The Sedma Family: How Hungary, Romania & Czechia Play the Same Game

Introduction

Across Central and Eastern Europe, variations of the same fast-paced trick-taking game are played under different names. In Hungary it is Zsírozás, in Romania Șeptică, in Czechia and Slovakia Sedma. All share the same unusual mechanic: tricks are won by matching the rank of the lead card, not by playing a higher card. There are no trumps determined by suit, no obligation to follow suit, and no complex bidding rounds. Just a deck of cards, a pile of “fat” points to fight over, and the constant tension of deciding whether to cut a trick or let it go.

This page is a cross-country hub that compares all three variants side by side. If you already know one version, you will discover how the other two differ — and why each country has fallen in love with its own flavour of essentially the same game. If you are completely new to the family, this is the ideal starting point before diving into any single variant’s full ruleset.

The Sedma family is one of the most distinctive card game families in the world. While the vast majority of trick-taking games — from Bridge to Tarot to Briscola — determine winners based on suit hierarchy and card height, these Central European cousins throw all of that out the window. Suit is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is rank. Play the same rank as the lead card, and you “cut” the trick. Fail to match, and you hand it over. It is a beautifully simple concept that produces surprisingly deep gameplay.

The Shared DNA

Before we look at what separates Zsírozás, Șeptică, and Sedma, let us identify what they all have in common. These shared features define the family and make it instantly recognisable no matter which country you are playing in:

• Trick-taking where same-rank cards “beat” the lead. This is the family’s DNA. You do not win a trick by playing a higher card or a trump — you win by playing a card of the same rank as the one that was led. If nobody matches, the leader keeps the trick. If multiple players match, the last to play a matching card wins.
• Fat card collection. The objective is identical across all three games: collect Aces (worth 11 points each) and Tens (worth 10 points each). These are the “fat” cards. Every other card in the deck is worth zero points — they are purely tactical tools for winning or conceding tricks.
• Four cards in hand, drawing from the stock. Every variant deals exactly 4 cards to each player. The remaining cards form a face-down stock pile. After each trick, players draw to replenish their hands back to 4 cards, starting with the trick winner. Once the stock runs out, players play out their remaining cards without drawing.
• No trump suit in the traditional sense. None of the base variants use a trump suit. Suit is entirely irrelevant to gameplay — only rank matters. This is a stark departure from the vast majority of European trick-taking games.
• 84 total fat points in the deck. Four Aces at 11 points each (44 total) plus four Tens at 10 points each (40 total) yields exactly 84 fat points. The winner of a round needs more than half: 43 or more points. If both sides finish with exactly 42, the round is a draw.
• 2 to 4 players. All three games work for 2, 3, or 4 players. With 4 players, partnership play (teammates sitting across from each other) is the norm.

Side-by-Side Comparison

The table reveals both the deep similarities and the critical fork in the road: the role of sevens. This single rule difference — whether 7s are ordinary cards or all-powerful trump-like cutters — fundamentally alters the strategy and feel of the game.

Zsírozás — The Hungarian Version

Zsírozás (pronounced roughly “ZHEE-ro-zahsh”) is the most popular card game in Hungary and the variant that most purists consider the original form of the family. The name means “greasing” — you “grease” a trick by slapping down a matching-rank card, as if greasing a hot pan. The metaphor is visceral and perfectly captures the feeling of stealing a fat trick from under your opponent’s nose.

Zsírozás is traditionally played with the Magyar kártya (Hungarian card deck), a beautiful 32-card deck with German-style suits: Hearts (Piros), Bells (Tök), Acorns (Makk), and Leaves (Zöld). Each suit contains eight ranks from 7 to Ace. The deck’s distinctive artwork — featuring characters like William Tell and historical figures — has been a fixture of Hungarian culture for over a century.

