BELGIUM-ROOTS-L Archives

Archiver > BELGIUM-ROOTS > 2002-04 > 1017917850


From: Glenn Cleereman <>
Subject: [BEL-R] SMEAR
Date: Thu, 04 Apr 2002 12:57:30 +0200


James VanCaster wrote:

Are you sure you aren't referring to the German card game called
"Schmier",
which is also called Hi-Lo-Jack and Game? Schmier is also a term used in

the German card game of Schafskapf or "Sheepshead". . . . .

I remember the game being called "Schafskapf". My parents and another
couple played every week. As I remember it the spades were all trump
and so were the other 3 queens. Spades ranked highest then came spades,
hearts and diamonds. Jack of diamonds was the partner to who ever got
the bid and was never know until it was played or you would see that
person "Smeer" to the person who got the bid. This is, perhaps, how the
game came to be called "Smeer". I think there were a total of 121
points and you had to get 61 to win. You could do what they called
"Shoot The Moon" which meant that you were going for it all alone and
would take all the points. If you bid and the other side got less than
32 points they would get a bump which would be about the same as a skunk
in cribbage.

I the 1960's and early 1970's I lived at Tonet, Wisconsin and we would
play what I thought was a belgium game called "Couyou". I am not sure
but I think this is pronounced "Coo Yah". Perhaps one of the members of
the "Peninsula Belgian-American Club" can shed more light on this game.
I understand they still play it quite a bit.

As I remember there is one big difference between the two games. In
Schafskapf you must always follow suit if possible but this is not the
case in Couyou. If I am wrong about that I hope someone will please
correct me.

Glenn Cleereman
Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA

This thread: