Klammern (also known as Klaberjass, Klabberjass, or Clobyosh) is a traditional German trick-taking card game, particularly popular in Northern Germany, the Lower Rhine region, and around Cologne. It is played by 4 players in 2 fixed teams. Partners sit across from each other at the table.
The goal: score more points than the opposing team through clever card play, smart trump selection, and announcing card combinations (melds). The game uses a 32-card deck (7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, Ace in four suits). Both French (Clubs, Spades, Hearts, Diamonds) and German (Acorns, Leaves, Hearts, Bells) card faces can be used.
Klammern uses a 32-card deck. From a standard Skat deck, all cards from 2 through 6 are removed. Each suit contains 8 cards:
7 – 8 – 9 – 10 – Jack – Queen – King – Ace
French deck: Clubs (♣), Spades (♠), Hearts (♥), Diamonds (♦)
German deck: Acorns (Eichel), Leaves (Grün), Hearts (Herz/Rot), Bells (Schellen)
Both variants are playable — the rules are identical. In our app you can freely switch between both card styles.
Klammern has two distinct ranking orders: one for the trump suit and one for all non-trump suits. In the trump suit, the Jack (Jappa, also known as Jass) and the 9 (Mie) are the strongest cards — this is the heart of the game!
| Rank | Card | Name | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jack | Jappa (Jass) | 20 |
| 2 | 9 | Mie | 14 |
| 3 | Ace | – | 11 |
| 4 | 10 | – | 10 |
| 5 | King | – | 4 |
| 6 | Queen | – | 3 |
| 7 | 8 | – | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | – | 0 |
| Trump suit total | 62 | ||
| Rank | Card | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ace | 11 |
| 2 | 10 | 10 |
| 3 | King | 4 |
| 4 | Queen | 3 |
| 5 | Jack | 2 |
| 6 | 9 | 0 |
| 7 | 8 | 0 |
| 8 | 7 | 0 |
| Total per non-trump suit | 30 | |
Total points in a round: 62 (trump) + 3 × 30 (non-trump) + 10 (last trick bonus) = 162 points. The team that wins the last trick receives the 10-point bonus.
The dealer rotates clockwise each round. Cards are dealt as follows:
Starting with the player to the left of the dealer, each player decides in turn whether to take the face-up suit as trump or pass. If a player takes, that suit becomes trump and their team becomes the “takers” (also called “makers”). The remaining cards are then dealt, giving each player 8 cards total.
If all four players pass in Round 1, a second round begins. Now each player may choose any suit as trump — except the suit of the face-up card. If everyone passes again, the cards are reshuffled and re-dealt.
Certain card combinations in hand earn bonus points. Melds are announced at the beginning of play (when the first card is played). Only the highest meld counts — the team with the better meld scores all their melds; the other team scores none.
| Meld | Description | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Terz | 3 consecutive cards of the same suit | 20 |
| Quart | 4 consecutive cards of the same suit | 50 |
| Quint | 5 consecutive cards of the same suit | 100 |
| Four of a Kind | 4 cards of the same rank (e.g. four Queens) | 100 |
| Four Nines | All four 9s in hand | 150 |
| Four Jacks | All four Jacks in hand | 200 |
| Belle | King + Queen of the trump suit | 20 |
Belle is a special case: it is not compared against other melds but scored separately. Whoever holds the King and Queen of trump always receives 20 bonus points — regardless of other melds. Belle is announced when playing the second of the two cards.
After trump selection and dealing all 8 cards, the actual game begins. A total of 8 tricks are played. The player to the left of the dealer leads the first card.
Every player must follow the led suit if they hold a card of that suit. If a player cannot follow suit, the trump rules apply.
If a player cannot follow suit and an opponent is currently winning the trick, the player must play a trump card (if they have one). If the player's partner is winning the trick, the player may discard any card.
The trick is won by the highest card of the led suit — unless a trump was played. In that case, the highest trump card wins. The trick winner leads the next card.
After all 8 tricks, both teams' points are counted. There are a total of 162 points in each round (152 from card values + 10 bonus points for the last trick).
The taking team must score more than half of the 162 points, meaning at least 82 points.
Won: If the taking team reaches at least 82 points (including melds), the team with the most points earns a victory.
Lost (“Eiert”): If the taking team scores fewer than 82 points, the opposing team receives all points — including those of the taking team.
If one team wins all 8 tricks in a round, it is called a Durchmarsch (sweep). This is a particularly rare and impressive achievement that earns bonus points.
A Durchmarsch is uncommon but can be game-deciding. It requires a perfect combination of strong cards, excellent teamwork, and clever play.
Klammern is often played not just over single rounds but in Liga Mode. Round results are converted into so-called “Augen” (eyes):
Liga Mode ensures that a single lucky round does not decide the game — instead, consistently good play across multiple rounds is rewarded.
After trump selection and before the first card is played, the opposing team may call “Kontra.” This means: “We don't think you'll make it!”
The taking team may then respond with “Re”: “Oh yes we will!”
Kontra: All points for the round are doubled.
Re (on top of Kontra): All points are doubled again — quadrupled in total.
Kontra and Re make the game significantly more exciting and risky. A wrong assessment can quickly backfire — but it can also lead to a triumphant victory!
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Play Klammern NowLast updated: March 2026 — This guide covers the Klammern variant common in Northern Germany.