Where to Play Sheepshead Online
There is no single best online sheepshead game. There are a handful of good ones, and they are good at different things. This page lists every current place we could find to play sheepshead online, what each one does well, and which to pick for what you want.
Checked on 2026-10-11, on each site’s own pages or its app store listing. Sheepshead Club wrote this page and is one of the sites on it, so we have tried hard to be fair, and we say where the others are stronger. Where a site does not say something, the page says “not stated” rather than guessing. If anything here is wrong or out of date, tell us at support@sheepsheadclub.com and we will fix it.
The short answer.
To play right now against computer players with no signup: Sheepshead Club or PlaySheepshead.org. Both are free and run in a browser.
For the longest-running community of real people at five-handed tables: get61.com, online since 2017.
For an iPhone app: PlaySheepshead.org, the only one of the browser sites with a published iPhone app.
For a regular group that wants its own table, its own house rules and its own standings, including six-handed with the dealer sitting out: Sheepshead Club.
For sheepshead alongside many other card games: World of Card Games, which plays four-handed call an ace.
The sites side by side
Swipe the table sideways on a phone. “Bots” means computer players.
| Site | Cost | Account to play | Bots | Real people | Private tables | Players | Partner rules | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sheepshead Club | Free, no ads | No | Yes, three strengths | Yes, public tables and a weekly event | Yes, plus clubs | 3 to 6 | Jack of diamonds, call an ace | Browser |
| PlaySheepshead.org | Free | No (free name-only account for some features) | Yes, four AI characters | Yes, three always-open tables | Yes, invite by link | 3 to 5 | Jack of diamonds, call an ace | iPhone app; browser |
| get61.com | Not stated; has a donate link | Yes, sign in to play | Not stated | Yes, its focus | Not stated | 5 | Jack of diamonds, call an ace | Not stated |
| Sheepshead Live | Free | Unclear (the site says both) | Yes, to fill empty seats | Yes, five-player tables with chat | Not stated | 5 | Jack of diamonds, call an ace | Browser |
| World of Card Games | Free with ads; paid option removes them | No | Yes | Yes | Yes | 4 | Call an ace | Browser |
| PlayingCards.io | Free; premium exists | Not stated | No | Yes, people you invite | Yes | 2 to 5 | Whatever you agree on | Browser |
| Schafkopf Palast | Free with chips, paid extras and ads | No (per its iPhone listing) | Not stated | Yes | Clubs and leagues | Not stated | German Schafkopf rules | iPhone, Android, Windows apps |
Sheepshead Club
sheepsheadclub.com. This site. Free, no ads, no chips, and no account needed to sit down. It opened in June 2026, so it is the newest site here and its community is still small next to get61’s.
- Three, four, five and six handed. Six-handed is the tavern format, where the dealer sits out each hand. Of the sites checked, it is the only one that deals six-handed.
- Jack of diamonds and call an ace, with call a ten and card under. Cracks, recracks, blitzes (black queens, Indian, Johnny), blitz cracks and the sheepshead call. Leasters, doublers, dealer stuck or schwanzers when everybody passes, plus switches such as double on the bump. Details are on the variants page.
- Computer players at three strengths (Easy, Hard and Tournament), and public tables with real people. A free account, by email or Sign in with Google, adds stats and ranked hands.
- Clubs: a regular group gets its own table with its own house rules, its own standings, an invite link, and an optional season record members can download as a spreadsheet.
- Club Night, weekly on Wednesdays from 7 to 9 PM Central, with a prize (currently $25) under the conditions on the ranked hands page.
- Provably fair deals you can check in one click, a coach that can be switched off, and a replay of any recent hand trick by trick.
- Offline play against computer players on your own device, and pass-and-play around one device.
- For games at a real table: a phone score tracker and a free printable score sheet.
Best for: a group that plays together regularly and wants its own rules, a six-handed game, and anyone who wants to check the deal for themselves. Weaker on: no app store app (it runs in the phone’s browser), only sheepshead here, and a smaller crowd of real people than get61 at most hours.
PlaySheepshead.org
playsheepshead.org. Free, with no signup needed to play; a free name-only account saves stats and a rating. Three- to five-handed, both partner rules, and leasters, cracks, doublers, blitzes and a Schafkopf hearts-trump variant. Four AI characters, three tables kept open around the clock (called ace, jack of diamonds, and Euchre) with AI filling empty seats, invite links for friends, hand replay, and deals it describes as provably fair. It has the largest library of rules, strategy and learning pages of the sites here, including an interactive tutorial.
It also has a published iPhone and iPad app, free with no in-app purchases listed, that plays against the AI offline. Its app page says an Android app is in the works; on Android it runs in the browser. It also offers Euchre on the same account.
Best for: learning from a big library of guides, and playing on an iPhone. Weaker on: no six-handed game.
get61.com
get61.com. The longest-running place to play sheepshead online with real people: its home page says it has been online since 2017, with 2.5 million hands played. Five-handed, with jack of diamonds partner and call an ace, double on the bump or cracks and blitzes, and leasters, doublers or schwanzers when nobody picks. It has a leaderboard, stats and recent hands. You sign in to play. Computer players are not mentioned on its home page; its pitch is playing with real people.
It was running normally when we checked on 2026-10-11, with no closure notice on the site. If you are moving between the two, there is a page for that: coming from get61.
