The Real Landsknecht Homepage: The Card Game

	The Real Landsknecht Homepage:
	The Card Game

Landsknecht is a game for two or more players. One player must act as the Banker/Dealer and must be able to cover all bets. Normally the Dealer passes on the deal when the game is over, but a Dealer can start the game under the agreement that he will remain the Dealer throughout. As in most wagering game, players may agree to use credit if someone runs out of cash. Any deck will do, but its probably best with a standard 52 card deck.

All players ante some agreed to amount into the game.

DEAL:
The Dealer deals the two "Hand Cards" face up on the table. One card is dealt to himself face up, and one "Réjoussance" card is then dealt face up for all the players or each player receives his own Réjoussance card (variation of the game). If any of these cards are the same face value, then the Dealer wins the antes in the pot and a new game is started. If you are playing the variation where each player has his own Réjoussance card, then the players cards may match each other, but not the Hand cards.

WAGER:
The players then wager on the Réjoussance card for the group, or their own card if playing that variation.

PLAY:
One at a time, the Dealer draws a card from the top of the deck.

- Cards that match the Hand Cards are laid beside them. If each Hand card is matched, then the hand is over. All bets are returned and cards are shuffled and redealt by the Dealer (the game is not over).

- Cards that have no match are laid beside the Réjoussance card and the players can wager on those cards as well.

- If a card matches the Réjoussance card or one of the subsequent cards, the Dealer wins all bets laid on the particular card. Whenever the Dealer wins a bet, the Réjoussance card or subsequent card is removed from play.

- If a Card matches the Dealers card, the dealer loses, matches all bets on the table and the game is over.

The game is also over if all the wagers have been lost or the cards are all played.

According to The Merry Gamester, by Walter Nelson, the first mention of this game was in 1534.


		© Ragnar Torfason 2006 March 28