Unteransetzen

The Unter of Hearts, the usual starting card
Origin	Austria, Bavaria
Alternative names	Unteranlegen, Unterauflegen
Type	Shedding game
Players	2–6
Age range	6+
Cards	32
Deck	Tell pattern
Rank (high→low)	A K O U 10 9 8 7
Play	Clockwise
Related games
Domino • Sevens • Zehnerlegen

Unteransetzen, Unteranlegen, Unterauflegen or Unterlegen is an Austrian and Bavarian card game of the Domino family for 2-6 players that is played exclusively with German-suited playing cards. The name means refers to the building of cards onto an Unter (the equivalent of the Jack in a French pack). It is a classic children's game.^[1]

Overview

Although Domino-style games are common in Europe, the game known as Unteransetzen is only recorded in Austria where it is very popular in Salzburg and Upper Austria, but also played in every other state bar Tyrol. It has many variants: those in which the Unter of Hearts is the starting card (Rot-Mandl-Auflegen, Rot-Unter-Ansetzen or Herz Unter anlegen^[2]), those in which the Unter of Leaves is the leading card (Grünmandlansetzen or Grünunteransetzen) and those in which any Unter may start (Unter-Anlegen, Unter-Ansetzen, Unter-Auflegen or Unterlegen).^[1]

Unteransetzen is also a component of compendium games such as Rosbiratschka^[3] Kein Stich or Herzeln.^[4]

Cards

The game is usually played with a Tell pack in Austria or Bavarian pattern pack in Bavaria. In a 2-player game, a third of the pack is placed, face down, as a talon from which to draw. Otherwise all cards are dealt. Cards rank in their natural order – Sow, King, Ober, Unter, Ten, Nine, Eight, Seven – and there are no trumps.^[1]

Playing

Usually the player with the Unter of Hearts leads; sometimes the Unter of Leaves is used (hence names like Grünunteransetzen). In clockwise order, players then attempt to 'build' onto the first card by laying next to it the next higher or lower card in suit sequence i.e. the second player would play either the Ober of Hearts or the Ten of Hearts. If a player cannot build in the same suit, they may lay another Unter, above or below the first, in suit order i.e. the U above the U or the U below the U.^[5] If they cannot build on an existing suit sequence or on the existing Unters, they must pass and, in a 2-hand game, draw another card from the talon.^[6]

The player who is first to shed all their cards is the winner.^[6]

Related games

Buurnleggen

In North Germany there is a game called Buurnleggen (Bauernlegen i.e. Jack-laying). It is described as a simple card game in which a Jack is placed on the table and players complete the rest of the suit before and after it. A player with no suitable card, but with another Jack, may start a new row. The winner is the first to shed all cards held.^[7]