Free Sheepshead training returns to Dubois County for four-week session

UPDATE: Due to the potential Indiana/Ohio rematch, the class will be delayed by one week. We’ve updated the dates in the story below

A free four-week training course on Sheepshead, a traditional German card game, is returning to Dubois County.

Led by Laura Grammer, the sessions kick off on four consecutive Mondays starting January 26. Classes run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Jan. 26, Feb. 2, Feb. 9, and Feb. 16. The venue will be chosen once organizers know how many people sign up.

Anyone interested in learning the game is welcome to join, including young people, since the game is becoming popular among younger age groups.

The course requires you to attend all four sessions, especially the first two classes. If you miss either of the first two, it’s better to wait for the next round of training.

The first two classes cover the basics: the power and points of each card, what makes a trump, how trumps can shift during play, and how each type of bid works. The last two classes focus on actual gameplay and putting what you’ve learned into practice. Group play will be held on the second and fourth Mondays.

If you’ve taken the course before, you’re welcome to come back as a mentor to help newcomers or to retake the training as a refresher. Several people have gone through it twice, finding that everything makes more sense the second time around.

After finishing the training, you’ll have a solid beginner’s grasp of the game. There’s also a regular playing group that meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month.

“Dubois County Sheepshead is played differently than anywhere else in the world,” Laura pointed out, warning that internet resources won’t properly prepare you for the local variation.

Anyone interested in attending should contact Laura by email at laura@ackoil.com to get added to the participant list.

We thought this was funny, though not necessarily indicative of what you will encounter with the upcoming classes.

@charlieberens Sheepshead, anyone? ? @Bill Doucette ? original sound – Charlie Berens