays a card face down (typically a low fail card or their lowest trump) and calls a fail suit for the unknown to represent. The unknown is played face down and has no power to take tricks, though its point value remains at the end of the game. Only the player taking the unknown is allowed to look at it until the end of the game
**  In some variants, the picker can call a suit for which he has the ace; he must save the ace and then he is his own "secret" partner.
*  The picker can choose to go alone after picking up the blind. In this case, there will be no called ace.

====Jack of diamonds====
In this variant, the partner is automatically the individual with the jack of diamonds. Unlike the Called Ace variant, the partner is not required to play the jack of diamonds with any required haste; thus the identity of the partner is usually secret for more of the game.

The normal rule is that if the picker has the jack of diamonds, whether as a result of the deal or picking up the jack in the blind, the picker must play alone. However, there are a number of variants within this method of play.

*  Sometimes, the picker is allowed to "call up" to the jack of hearts if he has the jack of diamonds in his hand. Sometimes he's also allowed to call the jack of spades or clubs if he has the two or three lower jacks in his hand. Some variants require that the picker call up before seeing the blind, and thus in this variant the picker is stuck without a partner if the jack of diamonds is in the blinds.
*  In some variants, the picker calls the jack of clubs instead of the jack of diamonds—but typically the variant does not permit the picker to call down to the jack of spades.
*  In some variants, if the picker has the jack of diamonds and wishes to play alone (cut-throat), the jack of diamonds must be kept in play and not buried.
*  In a relatively new variant, the picker may call a non-trump ace if he has the jack of diamonds. As in the ace variations above, the picker must keep at least one card in the called suit. A difference from the typical ace variations is that the partner is usually not required to play the ace when that suit is played if they have additional cards in that suit. This is to maintain the intrigue associated with the "who's the partner" aspect of the game. If the picker does not have an ace they can call (an example would be five trump and an ace, king, seven of the same suit) they are considered "stuck" and must go alone.

'''Schiller'''

In this variant, the first person after the dealer has to pick.  All other rules previously established in the game are still intact.   

In most Sheepshead circles, 1 round of Schiller is played at the end of the night to end the game.

===Scoring===

====Calling sheepshead====
One variant allows the picker to call "sheepshead." This means that the picker believes he can take every trick. If he succeeds he receives twice the number of points for a trickless game, but if he misses a single trick (even one lacking points), he must pay twice the value his opponents would have paid him for a trickless hand.

*  The picker is almost always required to play alone if he calls sheepshead. Because of this, it is generally applied only to the ''jacks'' variant, or cut-throat games.
*  Sometimes the picker is not allowed to call sheepshead if he does not have the jack in five or six-handed games.

====Double on the bump====
If the picker/partner do not win, they are "bumped". The standard method of playing sheepshead is that the picker/partner lose two times the points that opponents would lose in a similar loss. This may be called the "Punish the picker" rule. Some house rules do not enforce this "Punish" rule.
Some house rules require the picker to take at least one trick. If the picker/partner do not take at least one trick and lose, then only the picker loses points. Picker -18, partner 0, opponents +6.

{| class="wikitable"
! Point Total !! Picker (Alone) !! Picker (w/ Partner) !! Partner !! Opponents
|-
| All Tricks || +12 || +6 || +3 || -3
|-
| 91 to 120 || +8 || +4 || +2 || -2
|-
| 61 to 90 || +4 || +2 || +1 || -1
|-
| 31 to 60 || -8 || -4 || -2 || +2
|-
| 0 to 30 || -16 || -8 || -4 || +4
|-
| No Tricks || -24 || -12 || -6 || +6
|}

====Cracking====
In this variant, when a player picks up the blind, any player who was not given the opportunity to pick up the blind and who is not the picker's partner may ''knock'' or ''crack'' by knocking the table with their fist. This automatically doubles the point values determining the score when the game ends. In the ''aces'' variant, the crack must take place after the ace has been called but before the first card is played.

*  Some variants allow the picker or the picker's partner to ''re-crack''''',''' or ''crack-back'' resulting in a quadrupling of the end scores.
*  Some variants allow any player (who is not the picker or the picker's partner and did not crack) to ''castrate'' resulting in an octupling of the end scores.
*  In another variation, after a crack the partner may ''crack-around-the-corner''''',''' serving the same effect as a re-crack, but revealing himself as the partner at the same time. Generally in any game where cracking is allowed, each player may only crack once, regardless of team.

====Blitzing or blitzers====
This variant allows players to double the point value of the game by revealing that they have the two black or red queens.

*  Typically, a blitz may only occur after a crack or re-crack.
*  Some variants allow for a blitzing with the two black jacks, the two middle jacks or all four jacks.
*  Some variants allow for blitzers after the hand has been played. Players with both black queens need to declare blitzers after playing the second queen during the hand.
*  Because of the possibility of escalation, a limit may be placed to cap the maximum value the points are multiplied from blitzing and cracking.

===Trump===

====Diamonds vs. clubs====

Typically, diamonds are considered trump, but some groups use another suit (typically clubs around North Central Wisconsin). This would mean a nine of diamonds would be fail while a nine of clubs is trump instead.

Alternatively, in some groups, the strengths of the various queens and jacks differ from standard rules.

