6000 games played

In 192 hours to the card game world record

The old record was broken in a pub in the German Allgäu region.

(Bild: zVg)

Gerry Krenn from Wiener Neustadt broke the world record together with five friends. The group played "Schafkopf" for 192 hours in a row. He explains to the "Krone" how it came about, which challenges were the greatest and how you can also do good with it.

It's done! Gerry Krenn and his five friends have broken the world record in the German Allgäu region. They played the card game "Schafkopf", which is particularly popular in Bavaria, for 192 hours in a row, earning themselves an entry in the Guinness Book of Records.

Born in Wiener Neustadt, Gerry Krenn (center) and his five friends have set the world record for playing Schafkopf for 192 hours.

(Bild: zVg)

The unusual idea came about at the table itself. "We often played cards into the morning. When we heard that the world record was 170 hours, we decided to beat it," says Krenn, who moved from Wiener Neustadt to the neighboring country in 1981 at the age of 19 for professional reasons. The initially vague plans became more and more concrete, and additional sponsors and supporters were found.

Eight hours of sleep, 16 hours of playing cards
In the end, four people played in a local pub that was open all day on these days. The other two were able to sleep for eight hours each before playing cards for 16 hours. Around 6000 games were played over the eight days. "Fighting fatigue and maintaining concentration were the biggest challenges," says the Wiener Neustadt native. Sitting all day was an additional strain.

Fighting fatigue and maintaining concentration were the biggest challenges.

Gerry Krenn

Bild: zVg

Two witnesses and video cameras documented the record attempt, which was staged as an event and is intended to serve a good cause. Donations in kind worth around 9,000 euros were raffled off as part of a tombola, with the proceeds going to a local relief fund and an association.

Special T-shirts were even created in advance for the record.

(Bild: zVg)

A "crazy idea" became a record
"The fact that something like this has come about from a crazy idea is an incredibly nice feeling," says Krenn, who also hopes to make the game of Schafkopf a little more popular again. "Schafkopf is a cultural asset, so perhaps our success will encourage the younger generation to give it a try." Thomas Werth