What makes Zsírozás distinct from its Romanian and Czech cousins is its purity. In the standard Hungarian game, sevens are ordinary cards with no special powers. The only way to win a trick is by matching the rank of the lead card — full stop. There are no wildcards, no exceptions, no escape hatches. This makes the game more austere and places an even greater premium on memory and card-counting. If you have been tracking which ranks have been played, you can deduce exactly when it is safe to lead an Ace and when it is not.

The emphasis in Zsírozás falls heavily on the concept of the “zsíros” trick — a trick where all four cards of the same rank appear at once. When this happens, the pile is spectacularly fat with potential points, and the last player to match the rank scoops it all up. Experienced Hungarian players relish these moments and build their entire strategy around engineering or preventing them.

For the complete rules, strategy tips, card values, and variations, see our full guide: How to Play Zsírozás.

Șeptică — The Romanian Version

Șeptică (pronounced “shep-TEE-kah”) is Romania’s most beloved casual card game. The name is the diminutive of șapte (seven) — literally “little seven” — because the sevens hold a special, game-defining power. Walk into any Romanian student dormitory, train compartment, or seaside terrace, and you will find people playing Șeptică. It is the kind of game that grandparents teach grandchildren and that friends pull out whenever there is a spare ten minutes.

The big difference from Zsírozás is straightforward but transformative: sevens can cut any card regardless of rank. It does not matter if the lead card is an Ace, a King, or a Ten — a seven beats it. A seven can only be cut back by another seven (or by a card of the same rank if sevens were used as the lead). Since sevens themselves are worth zero points, their power is purely tactical. You spend a worthless card to steal a trick that might be loaded with Aces and Tens.

This single rule changes the entire strategic landscape. Saving your sevens for the right moment becomes the paramount skill. Throwing a seven too early on a worthless trick is a rookie mistake that experienced Romanian players punish mercilessly. The psychological dimension is also richer — your opponent never knows if you are holding a seven in reserve, which creates bluffing opportunities that Zsírozás lacks.

Șeptică is typically played with a 24-card deck (9 through Ace in each suit, plus optionally the four 7s), though 32-card versions exist. The smaller deck means the stock runs out faster and the endgame arrives sooner, which suits Romania’s preference for quick, punchy rounds.

For the complete rules, strategy tips, and Romanian variations, see our full guide: How to Play Șeptică.

Sedma — The Czech and Slovak Version

Sedma (pronounced “SED-mah”) takes its name from the Czech word sedm, meaning “seven” — the same etymological root as the Romanian Șeptică. The game is a staple of Czech pubs and Slovak households, one of those games that seemingly everyone in both countries learned at their grandmother’s kitchen table and never forgot.

Mechanically, Sedma is the closest twin to Șeptică. Sevens are wildcards that can beat any rank, the point system is identical (Aces = 11, Tens = 10, everything else = 0, total of 84), and the flow of play follows the same deal-four-draw-from-stock pattern. If you know Șeptică, you can sit down at a Czech or Slovak table and play Sedma without learning a single new rule.

Where Sedma diverges slightly is in its use of a full 32-card deck as standard. While Șeptică often uses a stripped 24-card deck, Sedma includes the 7s, 8s, and all ranks up to Ace from the start. The larger deck means more cards in the stock, longer rounds, and more opportunities for the back-and-forth cutting duels that make the game so exciting.

Some regional Sedma variants also allow leading multiple cards of the same rank simultaneously. For example, if you hold two Kings, you can lead both at once. Your opponent then needs two Kings (or two sevens, or one of each) to cut. This rule amplifies the value of holding pairs and triples and makes the game faster and more aggressive. Not all Czech and Slovak players use this rule, but it is common enough to be considered part of the mainstream Sedma tradition.

Sedma is particularly popular in the pub culture of both countries. It fits perfectly into the rhythm of a casual evening: a round takes just a few minutes, the rules can be explained in under a minute, and the game works equally well with 2 players over beers or with 4 players in partnership teams.

