Klaverjassen and the Jass Family

As most players might have read about, Klaverjassen is a Dutch card game, which is quite popular nowadays. However, not everybody knows of the fact that this Dutch game belongs to a family of card games known as the Jass family. The Jass family is mainly composed of ace-ten card games developed in Europe but derived from Klaverjassen. This means that not all members of the Jass family hail from the Netherlands. Almost all European countries have their own version of the game but only the most popular ones will be listed here.

One of the most popular members of this family hails from the country generally regarded as the country home to the most beautiful city in the world, France. This Jass family member is known as Belote. Although it is one of Klaverjassen’s more younger cousins, it is nonetheless one of the most popular card games in all of France. Its popularity is such that you could even see people at some of France’s most secluded provinces playing the game. It has a lot of similarities with Klaverjassen, among which includes the use of the 32-card deck. However, unlike the Dutch game, Belote is much more lenient on the number of players in the game as its rules allow the game to be played with three or two players.

Another member of the Jass family though not a single card game but a group of card games, which have gained high regard and recognition from card game players, is Swiss Jass. Swiss Jass hails from Switzerland and it can’t be stressed enough how popular these games are in that country. In fact, these games are so popular and have such deep cultural influence in that part of the world that other card games, not even remotely having anything to do with the Jass family or Klaverjassen for that matter, originating from that country are described as a kind of Jass.

The next Jass family member hails from Germany, it is called Klabberjass. This one is also so popular in the German region of its origin that tournaments with fabulous prices are held each year. Being a popular card game in the tournament scene, it has some of the most regulated well-versed rules developed for any card game, even rivaling that of Klaverjassen. These rules allow for a quick resolution for any problems that might arise during game play. Like Belote from France, and some of the Swiss Jass card games like Coiffeur-Schieber and Plus-Minus Jass from Switzerland, Klabberjass, is also lenient on the number of players allowed to play a game.
Jan Kaas is specialized in writing about klaverjassen and online klaverjassen.