There’s a certain kind of tension found only in the game of Hearts. It arises when you hold not just cards in your hand but weapons. When you have the opportunity to shoot the moon, the ultimate gamble; you goes from playing defense to offense in twelve tricks. Most people think shooting the moon is … Read more
In card games such as Pitch or Setback where bidding aggressively mean committing yourself to taking certain tricks, there’s a particular sort of heartbreak involved when you lose those tricks, as it doesn’t just mean zero points but actualy subtracts from your standing. There you are opposite your partner as the cards come out, watching … Read more
When the dealer slaps down a bid for six tricks, the table falls silent. It is a moment of suspended animation and everybody knows that they are no longer playing for fun but competing to win. Scoring in pepper, a popular card game that’s played in clubs and basements throughout Iowa and beyond, are never … Read more
Euchre is half luck, half calculated risk. And there’s nothing quite as stressful as trying to keep score when playing the cards isn’t enough. Sometimes you have good cards (Aces and Jacks), sometimes you don’t. Your partner could lead poorly and your opponents takes some cheap tricks. Before long you’ve got a mess on the … Read more
I’ve grown up in an environment where the best time was sitting around playing double deck euchre and when somebody announces a loner sweep it seems like half the people has no idea what they’re worth. It uses two full decks of cards, not just one. There is more trump in play. The hands are … Read more
When the Hearts round finally winds down, there’s a combination of calculation and dread as you look at pile of tricks left over. One person will wind up with Queen of Spades; someone else may snag Jack of Diamonds. In traditional Hearts play, that Jack is simply a card. But under many house rules, it … Read more
Your partner bid seven, and there are eight tricks staring at you in the hand. One more is all it takes to send your team across the line. But you have to deal with those bag carries from previous deals and now it’s getting hazy. A hundred point penalty looms large. This is no easy … Read more