Best for: an established community of experienced five-handed players. Weaker on: five-handed only, and no app mentioned.
Sheepshead Live
sheepsheadlive.com. A free browser game, run by an independent developer, with real-time five-player tables, table chat, and computer players to fill empty seats. Jack of diamonds and call an ace, with optional blitzes, cracks, doublers, leasters, schwanzers and forced on the end. The home page says no signup is required while its menu says to sign in to play, so expect to make an account. It has a rules page and a history page, and no app; its tables are made for phones and tablets in the browser.
Best for: a simple five-handed game with the common house rules. Weaker on: five-handed only, and no tutorial.
World of Card Games
worldofcardgames.com. A general card site with many games (Hearts, Spades, Euchre, Pinochle, Bridge, Cribbage and others). Its sheepshead is four-handed with a four-card blind and call an ace (or a ten), and the picker can go alone. Free, with no download or registration needed; an account is needed for ranked play. You can play against bots, join open tables, or make a private table. Ads pay for the site, and a small subscription turns them off. Cracks, blitzes and leasters are not mentioned.
Best for: a quick game with no signup, and anyone who plays several card games. Weaker on: four-handed call an ace only, so not the five-handed jack of diamonds game most Wisconsin tables play.
PlayingCards.io
playingcards.io. A virtual card table, not a sheepshead program. It has a sheepshead room for two to five players, but it does not enforce rules or keep score for you: players move the cards, slide a picker marker and track points themselves. No computer players. A premium subscription exists.
Best for: a group of friends on a video call who want to play exactly their own rules by hand. Weaker on: nothing is automatic, so it only works with people who already know the game.
Phone apps
- PlaySheepshead.org has the only current iPhone app tied to one of the browser sites (above).
- Sheepshead on the App Store is a single-player iPhone app against computer opponents: three- to five-handed, both partner rules, optional leasters, and ten-hand tournaments. Free with ads.
- Sheepshead Pro is a paid single-player iPhone app, last updated in 2016.
- We could not find a current Android app for American sheepshead from any of the browser sites. Sheepshead Club, PlaySheepshead.org and World of Card Games all run in a phone’s browser.
Schafkopf Palast (the German game)
Schafkopf Sheepshead Online, from the German company behind schafkopf-palast.de, plays Schafkopf, the Bavarian ancestor of sheepshead, with German rules. It has live opponents, chat, clubs, leagues and tournaments, on iPhone, Android and Windows. It is free to download with chips, paid extras and ads. Worth knowing about if you want the German game; it is not the American game most Wisconsin tables play.
Names you may see that we could not confirm
- GameDesire. Some lists still name GameDesire for sheepshead. Its own list of 41 games on 2026-10-11 did not include sheepshead or Schafkopf.
- iSheepshead. We found no app store listing under that name.
- Trickster Cards, cardgames.io and VIP Games do not offer sheepshead.
Which one should I pick?
- I want to play right now, against the computer. Sheepshead Club or PlaySheepshead.org, no account needed at either. World of Card Games too, if four-handed call an ace suits you.
- I am learning the game. Sheepshead Club has a hand played with a coach beside you (about three minutes, no account) and a beginner walkthrough. PlaySheepshead.org has an interactive tutorial and the biggest set of guides.
- I play with the same group every week. Sheepshead Club: a club keeps your rules, your standings and your season record, and plays three to six handed. PlaySheepshead.org and World of Card Games also have private tables by link.
- I want real people at a five-handed table. get61 has the longest-running community. Sheepshead Club has public tables and Club Night on Wednesdays, 7 to 9 PM Central. PlaySheepshead.org keeps tables open with AI filling seats until people arrive.
- I play on my phone. On an iPhone, PlaySheepshead.org has an app. Sheepshead Club, PlaySheepshead.org and World of Card Games all work in a phone’s browser.
- I have no connection. Sheepshead Club can play a full game against computer players on your device once the page is open, and the PlaySheepshead.org iPhone app plays the AI offline.
- We are playing in person. Sheepshead Club’s score tracker and printable score sheet are free with no account.
- We want the German game. Schafkopf Palast.
Questions
What is the best online sheepshead game?
It depends on what you want. For a group with its own house rules, or six-handed, Sheepshead Club. For an iPhone app and a big learning library, PlaySheepshead.org. For the longest-running community of real players, get61. All three are free.
Where can I play sheepshead online for free?
Sheepshead Club, PlaySheepshead.org, World of Card Games and PlayingCards.io are free to play. Sheepshead Club has no ads at all. get61 states no price and has a donate link.
Can I play sheepshead online with friends?
Yes. Sheepshead Club, PlaySheepshead.org and World of Card Games all let you open a private table and send a link. On Sheepshead Club a group can also start a club, which keeps its rules and standings between nights.
Can I play six-handed sheepshead online?
Of the sites checked on 2026-10-11, only Sheepshead Club deals six-handed, with the dealer sitting out each hand.
Is get61 still running?
Yes. On 2026-10-11 its site and sign-in were working, with no closure notice.
Is there a sheepshead app?
PlaySheepshead.org has a free iPhone and iPad app. There are also single-player iPhone apps against the computer, and the German Schafkopf Palast app. Sheepshead Club runs in a phone’s browser and does not have an app store app.