Here is the latest news in the world of card games and playing cards, for the month of April, 2013:

UNO: The TV Show?

"Not only is there going to be an UNO TV show...there's going to be TWO shows based of the popular card game. One of them will be a half-hour show with a $100,000 prize. The other will be an hour long show with a cool 1 million dollar prize." [link]

Play UNO games...

Set: Game of Quick Visual Recognition

"It's a hit with some and playing multiple rounds or multiple times brings a lot of enjoyment. But for others, they may play once in a while, but will leave it at that. So if you're looking for a style of card game that's a good departure from other cards games you have on hand and tests your visual recognition skills, give Set a try." [link]

Utah bridge club spans six decades of card playing

"A group of Salt Lake County women have routinely gathered together to play bridge, some for almost 60 years. The long-standing habit perhaps has contributed to their mental keenness, well-being and longevity. 'We play for big money,' Holladay resident Leah Hilton grinned of the quarters and nickels the winners haul home at the end of the day." [link]

Card games teach strategy, patience, civility

"Playing cards helps teach children to be civil to each other, patient and win or lose graciously besides teaching math and strategies. Keep a few decks of playing cards in your car and home so they are always handy. Card playing goes across generations and any game can be simplified for preschool children." [link]

"Snake Oil" Card Came Will Cure What Ails Ya!

News on a new card game from Out of the Box Publishing: "In Snake Oil, one player chooses a customer card and acts as the customer for the round. The remaining players combine two of the cards from their hands to create an item to sell to that customer. The outlandish sales pitches easily spark laughter from everyone playing." [link]

Omen: A Reign of War Review

"In Omen, the players are in the midst of a mythological war that seems to be set in ancient Greece. They are struggling to accomplish feats and overtake a few war-torn cities by using Soldiers, Oracles, and Beasts (such as Satyrs, a Phoenix, and Minotaurs). Overall, I give Omen: A Reign of War a 7.0/10." [link]

Drop Site Review

"Drop Site, the winner of the Premio Archimede 2010 Carta Mundi special prize for best card game, is a game about coordinating humanitarian aid shipments. As parachutes of aid drift (quickly) to the ground, players must do their best to predict where aid shipments will land. Players score points for every card (aid shipment) they are able to accurately predict by the end of the round. Drop Site is fast-playing, intuitively strategic, professionally manufactured, and easy to teach and learn." [link]

Timeline Card Game Review

"Timeline: Diversity is a card game played using 110 cards. Each card depicts a historical event on both sides, with the year in which that event occurred on only one side. Players take turns placing a card from their hand in a row on the table. After placing the card, the player reveals the date on it. If the card was placed correctly with the date in chronological order with all other cards on the table, the card stays in place; otherwise the card is removed from play and the player takes another card from the deck." [link]

Hearthstone - the collectible card game that could convert you

"Ultimately, Blizzard says it wants to create a collectible card game that 'doesn't require a friend to get into.' I can't speak for CCG veterans, who may find Hearthstone plays it safe, but based on my few rounds I found its easy-to-understand rule set, quick pace and free-to-play model certainly make it a welcoming low-level commitment for people who may otherwise enjoy card games but don't want to spend the time or money to get into them." [link]

Card Game Violence

It's always disturbing to read about violence that occurs during card games: Woman Bites Off Part of Boyfriend's Ear Over Card Game, Man killed while playing 'tong-its', Charge in Jacksonville card game killing, and so on. Of course, the card game is not usually the underlying cause of the violence, but still, it always seems strange that an innocent game, played for fun, can end up going so wrong...

Notable Quote

"It's not enough to win the tricks that belong to you. Try also for some that belong to the opponents."
 ~ Alfred Sheinwold

Deal Alerts

• Free Shipping at FunAgain Games -- Free ground shipping with $75 order (continental US)
• Take 20% Off your order at HoyleGaming.com with code: HOYL20. Expires 6/30/2013

Card Game News is a periodical roundup of news and notes from the world of card games and playing cards, including card games in the news, card game releases, card game reviews, and opinion from fans of all types of card games and playing cards!

To keep up on the latest card game news, follow The House of Cards on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to our free RSS feed.

Here is the latest news in the world of card games and playing cards, for the month of March, 2013:

Card-game squabble leads to broken jaw

"An Indianapolis man required surgery to place a steel plate in his jaw following an alleged assault that started with a dispute over rules during a card game." [link]

Suggestion: Check our card game rules next time, before whomping on each other!