====Spitz====
A variant popular in some areas of Minnesota and Wisconsin is to change the order of strength of the trump cards. This is done by increasing the seven of diamond's strength to second in the list of trump:
* Q♣ <span style="color:red;">7♦ </span>Q♠ <span style="color:red;">Q♥ Q♦</span> J♣ J♠ <span style="color:red;">J♥ J♦ A♦ 10♦ K♦ 9♦ 8♦ </span>
When playing this variant the seven of diamonds is referred to as "the Spitz". Another variation puts the seven of diamonds first in the list of trump.

===No picker===
Several different scenarios can occur if no one picks up the blind, including a forced pick, a Leaster, a Mittler, or a Doubler.

====Forced pick====
In this variant, the person on the end is required to pick the blind. This is sometimes offset by a "No Punish" rule, and statistics; if no one desired the blind, then there's a better chance that the blind has decent cards, unless the trump is evenly spread out.

====Leasters====
In a leaster, the person with the fewest points wins the hand. There is no partner, and the winner simply receives one point from every opponent in the game. The blind is set aside and normally given to the player who takes the last trick. House rules may allow the dealer to declare which trick is given the blind (e.g. the first trick, or the second, etc.). Another house rule may be to set the blind aside so it is not given to anyone. The blind is not viewed until after the hand is over.
* A common variant is to require a trick to win. In this variant, therefore, a player who takes every trick wins. As two further variants to this variant: (A) if a player takes a trick that has no points (all 7s 8s and 9s), and/or (B) a player wins by taking every trick—then, the winners gets points as if winning a "no trick" after picking up the blinds. 
* One variant used when playing with three players is: a player may win without taking a trick, and actually wins double in this situation.
* In the event of a tied score, no stakes are exchanged, and the game proceeds to the next hand.

====Mosters====
A variant of the leaster is the moster, which is played the same as a leaster, but after the hand is scored, the player who took the most points pays out (as if for a simple loss) to all the rest of the players.  Thus, in a five-player game, the affected player loses four points and the opponents get one each, unless the score is doubled by other means (cracking, etc.).  The exception is taking all of the tricks, which is still scored as a win by the player doing so.

====Mittlers (Middlers)====
An alternative to playing leasters or Mosters, the player who wins this “no picker” game has the median number (middle value) of points among the five players after the hand is scored.  Thus, the winner of the Mittler will have the third highest number of points.  There will be two players with higher points and two players with lower points.  If there is no clear middle value, no stakes are exchanged.  This game is also known as “Michigan Mediocre,” named by the Ann Arbor Sheepshead Society (AASS) that created this variant.

====Schneidster====
Another leaster alternative, which follows most of the rules for a leaster but is won by the player who gets closest to 30 points (Schneider) without going over. In the event of a tie, the round is considered a wash. This is a newer variant originating in clubs in [[Madison, Wisconsin]] in the late 2010's, where the last person in picking order chooses which no pick rule they would like to use. The Schneidster provides an alternative for players who have low trump and high fail which would loose most tricks in a normal hand but take tricks in a leaster.

====Doublers====
In a doubler, the cards are reshuffled and a new hand is dealt and played as normal. However, at the end of this redeal, the point values lost and gained are doubled.

====The pot====
Typically occurring with a leaster (and during cash games), one point is placed into a pot for the next hand. Then, if the picker wins the hand, he splits the pot with the partner (in a five handed game, the extra point goes to the picker such that he receives three and the partner receives a single point). However, if the picker loses the hand, the picker and partner must pay into the pot what they would have received.
 
*  In some games, the picker and partner double the pot when losing; in others, they simply add a single pot each time. Additionally, the picker and partner may take the entire pot on a win, or they may receive a single pot.
*  If the game ends before the pot is taken, or continues to build over several turns, the pot may be divided out to the individuals evenly. Alternately, showdowns may be played, where five cards are dealt one at a time to every player face side up. The best five-card poker hand then takes one or all of the pots.
*  If a new player joins a game with a pot (bringing a game from five to six-handed, etc.,) typically the pot is divided up, or the new player adds one point for every pot present.

====Schwanzers (Show Down)====
All players reveal their cards after everyone has passed a dealt hand to discover the loser who pays the table 1 point each. The blind is discarded.

In German, 'Schwänzer' means a truant or a hooky player. Truancy refers to a student being absent from school, and therefore uneducated. Thus, a Schwanzer occurs because at least one player is uneducated in how to pick in the game of sheepshead. 

The purpose of a Schwanzer, also known as a showdown, is to catch maurers without playing a leaster or another variant of a “no pick” situation. The loser is determined by the highest number of points in a hand. The Schwanzer points are scaled as follows: Queens = 3 points, Jacks = 2 points, Diamonds = 1 point.

For example, a hand with the Queen of spades (3 points), Jack of clubs (2 points), Ace of diamonds (1 point), 8 of diamonds (1 point), 10 of clubs (0 points), and 7 of spades (0 points) equals the Schwanzer point value of 7. (3+2+1+1)

If tied in points, the player with the most powerful trump loses. For example, a hand with the Queen of clubs (3 points) and Queen of diamonds (3 points) loses to the hand with Queen of spades (3 points), Jack of clubs (2 points) and the Ace of diamonds (1 point).