Ober (playing card)

The Ober, formerly Obermann, in Austrian also called the Manderl, is the court card in the German and Swiss styles of playing cards that corresponds in rank to the Queen in French decks. The name Ober (lit.: "over") is an abbreviation of the former name for these cards, Obermann, which meant something like 'superior' or 'lord'.[1] Van der Linde argues that the King, Ober and Unter in a pack of German cards represented the military ranks of general, officer (Oberofficier) and sergeant (Unterofficier), while the pip cards represented the common soldier.[2]

The four Obers in a German deck of cards (Bavarian pattern, Stralsund type)

Ober and Unter of Acorns in a Saxon pattern deck

The figure depicted on an Ober is usually a nobleman or officer. It is distinguished from the lowest court card, the Unter (lit. "under", formerly Untermann or "vassal", "subject", "subordinate"), by the figure's suit sign located in the upper range of the card. In the Württemberg pattern the Ober appears on horseback, as they were inspired by Cego decks whose face cards included a Knight or Cavalier as well as the Jack, Queen and King.[3]

The earliest description of playing cards in Europe comes from John of Rheinfelden in 1377. He describes the recent introduction of cards in his region. For decks he regards as common, beneath the seated King were two marshals (cavalry commanders), with one holding his suit sign up while the other held his hanging down. This corresponds with modern Obers and Unters with the exception that they are no longer mounted on horseback.[4]

Card decks that contain four Obers are used, for example, in Skat, Mau Mau, Bavarian Tarock and Schafkopf. By contrast, the decks used to play Gaigel and Doppelkopf have eight Obers. In Schafkopf, the four Obers are the highest trump cards, in Doppelkopf the eight Obers are the highest trump cards after the two 10s of hearts. In the Bavarian card game, Grasobern, tricks that contain the 'Grass Ober' (i.e. Ober of Leaves) are to be avoided.