Trading-card games boom as social events

"Almost every night of the week at comic-book stores and card shops across Central Florida, dedicated players do battle by invoking the powers of wizards, dragons, zombies, aliens and sometimes the cuddly yellow Pichu character from the Pokémon series. Though trading-card games such as Yu-Gi-Oh!, Pokémon and Magic: The Gathering have been around for years, the players are increasingly getting out of their bedrooms and packing gaming shops." [link]

The Basque card game with the funny name

"To an outsider, they may just look like a group of men playing cards. However, the game of Mus is a Basque tradition that has been brought to Elko as part of their heritage. In preparation for the annual North American Basque Organization Mus tournament, several club members have been in practice all year long. Twice weekly, these men meet at Biltoki and The Star Hotel, where they play for hours." [link]

11 Card Games You Should Play on International TableTop Day

Suggestions for International TableTop Day (March 30, 2013): "Leave that old deck of 52 standard playing cards right where it is in that junk drawer of yours. It's time to try out some newer cards with this list of 11 card games you need to know about -- some of which you absolutely must try for yourself." [link]

Card Game Demands Communication

"Elizabeth Gray decided to find a way for people to talk again. She developed a new card game called Snooper, which encourages players to communicate and 'bridge the gap between what we know and don't know about each other on a personal and fun level'. 'I realised people don't seem to have proper, in-person conversations anymore, which I think is really sad,' she said." [link]

Online Games Tournaments are Rising in Popularity

"Online game tournaments are similar to other massive, multi-player online games where many different players play against each other simultaneously, while sitting at different locations around the world. Many times, rewards or cash prizes are given to the winners and are a great attraction and motivation for the best players to participate." [link]

Recent Card Game Releases

Dr. Lakra's Mutant Laboratory

"Awesomely Grotesque Playing Cards For Kids: The set comes with 84 triangles, each of which features one-fourth of a face line-drawn in Lakra's signature style. The 21 black-and-white characters are sweaty and slobbering, beset with skin conditions, missing teeth, band-aids and nose-rings, snouts and beaks -- Mad Magazine meets the Garbage Pail Kids for the growing youth of today." [link]

Dons of Desperado

"Dons of Desperado is a story and artwork-driven mobile Card Battle RPG that allows users to collect cards and use them to compete with other players in countless missions, battles, and special events. In the game's story, the gamer plays a character who has recently suffered from amnesia, fighting to discover his origins and the world around him." For iOS, soon for Android. [link]

Dragon Summoner

"Dragon Summoner is a trading card game with animated battle scenes and over 200 cards to collect. Dragon Summoner is in many ways your typical trading card video game, though its battle scenes are designed to make the game feel more dynamic than a plain static card game." For Android. [link]

Cards Against Humanity

"The ultimate politically incorrect game that's been sweeping across college campuses. The game is either $25 or free -- if you're willing to print out the cards on cardstock and cut them yourself. It's an adult game where you can be as immature as you want to be." [link]

Control-Alt-Hack

"Control-Alt-Hack is a tremendously fun, hacker-themed strategy card game that uses the mechanic of the classic Steve Jackson Ninja Burger game. It comes out of the University of Washington Computer Security and Privacy Research Lab, and features extremely entertaining and funny computer-security-themed scenarios, buffs, attacks and characters." [link]

Recent Card Game Reviews

• FitzIt
• I'm the Boss
• The Card Game of Oz

Notable Quote

"A man's idea in a game of cards is war, cruel, devastating, and pitiless. A lady's idea of it is a combination of larceny, embezzlement, and burglary."
 ~ Finley Peter Dunne

Deal Alerts

• Free Shipping at FunAgain Games -- Free ground shipping with $75 order (continental US)
• Take 20% Off your order at HoyleGaming.com with code: HWINTER20. Expires 3/31/2013

Card Game News is a periodical roundup of news and notes from the world of card games and playing cards, including card games in the news, card game releases, card game reviews, and opinion from fans of all types of card games and playing cards!

To keep up on the latest card game news, follow The House of Cards on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to our free RSS feed.

