to play with your friends
Just because this chapter refers to children, adults should not pass it by and ignore the contents. The games in this chapter are suitable for a range of players — younger players, new players, adults playing with younger players, or players who just like fast-action card games that are easy to pick up and fun to play. (All the most enthusiastic Spit players I have met have been adults: It is more a question of attitude than age.) So, whoever you are, you sure to find a game in this chapter to enjoy.
Additionally, several games in other chapters of this book are just as suitable for children as the ones described here. Eights, also known as Crazy Eights (Chapter 6), President (Chapter 17), and Whist (Chapter 8) come to mind.
Beggar My Neighbor
Beggar My Neighbor, also known as Beat Your Neighbor Out of Doors and Strip Jack Naked, requires no strategy or planning at all, making it a great game for kids and for social situations. The objective of the game is to win all the cards from the other players.
Two to six players: You can play with more than six players in a pinch.
A standard deck of 52 cards: With four or more players, add a second deck of cards. A great advantage of this game is that you don’t really need a complete deck of cards — a card or two gone missing is almost irrelevant. Don’t forget to remove the jokers!
To begin, one player deals out the whole deck in a clockwise rotation, dealing the cards face-down and one at a time so that each player gets about the same number of cards. You don’t look at your cards; you form them into a neat pile, face-down in front of you.
The player to the left of the dealer turns over the top card from their pile and places it in the center of the table (or floor, if you want to sprawl out).
Different things can happen now, depending on what card the first player turns over:
If the value of the card is between 2 and 10, it has no special significance, and the play goes on to the next player.
If the card is a court card (an ace, king, queen, or jack), the game becomes a little more exciting. The next player has to pay a forfeit, meaning that they has to turn over some of their cards and place them onto the central pile:If the first card up is an ace, the second player must turn over four cards one by one onto the middle pile.If the first card is a king, the next player has to pay three cards.If the first card is a queen, the second player must pay two cards.If the first card is a jack, the second player turns up only one card.
If all the cards the second player turns over are between 2 and 10, the first player who turned over the court card takes up the whole pile and puts it under their personal pile, face-down. If the second player turns over another court card during the course of the forfeit, they pay the debt off, and the second player doesn’t have to turn over any more cards. Instead, the third player must pay the forfeit dictated by the second court card and either turn over a court card in the process, or allow the second player to pick up the whole central pile if no court card comes.
When you have no more cards left, you’re out, and the game continues without you. If you run out of cards in the middle of paying a forfeit for an ace, king, or queen, you are out of the game. In games of more than two players, the previous player picks up the pile of cards, and the next player starts afresh. The last player in the game — the one who accumulates the whole deck — wins.
KIDS AND CARD GAMES
These days, most children seem to be born with a remote or video-game controller in their hands. However, some children are lucky enough to receive decks of cards when they’re young (as was the case with me).
Teaching children how to play cards is fun — both for them and for you! Children get an opportunity to interact with others, revel in the challenge of a game, and enjoy a sense of mastery. Card games also foster a strong sense of belonging and a connection to the family or social group.
In a more tangible sense, card games can enhance a child’s skills. To play card games, children must master rules, develop mental strategies, understand objectives, evaluate their (and their opponents’) strengths and weaknesses, and make plans. The games also force them to respond quickly and to deal socially with others.
Some studies suggest that card players develop better problem-solving and lateral-thinking skills (the ability to “think outside the box”). Developing competence in one field can improve a child’s self-confidence to learn in other areas. Therefore, cards can increase a child’s scores in math and critical thinking, as well as improve their social skills.
Finally, card games — like other cognitively engaging activities, including chess, backgammon, and crossword puzzles — are being cited as excellent activities for keeping the brain supple and engaged throughout life, potentially delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease and other memory disabilities.
Snap, Animals, and Slapjack
Snap, Animals, and Slapjack are close cousins in the family of games that focus on acquiring your opponents’ cards (such as Beggar My Neighbor; see the previous section). For these games, speed is the key to victory. The player with the quickest reactions wins. Snap, Animals, and Slapjack are among the few card games that depend almost entirely on physical dexterity.
Snap
Get ready for a fast and furious game! Snap is all about mental reaction time, and one of the few games in which luck plays no part at all.
Two or more players. There is no formal upper limit, but if you play with more than six players, the neighbors may complain about the noise.
A standard deck of 52 cards. Play Snap with a single deck of cards if you have fewer than four players; add a second deck if more players compete. Playing this game with a used deck is a good idea — the cards can take a beating (literally).You don’t need a full deck of cards — a card or two can be missing from the deck. You can also play Snap with special cards designed for another game (such as an Old Maid deck), as long as most of the cards have backs identical to other cards in the deck.
The dealer deals out the whole deck of cards face-down, one card at a time to each player, in a clockwise rotation. It doesn’t matter if some players get more cards than others. What does matter, however, is that you don’t look at the cards you get.
Each player, starting with the player to the left of the dealer, takes a turn flipping over the top card of their pile