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The Bernese ban on gaming in 1367 was the first document to refer to card games being played in Europe. The Dominican priest Johannes von Rheinfelden was the first to describe card games. The oldest known set of rules for a card game dates from the 15th century and applies to Keiserspiel, or Keisere, as it is known to this day in canton Nidwalden.
Similarly old rules have survived for the game of Trentnen, which is still played in the Muotatal valley, canton Schwyz, and in Appenzell Inner-Rhodes and for Flüsslen, which also comes from the Muotatal. There is also evidence that Tarot cards, which originated in northern Italy in 1450, were played in Switzerland as long ago as 1572. Tarot was very popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries, but like all other old card games was superseded by Jass in most areas. To ensure the survival of the traditions of Keisere, Trämpne and Flüssle, prize competitions are staged.
The word «Jass» comes from the Dutch Jos (peasant). This most popular of Swiss card games was apparently brought to Switzerland from the Netherlands by Swiss mercenaries. The earliest reference to it is found in 1796 in Siblingen, canton Schaffhausen.
Jass is played by two to four players, or occasionally six players, with 36 cards of four colours and nine cards of each colour, namely the Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Banner (or Ten), Nine, Eight, Seven and Six. In a trump suit the Jack is worth 20 points, and the Nine is worth 14 points. There are over 50 variations of this popular card game throughout Switzerland and western Austria, for example, Bieter (bidder), Schieber (pusher) and the game of kings. The most commonly played type of Jass is Bieter. Two players sit across from each other. Whenever it is someone’s turn to call the trump colour and they don’t have a good hand (several cards of the same colour), they pass the decision on to their partner. In western Switzerland and in cantons Berne, Solothurn, Basel Town, Basel Country, Aargau (except Freiamt), and Graubünden, as well as the lake region of Thurgau, French cards with spades, diamonds, hearts and clubs are used.
In the rest of Switzerland, German cards decorated with shields, bells, acorns and roses are used. The boundary between the French and German cards roughly follows the language divide. Three point two million Swiss play Jass at least once a week. For 30 years Swiss television has been broadcasting Jass tournaments every two weeks. And Swiss Jass championships have been held since 1969.
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