Here is the latest news in the world of card games and playing cards, for the week of February 26th, 2013:

Archangels - Bicycle Playing Cards

The story behind the artwork for a new deck of playing cards: "The Theory11 team gave me free rein to devise a concept for the deck design. I anchored my approach around the idea of a battle between angels and demons over the power of night and day." [link]

Nevada Legalizes Online Gambling

"The measure makes Nevada the first state in the country to approve interstate online gaming. 'This bill is critical to our state's economy and ensures that we will continue to be the gold standard for gaming regulation.' AB114 authorizes Nevada to enter into compacts with other states to offer Internet poker. Partnering with other states gives Nevada an expanded customer market and provides other states with Nevada's expertise in gambling regulation." [link]

Euchre Is More Than A Card Game In Michigan

"If you grew up in Michigan, where euchre is played in deer camps and college dorms and lots of other places, you probably get that. Euchre, with its fast action, still attracts crowds to tournaments and card parties throughout Michigan and other parts of the upper Midwest and Ontario." [link]

Hearts - A Classic Card Game

A brief history and description of the game of Hearts: "Around 1850, Reverse gave way to a simple form of Hearts, which went on to become one of the most popular card games in the United States, surpassed only by Euchre and Poker. Hearts was a favorite game on Mississippi riverboats after the Civil War." [link]

Designers, Classic Playing-Card Maker Win Big on Kickstarter

"A new batch of designers are turning to a more venerable channel as an artistic outlet - the traditional deck of playing cards. And their use of 21st-century tools like Kickstarter are bringing a certain 19th-century company a new era of success." [link]

New Poker App Removes the Needs for Physical Cards

"Those who enjoy playing card games but often find themselves stuck with out a deck will be pleased to hear about a new app called Bold Poker which transforms mobile devices into playing cards. The app is designed to be enjoyed playing with other people in person, it serves as companion technology to Texas Hold'em and removes the need to a physical deck of cards." [link]

NBA Players Love the Card Game Bourré

"What started as a Louisiana trick card game has become the game for deep-pocketed athletes enduring cross-country travel and long nights in hotel rooms. Now, with a push from an ambitious 28-year-old from Malibu, Bobby Heyward, the game is poised to go mainstream with a new professional league, a la World Series of Poker." [link]

Recent Card Game Releases

• HeroDex -- "Virtual Trading Card Game Beta Released" [Windows, Linux]
• Perfection of Wisdom -- "Card Dueling Game" [Windows]
• Shelter -- "A zombie card duelling game" [Windows Phone]

Recent Card Game Reviews

• IOTA -- "IOTA is a card game in which players score points by adding cards to a grid."
• Skull & Roses -- "A deadly little game with a question to ask you: Can you bluff?"
• Wits & Wagers -- "Turns the genre of trivia on its head."

Notable Quote

"One should always play fairly when one has the winning cards."
 ~ Oscar Wilde

Deal Alerts

• Free Shipping at FunAgain Games -- Free ground shipping with $75 order (continental US)
• Take 20% Off your order at HoyleGaming.com with code: HWINTER20. Expires 3/31/2013

Card Game News is a periodical roundup of news and notes from the world of card games and playing cards, including card games in the news, card game releases, card game reviews, and opinion from fans of all types of card games and playing cards!

To keep up on the latest card game news, follow The House of Cards on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to our free RSS feed.

Proper cleaning begins with the use of cold water only! You may be able to clean your plastic playing cards without the use of any soap, you should try this first. Begin by gently rubbing both sides of a few plastic cards with a non-abrasive soft clean cloth. When you are sure the plastic playing cards have been sufficiently cleaned, give them a quick rinse in a clean bucket of cold water, then you may proceed to drying them with a soft, clean, dry cloth (do not use paper towels for this step). The final step is to spread out the plastic playing cards on a bath towel in a well-ventilated shaded area until completely air dry. Remember to turn the plastic cards over to allow the other side to dry. Most of the time this method of 'water only' cleaning will be sufficient to return your cards to top condition.

If you find your plastic playing cards require more cleaning, you can repeat the above procedure using a small amount of mild (non acidic/non alkaline) soap like Dove. After cleaning with soap, be sure to completely rinse the soap residue off with clean water.

No set of cleaning instructions would be complete without mentioning a few things to avoid. Do not do anything silly like putting your plastic playing cards in the dishwasher or clothes washer. Your plastic playing cards will thank you to avoid washing them in warm, hot, or boiling water! Never use chemical cleaners, or solvents, to clean your playing cards (that would be a big mistake!). Of course you must resist the urge to speed up the drying process by using hair dryers, microwave ovens (or heat sources of any kind), and you should never allow your plastic playing cards to sit in direct sunlight. Lastly, do not stack the cards until completely dry on both sides.

The best piece of advice may be to keep your cards clean in the first place, so don't be afraid to ask players to show up at the game with clean hands!

This article reprinted with permission of www.PlayingCardsAndMore.com

100% Plastic Playing Cards are rugged, washable, and perfect for heavy use or for children. Given their durability, they're nearly as inexpensive as regular playing cards, though they will last far longer.