Key Differences Between the Three Variants

While the family resemblance is strong, the differences are what make each variant worth playing on its own terms. Here are the main points of divergence:

The Sevens Question

This is the single biggest divide in the family. In Zsírozás, sevens are ordinary cards — they can only cut a trick if the lead card is also a seven. In Șeptică and Sedma, sevens are supreme — they can cut any card of any rank. This one rule changes the game’s entire tactical structure. Without special sevens, Zsírozás rewards pure card-counting and careful rank management. With special sevens, Șeptică and Sedma add a wildcard element that creates bluffing opportunities and dramatic reversals.

Deck Types

Zsírozás is traditionally played with the Magyar kártya, a 32-card deck with German-style suits (Hearts, Bells, Acorns, Leaves). Șeptică uses the standard French-suited deck (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) stripped to 24 or 32 cards. Sedma also uses French-suited or occasionally German-suited 32-card decks. The deck choice is largely cosmetic — gameplay is the same regardless of suit artwork — but the Hungarian deck has a distinctive cultural significance that Zsírozás players take seriously.

Regional Dealing Customs

The way cards are dealt varies by country and even by household. Hungarian Zsírozás players typically deal in pairs (two cards, then two more). Romanian Șeptică players often deal one card at a time. Czech Sedma players may deal all four at once or in batches of two. None of these customs affect gameplay, but they form part of the ritual that makes each variant feel distinct.

Team Play Conventions

All three games support 4-player partnership play, but the conventions around it differ. In Hungarian Zsírozás, feeding fat cards to your partner’s winning trick (throwing an Ace or Ten onto a trick your partner is already winning) is a celebrated tactic called “greasing for your partner.” In Romanian Șeptică, partnership play tends to be more defensive, with players focusing on not wasting sevens on tricks their partner is already controlling. Czech and Slovak Sedma partnerships fall somewhere in between.

Multiple Card Leads

Some variants of Sedma (and occasionally Șeptică) allow the lead player to play two or more cards of the same rank simultaneously. The opponent must then cut all of them to win the trick. Standard Zsírozás does not use this rule, though a variant called “Dupla Zsírozás” (Double Greasing) exists for players who want a faster game.

Why This Game Family Is Unique

In the global landscape of card games, the Sedma family occupies a genuinely unusual niche. Here is why it stands out:

The “matching rank beats” mechanic is extremely rare. The overwhelming majority of the world’s trick-taking games — Bridge, Whist, Tarot, Briscola, Tressette, Skat, and hundreds of others — determine trick winners through a combination of suit hierarchy and card height. A higher card of the led suit wins, and trump suits override everything. The Sedma family throws all of this out. Suit is meaningless. Card height is meaningless. The only thing that wins a trick is matching the rank. This mechanic is so unusual that many Western European card players find it disorienting at first — and then discover they love it.

The back-and-forth cutting creates exciting gameplay. Because any player might hold a matching rank (or a devastating seven), every trick is a miniature battle. The lead player lays down a card hoping to keep the trick. The opponent cuts. The leader cuts back. The opponent counter-cuts. In a two-player game, a single trick can involve four or more cards as both players empty their matching ranks onto the table. This dueling dynamic is thrilling and creates far more tension per trick than most card games manage.

Simple enough for children, strategic enough for adults. The rules can be explained in under two minutes, and a first game can be played in under five. Yet experienced players develop deep skills around card-counting, timing, bluffing, and reading opponents. The game sits in that sweet spot where a ten-year-old can enjoy playing against a grandparent, and both can feel like they are playing a real game. This accessibility is a major reason why all three variants have become national favourites in their respective countries.

Geographic Spread: How the Game Travelled

The Sedma family’s geographic footprint maps remarkably closely onto the former Austro-Hungarian Empire (1867–1918). Hungary, Bohemia (now the Czech Republic), Slovakia, and large parts of Romania were all part of this sprawling multi-ethnic state. Within its borders, soldiers served alongside men from other provinces, students attended universities in distant cities, merchants traded across linguistic boundaries, and bureaucrats were posted far from home. Card games, requiring no common language beyond a few hand gestures and shared rules, were the perfect social lubricant for these interactions.

