Card Games Are Here to Stay

Card games have been popular in America for ages. During wartime, it was a great reprieve from boredom, restlessness and depression, both for the men on the front lines and for the women they left behind. The most popular games for women were Contract Bridge, Auction and Pinochle, while the most popular games for men were Contact Bridge, Poker and Pinochle. Other popular family games included Rummy, 500, Hearts and Whist.
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"Each player must accept the cards life deals him or her, but once they are in hand, he or she alone must decide on how to play the cards in order to win the game," said French Philosopher Voltaire. Perhaps card games are such an enduring game because this sort of critical thinking and lone decision making is an undeniable part of life. Sometimes we get the "luck of the draw" and other times, we feel we simply "cannot win." Despite all the exciting puzzle board games, building games and dice games out there, games played with cards remain the most versatile and beloved of all time.
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Card games are so popular today that some people argue that Poker should be considered a sport. Thousands of players assemble at high-stakes games broadcasted on ESPN, which is one of the main arguments that make it sports-worthy. Yet, as comedian Daniel Tosh points out, "If poker is a sport, we should put it into the Olympics." While the jury is out on whether these highly publicized, highly watched games should be on par with athletic games, the undeniable truth is that cards have survived hundreds of years as popular family games, gambling games and individual entertainment games.
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When we think of card games, many of us picture the classic 52-card deck with Jacks, Queens, Aces and Kings. Maybe we remember playing Rummy or Hearts as kids and later grew up to play Bridge and Poker. These are still some of the most popular games of all time, but there are countless classifications and versions of play to choose from. There are adding games, matching games and fishing games, and there are draw and discard games, war group games and card passing games. Some are patience games and are played alone, while others involve 4 or more players and teams. Newer board games card variations are based on fantasy role-play, with each number or suit standing for a different battle move. The options are limitless, which proves that the card game legacy won't soon be abandoned.

Part of the success of card games is their portable nature. These small 2.5 x 3.5-inch cards make ideal travel games for families on the go. They were also used during wartime, since soldiers could easily throw them in a box or into their pockets. The simplicity and versatility of the card deck is another factor, since one pack of cards can be used to play hundreds of different games. At www.pagat.com, there are lists of rules for everything from 3 Card Poker, 500 and Baccarat to Blackjack, Chase the Ace and Old Maid. Cards can be played as drinking games, gambling games or just for fun, which can really change the whole feel of the occasion. The combination of chance, strategy and mathematics has long since fascinated us, making cards one of the most enduring games of all time.

Today's family games often involve boards, in addition to cards. For instance, the eighties saw a rise in popularity for the trivia board game Trivial Pursuit. Most of the action itself centered on specially made game cards that asked trivia questions, rather than in numbered black and red cards. Dibs, Don't Quote Me, Scandal Monger, Scene It, Smarty Party and Wits & Wagers are other trivia card board games that have taken America by storm. Quiz game shows furthered along our love for trivia card games throughout the eighties, when we all imagined we could be on Family Feud or Jeopardy. Some amateurs at home may dream of mastering their peers at trivia and one day going on a game show where they can win big cash and prizes. Then again, some of us have no illusions and simply love to dominate -- err, dazzle -- family and friends with our unsurpassed knowledge.
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There are many solitary card games that occupy individuals who have nothing else to do but kill time. Ideally, we'd like to be busy and productive always, but sometimes we have these little bubbles of time to fill -- and card board games are perfect for that! In addition to playing on a board or a table, we can also play cards on our computers. Solitaire is the most famous card game, but Mahjong, which is a Chinese card tile game, has gained huge popularity in recent years. Rummy Cube is another card tile game to play with partners or alone. Patience and Video Poker can also entertain one person for hours on end.
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Card games have long been hailed as excellent family games. After all, they're inexpensive, versatile, multi-player and easy to learn. Blackjack and Ninety-Nine are good games that will also teach young children basic math and counting skills. Crazy Eights and Spoons are easy to learn games that are very fun for young children. And what kid hasn't played Go Fish or Uno? Older kids will enjoy learning the ins and outs of a more complex game like Poker or Euchre. One of the best games to play with four people is President, which college kids have also made into a drinking game.

Magic the Gathering card games have caught on like wildfire with kids in Generation-Y. These kids, who normally adhere to computer games and video games, are allured to these collectibles, since they also grew up on Pogs and Pokemon cards. In Magic the Gathering, fantasy artwork is blended with mathematics and strategy. Kids pick "spells" and "lands" cards and have their wizards engage in battles. There are many complex rules within the game and the cards present a language of their own, which has created an almost cult-like following. It may not be one of the family games, but Magic the Gathering has at least attracted a new generation of kids to the classic game of cards.
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Since the dawn of the computer, Solitaire has been a standard card game that comes in the "Accessories" section of every unit. It's hard to avoid the temptation of clicking away to pass the time, awaiting that wild frenzy of card-hopping that celebrates your triumphant win. Today there are a number of websites focusing on card games, like www.games.com, www.games.yahoo.com, www.1001onlinegames.com and www.gamecolony.com. Whether playing family games with relatives who are spread out across the globe or playing with complete strangers, the ability to chat and play on the computer has united and entertained people since the nineties. The most popular online card game is Poker, which worries some that the ease of hooking one's credit card to such a site may have big financial ramifications. Even so, it's good to see that old-fashioned card game fun hasn't gone out of style, given the new technology available to us.
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With the advent of the Internet, some people worried that card games would fall out of popularity. However, now that rules can be easily published and looked-up on websites, it seems the popularity of these travel games has actually increased instead. To look up rules to just about any game, you can visit www.pagat.com. For some of the newer games of cards and building games, try www.boardgames.about.com/od/toppicksbyyear/tp/2008_card_games.htm. There are also game sites like www.games.yahoo.com, www.games.com and www.1001onlinegames.com, where you can play opponents for free.

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