Purchase 100% Plastic Playing Cards

The deck box reads "American Expedition Playing Cards" and features a drawing of bison with the following quote: "We can see with our eyes, hear with our ears and feel with our touch, but we can only understand with our hearts." The same design is repeated on the card backs.

The back of the box has the following text:

The American Bison, commonly referred to as the "Buffalo," is the largest wild mammal in North America. Their bodies measure 7 to 12 ft. long and they can weigh up to 2,000 lbs. Bison live in herds ranging from several animals to over 1,000 during migration. In the early 1800's, there was an estimated 40 million bison living on the plains and grasslands of the western U.S. By 1895, decimation of these herds reduced that number to 1,000. Through protection efforts, their numbers have rebounded.

The deck includes the standard 52 cards, plus two jokers and an information card that reads:

Early American explorers forged their way into America's vast wilderness with boundless anticipation. Their passion for adventure and discovery was matched only by their thirst for knowledge and information. They unlocked the magnificent splendor of this great land for future generations to experience. Although the era of the early American explorer has long passed, the spirit of their adventures continues to endure. Modern Day Explorers are still inspired by a passion for adventure and a thirst for discovery. But, most importantly, they hold dear the tradition of sharing their experiences with others. So remember, no matter where your journey takes you, the experience does not have to end.

The deck was created by Ideaman, Inc.. There is a logo on the box end that reads "Authentic Souvenir-Gift for the Modern Day Explorer".

You can purchase this deck at eBay.

Subtitled "A New and Complete Treatise on the Game, in All Its Varieties; Including the Whole of Anthony Pasquin's Scientific Work on Five-Card Cribbage", the book was compiled by George Walker and published in London in 1837.

   

Here is Mr. Walker's preface to the book:

As a game of cards for two persons only, Cribbage is universally popular, and both Piquet and Ecarte must give place to its pretensions. There exists, indeed, no similar species of amusement, in which the rival powers of chance and skill are so happily blended; -- and, while the influence of fortune is perpetually recognized as a source of pleasing excitement, there remains sufficient room for the exercise of the intellectual faculties, to insure their final attainment of success. In Cribbage, as in other games, the ignorant go on, playing at random, and trusting solely to what they term "their luck;" -- while those who are better informed, do not disdain to acquire the art of guiding that "luck" towards their own side of the board. During the run of a few consecutive games, skill may be compelled to yield to the power of adverse cards; but in a longer series of play, its influence will most certainly predominate.

There has never hitherto appeared but one really scientific Treatise on Cribbage; that one being the work of the well know Anthony Pasquin. At the time of first publication, his book attained considerable celebrity, and was acknowledged as the most complete system of practical theory extant on the subject. It has long been out of print, and copies have be-come extremely scarce. Perhaps the strongest proofs of the public demand for the reproduction of some such volume, are now afforded in the numerous innocent questions addressed weekly to the Editor of Bell's Life In London; requesting information and instruction on the most simple rudiments of the game.

In the compilation of the following pages, the whole of Pasquin's work has been embodied, with such additions as the writer thought necessary to the formation of "The Cribbage-Player's Text-Book." The calculations have been revised, -- the rudiments of the game explained for the improvement of beginners -- and his own share of original matter being proportionably small, the Author is the more confidently entitled to pronounce his opinion as to the merits of the new edition, here presented, of "Anthony Pasquin's Treatise On Five-Card Cribbage."

This seminal work on the game of Cribbage contains rules, strategy tips, variations, and even techniques for detecting and thwarting cheaters.

The book contains 11 chapters:

1. Of what the game of Cribbage consists
2. For what you mark at Cribbage
3. The Laws of Cribbage; with cases of illustration
4. On counting at Cribbage
5. On laying out for the Crib; including the best methods of discarding, both for your own and your adversary's Crib, in nearly eight hundred cases of hands at Five Card Cribbage
6. General directions for playing the game of Five-Card Cribbage scientifically; including remarks on Betting, with statements of the different odds at various points of the score; Curious problem at Five-Card Cribbage
7. On Six-Card Cribbage.
8. On Three-Handed Cribbage
9. On Four-Handed Cribbage; Curious problem at Four-Handed Cribbage
10. On various disputed points at Cribbage
11. On Cheating or False Play

The entire content of the book is available from Archive.org, in a number of formats, including PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Daisy, and Full Text (unfortunately, the OCR is really poor). The book may also be read interactively: read online.

The EPUB and Kindle versions of the book may be downloaded for free to your favorite ebook reader (such as the Amazon Kindle

Thanks to Archive.org and Google Books for bringing us this important historical Cribbage text!

