[5] Tapp is the name of the face-down stack of cards in the middle of the table – in other games known as the talon or stock.

Tapp Tarock is recorded, as Tarocktappen, as early as 1806 in a comic opera written by the Viennese poet and playwright Joachim Perinet, Die neue Alzeste[3] and in an anthology of letters (also as Taroktappen),[9] both published in Vienna.

It is also mentioned in another comic opera by Karl Meisl, Amor und Psyche, published in Pest (now Budapest) in 1820, where the character Jupiter refers to Tarocktappen.

[10] The first description of its rules, however, appears in Theoretisch-praktische Anweisung zur gründlichen Erlernung des beliebten Tarok-Tappen Spiels, published in Vienna in 1821.

[13] In Troggu, the older Swiss tarot game, the Fool can function as the highest trump or as the excuse.

By the time the rules had been printed, a Tapper was usually not played out; the declarer simply received the game points for it and the deal passed to the next player in turn.

[14] By 1838, Tapp Tarock had become sufficiently popular in south Germany that Tap-Taroc packs were being advertised by C. Diehl of Darmstadt.

[15] Likewise in 1872, Tap-Tarock cards were being sold in Karlsruhe alongside Tarock, Whist and Piquet packs.

After the Second World War, more complicated variants such as Illustrated Tarock were developed and, today, Dreiertarock is its tournament equivalent.

They rank as follows: The kings are worth 5 points, queens 4, knights 3, jacks 2, and pip cards 1.

The following rules for modern Tapp Tarock are based on Mayr and Sedlaczek (2001):[18] Seating and first dealer may be determined by lot.

A player whose has been overcalled may, when the turn rotates around again, may "hold" (halte ich) it, i.e. announce an intention to take over the higher contract from the later bidder.

These increase risk because the defenders gain information, but they score bonus points if the declarer succeeds.

An announced Pagat Ultimo is only won if achieved; if the declarer loses it at any point, the defenders each score the bonus.