Although probably first played in the early nineteenth century,[2] the game of Tapp is still a local pastime in its native Württemberg, albeit in a greatly elaborated form.

The earliest version of this three-player game had Hearts as a permanent trump suit and the dealer kept the 3-card skat, discarding 3 cards before play began.

This was superseded around 1840 by a more interesting and challenging game initially called Sansprendre, but which later took over the name of German Tarok.

This was effectively the Swabian name of the game otherwise called German Tarok in Bavaria and elsewhere.

[2] In 1901, Tapp was reported to be one of the most popular penny ante games in the city of Pforzheim in Baden alongside Cego, Sixty-Six, Skat and Tarrock (possibly Dreierles).

[5] The later version of Tapp, also called Dapp or Dappen in the south German dialect, appears to be an elaboration of the original game in which the contracts of Frage, Solo and Heart Solo – together with the bonuses for a slam (Tout) – have been supplemented by Rufer, Bettel and Ramsch.

[7] In the village of Backnang, 30 kilometres northeast of Stuttgart, the older farmers regularly played Dapp (Dabba) with 36 cards and contracts including suit games, Bettel, Rufer, Durch and Ramsch (Swabian: ãnn Rõndå).

Some played for money that went into a tin called a Kirchles that they saved up and donated to buy confirmation clothing for poor children at church.

[7] However, according to Dummett, it is highly likely that the original versions of Tapp were still being played in Swabia in the 1970s[2] and there is also evidence that an early variant, simply called Tarock, has survived in Bavaria.

In 1879, Anton refers to the 3-contract game as Tapp, but cites other names as Württembergischer Tarok, Solo and Sans Prendre.

[10] In 1947 it is recorded in Bohemia as Sans Prendre, the name being a reference to play without picking up the talon.

[11][a] In 1951, Schlager knows the game as Tapp, Tappen or Dappen and records that it is extensively played in the Swabian region of Württemberg with either German- or French-suited cards.

Tapp traditionally consists of 9 cards in the four suits of Hearts (Herz), Diamonds (Karo), Clubs (Kreuz) and Spades (Schippen or Pik), with the following values: The trick-taking ability or ranking of the cards within their individual suits from Ace / Deuce (highest) to Six (lowest) is shown by the sequence in the table below.

Dealer shuffles, offers the cut to his right, and then places 3 cards as a talon or tapp on the table.

Before the first trick is played, the declarer may announce a Tout, also called a Schwarz, Durchmarsch or Valat, the last term being the same as that used in true Tarock games.

Frage is referred to by Meyer as Coeurfrage, emphasising that Hearts remained trumps for that contract.

[15] NSV have published rules online that appear to reflect this new version of the traditional Württemberg game.

The player to the right of forehand starts the bidding by saying "play" (ich spiele) or "pass" (weg).

The contracts and their values are: If all pass, a Ramsch is played, whereby players aim to score as few points as possible.