Fluffy Bunny Tea Party is a card game about ruthlessly polite bunnies stuffing their best friends with delicious desserts. Plays with 2-8 players, in about 30 minutes.

In the course of the game, you will play cards to push tasty treats in front of the other bunnies, sip tea, hop and frolic around, and, above all, be sure to mess with your friends while remaining on your best behavior at all times. Impolite bunnies had better watch out!

Most of all, it's a great opportunity to sit down with a handful of friends, talk in ridiculous bunny voices, and be as mean as you can to each other while acting as nicely as possible. The game is quick and fun, and doesn't require anything but the willingness to have a good time. Sounds like a deal, right?

According to an interview with the game's creator, Marc Majcher ('Fluffy' card game makes being nice deceptive):

The game, which consists of a deck of 106 customized Fluffy Bunny Tea Party cards and intended for two to six players, revolves around players giving each other cards that represent desserts while using "ridiculous bunny voices." Kindness between players is required at all times and rude people are penalized. On the surface, at least, "constant politeness" seems like an easy rule to follow -- everyone loves dessert, right? However, considering the fact that the player with the least desserts at the end of the game wins, players sometimes find it difficult to be nice when a dessert is given to them.

"It's a game where you play as fluffy bunnies at a tea party and you are very polite to each other and you try to wind up with the least amount of points," Majcher said, who programs Facebook games for a living. "And screw everyone else over."

The idea for the game came about after Majcher's aunt complained to him that modern gaming is all "violence and killing things and taking stuff." Recognizing a challenge, he decided to create a game that addressed his aunt's concerns. He started planning, doodling ideas in a notebook during meetings and eventually decided on the core idea for the game -- trying to have the lowest number of points while being polite in the process.

The game, with delightful artwork by Halyn Erickson, has been fully funded as a Kickstarter project.

The following video introduces the game:

The game includes 68 action cards, 30 dessert cards, and 8 bunny cards with corresponding teacups. 500 decks of customized game cards will be printed, and the game can be yours for a $20 pledge on Kickstarter.

Fluffy Bunny Tea Party also has a Facebook so that you can keep up with news about the game.

Recently, the High Court in the nation of India ruled that Rummy is not gambling:

The 13-card games like Rummy is a game of skill, and not gambling or game of chance, the Madras High Court has held, adding that police should not disturb club members and guests playing the game.

Justice S Rajeswaran, relying on a Supreme Court order of 1968 vintage, said: "The game of Rummy is mainly and predominantly a game of skill."

Justice Rajeswaran, in his order, referred to an apex court ruling delivered in 1968 stating: "The game of rummy is not a game entirely of chance like the 'three-card' game. The 'three-card' game, which goes under different names such as 'flush', 'brag', etc is a game of pure chance. Rummy, on the other hand, requires certain amount of skill because the fall of the card has to be memorized and the building up of Rummy requires considerable skill in holding and discarding cards."

United States courts have long held that rummy games are not gambling (see Is Rummy A Game Of Luck Or A Game Of Skill?): "In 1964 a Las Vegas-based Gin Rummy tournament was promoted by mailing flyers to players. The post office objected on the grounds that it was illegal to promote a 'game of chance' (a lottery) through postal services. This case ended up in court. After listening to the testimony of experts that included statisticians and several prominent players, the US District Court of Las Vegas on February 23, 1965, ruled that Gin Rummy is indeed a game of skill."

It's good to see yet another nation make this common-sense distinction between skill games and gambling games!

Amen! If you think any of the rummy variants are games of chance, you haven't played enough of them to understand the skill and strategy involved. "Predominantly a game of skill" indeed!

In our opinion, the best place to play Rummy online is probably RummyRoyal, which allows players from all over the world to compete in exciting multiplayer games of Gin Rummy, Canasta, Oklahoma, Kaluki, Tile Rummy, and many more rummy variations.

• Bicycle Guardians Playing Cards
  Designed in conjunction with the minds behind Theory11, the Bicycle Guardians Playing Cards are perfect for everyday play, card collectors, and as a tool in your magician's arsenal. The single deck of 52 playing cards features a regular index and the cards are built for enhanced flexibility and strength.

• Bicycle Tragic Royalty Playing Cards
  This is a deck of poker size playing cards that glow under black light. The backs feature the classic Bicycle design in black, red, and gray. The fronts are also black, red, and gray, and the face cards are all unique and distinctly morbid caricatures of royalty.