Card game historians generally agree that the family originated somewhere in the Hungarian-speaking heartland — the strong Hungarian deck tradition and the centrality of the “greasing” metaphor in Zsírozás suggest deep roots — and then spread outward as the empire expanded. The Czech and Slovak versions may have arrived via military garrisons or university towns. The Romanian version likely crossed the border through Transylvania, a region that was part of Hungary until 1920 and where Hungarian and Romanian cultural influences blended for centuries.

After the empire dissolved following World War I, each successor state’s version of the game evolved independently. Hungary kept the original no-special-sevens version. Romania and the Czech/Slovak lands both independently elevated the seven to wildcard status — or perhaps they inherited this rule from a now-lost common variant. Without written records from the 19th century, the exact historical sequence remains a matter of scholarly debate.

What is beyond debate is the result: three nations, three names, one beautifully resilient game family that has survived two world wars, the collapse of an empire, communist-era restrictions on social gatherings, and the rise of smartphones — and is still being played enthusiastically today.

Other Related Games

The Sedma family does not exist in total isolation. Card game scholars have noted possible connections to several other European game families, though the relationships are debated:

• Italian Bestia (Bstia). Some Italian trick-taking games from the Bestia family share the concept of “fat” card collection (Aces and Tens as the primary point cards) without strict suit-following obligations. The connection is tenuous but intriguing, especially given the historical trade links between northern Italy and the Austro-Hungarian lands.
• German Fettspielen (“fat-playing”). The German term Fettspielen describes any card game where the objective is to collect point-heavy (“fat”) cards. While this is a broad category rather than a single game, the linguistic parallel with Zsírozás (“greasing,” from zsír meaning fat/grease) is striking. Several German card games share the 84-point scoring structure, including some variants of Skat and Doppelkopf.
• Russian Durak family. While mechanically quite different (Durak is a shedding game, not a trick-taker), some Russian card game traditions include the idea of “beating” cards by matching rank. The potential for cross-pollination along the eastern borders of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is worth noting.
• Polish Tuzy. A lesser-known Polish card game that shares some mechanical DNA with the Sedma family, including the collection of Aces and Tens. Poland’s geographic position between Germany, Czechia, and the former Russian Empire makes it a natural crossroads for card game traditions.

None of these connections have been definitively proven through historical documentation. What they suggest, however, is that the core ideas behind the Sedma family — fat card collection, rank-matching, and the irrelevance of suit — may have deeper and wider roots in European card gaming than any single national tradition can claim.

Which Version Should You Try?

If you have never played any game in the Sedma family, here is a quick guide to choosing your starting point:

• Choose Șeptică if you want the most accessible and exciting entry point. The smaller 24-card deck means faster rounds, and the powerful sevens add a thrilling wildcard element that keeps every trick unpredictable. This is the best version for complete beginners and casual social play.
• Choose Sedma if you want a slightly longer game with more strategic depth. The 32-card deck extends the stock phase, giving you more time to develop a hand strategy. The optional multiple-card lead rule adds an extra dimension. This is a great choice if you enjoy pub games or want a step up in complexity from Șeptică.
• Choose Zsírozás if you prefer a purer, more cerebral experience. Without special sevens, the game rewards memory and card-counting more heavily. There are fewer dramatic reversals but more quiet, satisfying moments where careful observation pays off. This is the version for players who enjoy games like Gin Rummy or Piquet, where tracking every card matters.
• Try all three if you are a card game enthusiast. Playing the variants back to back is a fascinating exercise in game design — you experience firsthand how a single rule change (the power of sevens) transforms the feel, strategy, and psychology of an otherwise identical game. It is one of the best examples of “minimal rule, maximum impact” in all of card gaming.

Whichever version you choose, you are joining a tradition that has entertained millions of players across four countries for well over a century. Grab a deck, deal four cards, and find out what the fuss is about.

Frequently Asked Questions