Grasobern

Grasobern, Grasoberl, Grasoberln, Graseberla, Grünobern, Lauboberl or Laubobern is a card game that was once commonly played in Old Bavaria, especially in the old counties of Bad Aibling and Rosenheim, and is still popular in eastern Bavaria, especially in Upper Palatinate. The game has relatively simple rules and thus a rather relaxing and leisurely character without the mental demands of Schafkopf or psychological stress of Watten, two other traditional Bavarian card games. The name is taken from the game's penalty card, the Ober of Leaves. The suit of Leaves is known in German variously as Laub ("leaves, foliage"), Gras ("grass") or Grün ("green").

History

Grasobern originated in "Old Bavaria" – Altbayern - and is recorded in the Bavarian Courier as early as 1826 (as Grünober) being played at home around the table by the "master craftsmen, journeymen and apprentices", along with Solo, Schafkopf, Kreuzmariage, Matzlfangen and others. However, as Lauboberspiel ("the game of Laubober") it was already popular by around 1800 as a form of evening relaxation during long winter evenings in rural communities where it was known as "the brothers' game" due to the low stakes it was played for. As Laubobern, Grasobern or Grasoberln, the game features in 19th century poetry and literature as a social game. Meyer (1852) includes it among the drinking games together with Cerevis, Schlauch and Quodlibet.

Competitions known as Grasober-Rennen (lit. "Grasober Races") were held as early as the mid-19th century in Lower Bavaria, for example, in Landshut or Munich.