• Bicycle Eco Edition Playing Cards
  The Bicycle Eco Edition Playing Cards feature sustainable forest paper materials as well as vegetable based inks, and starch based laminating glue. Feel good about playing your games, knowing that the product is recyclable!

• AquaLivin Waterproof Playing Cards
  These poker-sized playing cards are perfect for playing card games while enjoying a pool or spa. They can be played and shuffled in water without damage or sticking together. The cards are 100% waterproof and made of durable PVC material. Includes a plastic carrying/storage case.

• 'The Dog Artlist' Playing Cards
  If you love dogs, this is the set of playing cards for you! Features 54 different breeds, large and small -- your favorite breed is sure to be included. We proudly craft each deck using custom paper and coatings, so you can trust Bicycle performance hand after hand. 100% Plastic Playing Cards with great feel.

• United States Playing Cards 1001781 Double-Pack Poker Cards
  They're a classic pair--and a staple in any game lover's collection. Open the outer storage box to reveal two boxed 54-card decks, one red-backed and one blue-backed, sealed in plastic. Each card boasts a finish designed to allow easy dealing and comfortable gripping. As always, the Victorian design with bike-riding cherubs graces the back of each playing card, and the set is guaranteed against manufacturer's defects.

• Hoyle Super Jumbo Playing Cards (2pk)
  This is a double deck of Hoyle bridge-sized plastic-coated, Nevada-finished playing cards with super jumbo index print and featuring red and blue classic designs on the card backs. These cards are easy to shuffle and deal, and are durable yet inexpensive. A great gift for card players of all ages!

• KEM Arrow Black and Gold Poker Size Standard Index Playing Cards
  KEM plastic playing cards contain no vinyl, which is the raw material used by all other playing card manufacturers for their "plastic" playing cards. KEM cards can handle the wear and tear like no other brand of card in the industry. KEM's high performance cards will last longer, shuffle better, and deal in such a manner that you will never want to play with anything else again.

• Harry Potter Good vs Evil Double Deck Playing Cards
  Harry Potter Muggles Fans will delight with this collectible double deck of playing cards in colorful storage tin. There are 30 unique images of the good and evil characters taken from the Harry Potter movies in each deck. (Individual Images appear on no more than two cards in each deck.) Cards may be used to play all your favorite games. Includes 52 playing cards and 3 jokers in each of the two decks. Cards are stored in a richly illustrated tin with snap-on, snap-off cover.

• Copag Poker Size Regular Index 1546 Playing Cards (Black Gold Setup)
  These two regulation-size poker decks each measure 2.5-by-3.5-inches (W x H), and are made of practically indestructible PVC plastic material for years of use. Completely washable via a quick wipe with a damp cloth, the cards won't soil over time, and come complete with a hard plastic storage and carrying case. Made from PVC plastic, an ultra high performing material, COPAG cards can handle the normal wear and tear of game play for remarkable periods of time. These high performance cards will last longer, shuffle better, and provide such a premium feel, you may never want to play with anything else again.

Details courtesy of Amazon, based on sales numbers on their e-commerce web site, and reflect the buying behavior of millions of people.

Do you have a favorite game that you think should be on this list? Comment!

Disclosure: The House of Cards is a member of the Amazon Associate program. You can help support our web site by purchasing card games and other products through our affiliate links, or directly at Amazon.com.

• Card game draws out your attitudes about money
  Syble Solomon, who gives lectures on the psychology of money, came up with a creative way to get people to open up about their finances. She's created Money Habitudes, a deck of cards that individuals, couples and groups can use to explore how certain attitudes support or sabotage their financial lives. (Note: Games and books in the Money Habitudes series include: Money Habitudes, Money Habitudes II, Money Habitudes: A Guide for Professionals Working with Money Related Issues, Money Habitudes for Couples, and Money Habitudes for Teens)
  
• 'World Of Warcraft' Is Getting a Deck Building Game
  The game supports up to four players and includes 425 cards. It'll be out in spring 2012 and should retail for $45.00. Sounds like a good buy for anyone looking to chill with World of Warcraft guildies IRL or anyone with a hankerin' to build some decks, booster pack-free.
  
• CPU Wars Is the Geekiest Card Game Ever
  Just like many other card games out there, CPU Wars is a battle for the cards with the most points, or in this case, the CPU with the highet specs. This is also known as a Trump card--a card that outranks all the other cards being played. The game is "lots of fun, it has a bit of strategy and can be played during a break or over a coffee."
  
