The Customary Act of Playing Cards 2

Ah… playing cards. We’ve all done it – whether with friends, family, or co-workers, we’ve all played at least a few games of cards in our lives.

Playing cards used to be very common. People would gather in front of dime stores to play Pinochle with the locals. Women got together in the afternoon for tea and Bridge (and I’m sure a lot of gossip, too). Our service men spent many hours playing poker and cribbage in Quonset huts or aboard ships in their free time. College students gathered after classes and studying for card games such as Hearts and Spades. Families sat at the table after dinner to play games like Canasta, Old Maid and Crazy Eights. Cocktail parties included card games like Gin Rummy. Neighbors got together to play at weekly Euchre card parties. Kids gathered to play games like Concentration, Slapjack, and Go Fish. Playing cards was an inexpensive past time and something that could be enjoyed by all generations playing together!

While some people still play cards on a regular basis, the customary act of playing cards just isn’t as popular today as it was in the past. And that’s really too bad. It wasn’t just about the game of cards – the social aspect is what drew people together. Just think of all the lively conversations that took place over a game of cards! People connected on a personal level – not “virtually” like they do today.

I think we should all revive the weekly card parties! Call your friends, invite them over. Make it a weekly get-together. Serve snacks. Ditch the smartphones, and just have fun in a live, face-to-face conversation while playing a game (or two) of cards.

Card Games to Try

Not sure what game to play? Here are the rules for some popular “vintage” card games!

• Basic Poker – Poker is a game of chance that sharpens your skills in strategy. There are many variations of poker. This link covers the basic rules.
• Bridge – Bridge is a game of trick taking for four-players. It is one of the most popular games in the world.
• Canasta – Canasta is a 4 player, rummy style game. 
• Concentration – Concentration is a great visual game for making pairs. 
• Crazy Eights – Crazy Eights is a game for 2 or more players where the goal is to get rid of all the cards in your hand. Eights are wild!
• Cribbage – Cribbage is a game that has been around since the seventeenth century. It’s a game for 2 or 3 players and uses a Cribbage board for scoring.
• Euchre – Euchre is a game that originated in the 1800s and is a game for 2 or 4 players. There are several variations of this game.
• Gin Rummy – Gin Rummy is an easy game to learn and is a fairly fast moving game. This game is usually for two players.
• Go Fish – Go Fish is a game for kids and families of 2 or more players. The object is to go “fish” for pairs from your opponents.
• Hearts – Hearts is a game for 4 or more players. The object is to avoid taking hearts as tricks. The game is easy to play, but there is strategy involved as well.
• Old Maid – Old Maid is a fun game for kids and families for 2 or more players. The goal is to form pairs and not be left with the odd queen.
• Pinochle – Pinochle is a classic two-player game of winning tricks and scoring on those tricks. 
• Slapjack – Slapjack is a game for 2 or more players where you slap the jacks as they are played. A fun and fast game for kids and families.
• Spades – Spades is a game for 2 or more players where spades is always trump. 

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