We followed up with a short game of Flaschenteufel, the Bottle Imp. This is a very good trick taking game where you want to take tricks with high cards but not with low cards. One card represents the Imp’s number (starting at 19). Providing all cards played are above that number, the winner simply takes the cards into their score pile. However, if any card in the trick is below the Imp’s number then the trick winner is the player who laid the highest card below that Imp number. They take the cards into their score pile but also take the Imp’s bottle and the card they won with becomes the new Imp number. Whoever has the Imp’s bottle at the end of the hand scores negative points rather than positive so you want to avoid that if possible. But, getting rid of low cards without taking the Bottle is tricky and calls for good judgement.

After an aborted first round where I had completely misunderstood the Imp rule, we played three rounds, each becoming more interesting as we got to grips with the slightly twisted trick winning rules. You certainly have different things to think about when evaluating your hand, compared with most trick-taking games. I managed to avoid taking the Bottle each time and ran out a reasonably comfortable winner. I love these clever little card games and Flaschenteufel is certainly one of the better ones. Excellent stuff.