• Monarch Playing Cards
  Beautiful photos of a deck of Monarch Playing Cards: "Monarch Playing Cards express elegance, clarity, and pride. We didn't want to settle with adequate or even greatness - we wanted perfection, with an uncompromising eye for quality and durability. These playing cards, and the tuck case, are fit for a king. The back design is truly a masterpiece."
  
• Counting on cribbage: Volunteers help Stillwater fourth-graders practice math by playing cards
  Instead of flashcards and worksheets, volunteers are armed with cribbage boards, decks of playing cards and lots of patience. Since 2003, about two dozen volunteers from the Bayport Senior Center have been teaching the students how to play cribbage. The kids are sharpening their addition and factoring skills, as well as learning how to strategize. But they're also building new friendships.
  
• Tween creates Mermaid Beach card game
  When Emily Ehlers and her family took a year-long boating trip on the Atlantic a few years back, expert sea legs and nautical memories weren't the only things that the middle schooler took away from the adventure. While seafaring, she developed a card game, Mermaid Beach, as a pastime for her and her two brothers, Jake and Drew - and in a rare development, a game manufacturer bought the idea and put it on the market.
  

To keep up on the latest card game and playing card news, follow The House of Cards on Facebook and Twitter, or subscribe to our free RSS feed.

• Scrabble Slam Cards
  This is the fast-paced word game where anything can happen. Scrabble Slam is a high-speed four-letter word game. Race against each other to change the existing word and get rid of your cards. Game could become fame and fame could become fate -- you never know where it will go with Scrabble Slam.
  
• Spot It
  Put your visual perception skills to the test with Spot It, a fun, fast-paced, and simple card game that everyone aged 7 years and up can enjoy. In a group of two to eight players, you'll draw cards and match symbols, like light bulbs, snowmen, or puppies, but with one catch--only one matching symbol exists between any two cards. The first person to spot the matching symbol and call it out wins.
  
• Apples to Apples Party Box
  Apples to Apples is the wild, award-winning card game that provides instant fun for 4 to 10 players. Open the box, deal the cards, and you're ready to play! Select the card from your hand that you think is best described by a card played by the judge. If the judge picks your card, you win that round. Everyone gets a chance to be the judge.
  
• Uno Card Game
  America's number one card game, UNO offers hours of fun. It's easy to learn, always unpredictable, and never dull. It can be played with 2 to 10 players, individually, or in teams. And it can even be educational, teaching younger kids number recognition.
  
• Sleeping Queens
  The Pancake Queen, The Ladybug Queen and ten of their closest friends have fallen under under a sleeping spell and it's your job to wake them up. Use strategy, quick thinking and a little luck to wake these napping nobles from their royal slumbers. Play a knight to steal a queen or take a chance on a juggling jester. But watch out or wicked potions and dastardly dragon! The player who wakes the most queens wins.
  
• Forbidden Island
  Dare to discover Forbidden Island! Join a team of fearless adventurers on a do-or-die mission to capture four sacred treasures from the ruins of this perilous paradise. Your team will have to work together and make some pulse-pounding maneuvers, as the island will sink beneath every step! Race to collect the treasures and make a triumphant escape before you are swallowed into the watery abyss.
  
• Quiddler
  The challenge of Quiddler is to arrange your entire hand into everyday words. In this fast-paced game, draw and discard in turn. Try to use those high point letters, but don't get caught with them uncombined. A bonus is given for the most words in each round (so little words can help you win), as well as for the longest word. Quiddler is a delightful challenge for both rookies and word game lovers.
  
• Five Crowns
  Five Crowns is a fast paced ingenious rummy-like card game. Its double deck contains five suits (the stars are new), but it has no aces or twos. This unique deck gives you many more options for arranging your hand into sets and sequences. The challenge is to see them make the right combinations, be the first to go out, then watch the others scramble as they get one last chance to cut their losses.
  
• Rat-A-Tat-Cat
  A game of suspense, strategy, and anticipation. As children play Rat-a-tat Cat, they develop a sense of timing and an understanding of basic, but essential, mathematical concepts. They learn ways to remember their cards and strategies to figure out what cards other players might have. They also begin to develop an intuitive sense of probability. Rat-a-tat Cat requires skill, strategy, and awareness, challenging both young children and adults.
  
• Dutch Blitz
  Dutch Blitz is a friendly family game where players try to compose sets of cards out of the deck in such a way as to get rid of their Blitz pile as soon as possible. This game was created by a German immigrant from Pennsylvania Dutch country, and this game is very popular with the Pennsylvania Dutch and Amish community even today. This is a simple game that is easy to learn, and fun for everyone!
  

