[2] As a result, like Grasobern, it has a relatively relaxed character without the mental demands of Schafkopf or the psychological stress of Watten.

[7] The game is not dissimilar to the widely popular Préférence for which Piatnik continue to produce bespoke packs today.

[9] And again, in the Rott valley during the early 19th century, a favourite pastime of the men was playing cards of which Wallachen was one of the most common, alongside Stichbrandeln and Zwicken.

Their wives did not approve of this and often gave told their menfolk off in no uncertain terms and with choice expressions.

[10] The game goes under various other names depending on the region, for example in the area of Grafenau in eastern Bavaria it is also called Säbeln ("Sabre").

[11] Other spelling variants include Wallach, Wallacha, Walachen, Wallachan (Bavarian) or Wallachern.

[13] The terminology for the contracts - Brand, Bettel and Mord - may be derived from the old German game of Brandeln, which dates to the 17th century.

[1] For trick-taking the cards rank as follows (from highest to lowest): Sow (Sau) (Deuce, marked "A") > King > Ober > Unter > 10 > 9 > 8 > 7.

In the normal game, the card led to the first trick determines the trump suit for the hand.

[1][15] The player to the left of the dealer, forehand, begins the auction by announcing whether to will "play" (ich spiele) or "pass" (weiter).

If, however, the next player in clockwise order, middlehand, also wants to play, he has to outbid forehand by announcing "Seven" (Sieben), which commits him to taking at least seven tricks.

On the other hand, he may increase the number of tricks bid, or change his contract to Bettel or Mord (the latter is called Kini in some regions).

[16] In Sirch's variant, which may represent an earlier form of the game, there are only three bids: Brand, Beddl [sic] and Mord.

[1] Once the declarer has decided whether to play the announced game or switch to Bettel or Mord, he discards two unwanted cards to the start and leads to the first trick.

By contrast, Bavarian Tarock, albeit superficially similar with respect to the dealing of cards and the auction, is a point-trick, ace–ten game.