Sheepshead (card game)

Sheepshead

Sheepshead's perfect "Grandma hand"
Type	trick-taking
Players	2–8, usually 5
Skills	Card counting, Tactics
Cards	32
Deck	Piquet
Rank (high→low)	Trump: Q♣ Q♠ Q♥ Q♦ J♣ J♠ J♥ J♦ A♦ 10♦ K♦ 9♦ 8♦ 7♦ Fail: A 10 K 9 8 7
Play	Clockwise
Playing time	about 3 minutes per hand
Chance	Low–Moderate
Related games
Doppelkopf, Bavarian Schafkopf, German Schafkopf, Skat

Sheepshead is an American trick-taking card game derived from Bavaria's national card game, Schafkopf (lit. 'sheep's head'), hence it is sometimes called American Schafkopf. Sheepshead is most commonly played by five players,^[1] but variants exist to allow for two to eight players. There are also many other variants to the game rules, and many slang terms used with the game.

Sheepshead is most commonly played in Wisconsin, where it is sometimes called the "unofficial" state card game.^[2] In 1983, it was declared the official card game of the city of Milwaukee.^[3] It is also common among German counties in Southern Indiana, which has large German-American populations, and on the Internet.

Numerous tournaments are held throughout Wisconsin during the year, with the largest tournament being the "Nationals", held annually in the Wisconsin Dells during a weekend in September, October or November, and mini-tournaments held hourly throughout German Fest in Milwaukee during the last weekend of each July. National 3-Hand Sheepshead Tournament has been held annually in Wisconsin since 1970 in the month of March. 48-hand sessions are held at locations around the state, offering players an opportunity to play in as many of the 100 plus sessions as they wish.