Comments on: Playing-card review 3: Doppelkopf packs by ASS and Piatnik

By: Mikko

Mikko — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 05:58:46 +0000

The number one source for playing cards online is R. Somerville.

By: Johanschantz

Johanschantz — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 02:30:50 +0000

I’d love to try some of these regional games, especially the German ones. I’d like to buy a deck of German style playing cards, but I haven’t been able to find a good supplier online or otherwise. Can anyone recommend one? I have a nice deck of Modiano Scopa cards that I bought when I was in Rome, only wish I’d bought some in Germany while I was there.
Thanks

By: Mikko

Mikko — Mon, 12 May 2008 18:59:31 +0000

Indeed, I like the regional packs for the same reason (and that is why I have about 20 different packs even before the Piatnik boatload). Of course, not everybody agrees — learning both a new game and a new pack can be tough. Especially with the Italian regional packs, which are often rather difficult (the difference between swords and batons can be subtle and the lack of indices makes it harder).
I haven’t really noticed the lack of suits in indices, so I suppose it’s not a big deal for me.

By: Sean Ross

Sean Ross — Mon, 12 May 2008 14:54:49 +0000

I have the ASS Skat Deutsches Bild decks (A-7). I bought two, to play Doppelkopf but also to play Shafkopf, Skat, and Schnapsen. There’s something that just feels better about using a regional deck to play a game from a particular region. So far, they have only been used once — to play Skat. I like the look of the cards, but I do find them slightly more difficult to play with as, unlike the standard french-suited decks here in North America, the suits are not repeated below the indices so you have to spread the cards out a bit more than usual in order to see what you’re holding. A minor, but noticeable, difference. Still, I’m glad to have them, and I’m hoping to get a chance to use them more often in the future.