Start of new season

Tarock is now cultural heritage like brass band music!

Upper Austria is a real stronghold of tarock, where time flies by.(Bild: FRANZ MITTI)

(Bild: Dostal Harald)

(Bild: Gaisbauer)

(Bild: Oliver Gaisbauer)

Upper Austrians are passionate card players - and tarot players! There are three cups in "Königrufen" in Upper Austria. The Raiffeisen Tarockcup and the Hausruckcup are now starting a special season. The game has been declared a UNESCO cultural heritage, putting it on a par with brass band music.

Summer is over, it's raining cats and dogs. "The right weather for playing cards," says more than just Manfred Huemer. The Mühlviertel native (with an offensive style of play) was twice national champion in the most popular variant of the tarot game, "Königrufen", which originated in Italy during the Renaissance. A game that enjoys great popularity across all social classes!

From Vranitzky to Mitterlehner
Many (former) politicians, from Franz Vranitzky to Reinhold Mitterlehner, are also passionate fans of the tarot game - which is now entering a very special season: Before the Raiffeisen Tarock Cup starts on October 4 and the Hausruck Cup and the Linz Tarock Academy courses begin on Friday, a special certificate will be presented at Schloss Zell an der Pram.

In addition to strategy and memorization skills, a good hand is of course helpful.(Bild: Dostal Harald)

This is because tarock "king calling" has been included by UNESCO in the list of intangible cultural heritage, thus joining a number of important Austrian institutions and customs such as the Spanish Riding School or blue printing.

Memory, strategy and card luck
"Tarock, like brass band music, is cultural preservation," says Gerhard Mayr, who is passionate about passing it on. Memory, strategy and card luck are required, and the game objectives and partnerships between the four players are constantly changing. And more and more ladies are playing!

Two-time national champion Manfred Huemer with Gerhard Mayr, who submitted Tarock-Königrufen for UNESCO cultural heritage status.(Bild: Oliver Gaisbauer)

More and more women are playing tarot
"You shouldn't underestimate the ladies," nods Huemer and points out that (with special "Piatnik" cards) women's tarot will also be on the rise in the fall. "Gstieß", "Mond", "Pagat" and co. also do the rounds at charity events for the royal game, about which Huemer says: "Time flies when you're playing, three or four hours is nothing!" It can rain outside.

INFORMATION

• Hausruckviertler Tarockcup (start on September 20): www.hausruckcup.at
• Raiffeisen Tarockcup (start on October 4): tarockcup.at
• Sauwald Tarockcup (next event on October 5): tarockrunde-sauwald.jimdofree.com
• COURSES: linzertarockakademie.jimdofree.com