Details courtesy of Amazon, based on sales numbers on their e-commerce web site, and reflect the buying behavior of millions of people.

Do you have a favorite game that you think should be on this list? Comment!

Disclosure: The House of Cards is a member of the Amazon Associate program. You can help support our web site by purchasing card games and other products through our affiliate links, or directly at Amazon.com.

Here are a few of the great deals to be found at retailers affiliated with The House of Cards:

Amazon

Amazon may not be the first online retailer you think of for card games, but it turns out that they have an awesome selection of best-selling games (many offered with Free Shipping!)video games, toys, and the incredibly popular new Kindle, which is not only an awesome e-reader, but is an increasingly-capable gaming device.

Shop for card games at Amazon

AreYouGame

AreYouGame is a great place to find familiar and obscure card games, board games, party games, dice games, electronic games, family games, kids games, trivia games, word games, and much more. It is the largest game and puzzle store on the planet!

Shop for card games at AreYouGame

Uncles Games

Uncles Games offers a huge assortment of games, puzzles, books, and gaming accessories. They're offering free shipping on all orders over $10 on Cyber Monday only!

Shop for card games at Uncles Games

Note: With the proposed "online sales tax" bill wending its way through the U.S. congress, this may be the last year that you can purchase goods online without being forced to pay a sales tax. So stock up while you have the chance!

Rook is a commercial card game that has been around since 1906, in various incarnations. According to the publisher, "It's much easier to play than Bridge, more fun than Pinochle, and more varied than Hearts. Rook is played with a deck of 56 numerical cards and the unique Rook bird card."

I'm not quite sure how old this deck is. There is no date on the cards or the box. The last copyright date on the instruction booklet is 1968, so this deck is probably from the late 1960s or early 1970s. It was published by Parker Brothers in Salem, MA, and marked "Made in U.S.A.".

This is the set -- box, 1 decks of cards, instructions.

This is a close-up of the front of the box.

A detailed look at the "Rook" card.

The full deck of Rook cards -- Red, Yellow, Black and Green, numbered 1-14.

It is in very good condition, and complete with all 57 cards and an instruction booklet that provides rules for Rook and a number of variations, including:

• The Regular Game
• For Two Players
• Club
• Tennessee for Two
• Over The Top
• 3-Handed Partnership Display
• Partnership for 4
• Dixie
• One-High Partnership
• Kentucky Discard
• 600
• Short Pack: 600
• Display
• Boston
• The Bird Picture Card
• Solitaire
• Tuxedo
• I Doubt It
• Panjandrum
• Donkey
• Golden "10"
• Match
• Clock Pastime

If you're interested in seeing other vintage Rook cards, visit Coit Morrison's Rook Card Collection, which contains over 100 Rook decks, going back to the early 1900s.

For more modern renditions of this classic game, check out our Rook page, or search for your own vintage deck at eBay.

When you think of Pokemon games, you most likely think of Nintendo's popular titles on Game Boy, DS, and even consoles. The franchise's tabletop offerings, however, have existed almost as long as the series itself, spanning all the way back to the 1998 launch of the Pokemon Trading Card Game.

Now, roughly 12 years since the card game's debut, the Pokemon Company is taking steps to digitize the long-running collectible card game with the free-to-play browser title Pokemon Trading Card Game Online.

The Pokemon Company set out to create a service that expands the long-running card game into a new medium, while maintaining its paper-based roots.

The game is free (at least for now), and can be played at pokemontcg.com.

See also: Little Monsters, Big Bucks: How Pokémon Keeps On Battling, Nintendo Announces First Ever Online Pokemon Tournament

"I've always been cross that poker has this seedy reputation," says Holden, in his official capacity as the first president of the International Poker Federation an organization founded in Lausanne, Switzerland, in 2009. The game doesn't need cleaning up, he insists, but its perception among the general public does.

Under Holden's leadership, the IFP, which is comprised of 35 national teams, is lobbying to win poker recognition as a game of skill rather than chance and in particular as a "Mind Sport."

This is more than semantics. IFP is aiming to be a recognized sporting federation, which according to its website "gives players the right to play poker safely and legally, both online and in bricks and mortar establishments."

According to the group's web site, the International Poker Federation "serves as the governing body to which National Poker Federations can affiliate. Its goal is the promotion of poker as a Mind Sport played without any discrimination as to race, sex or creed."

In making his case for treating poker as a serious "mind sport", Holden brings up an interesting argument:

The point he says, is that unlike with other casino games, a skilled poker player is waging favorable odds. Take bridge, for example, he says, which has a safe, suburban reputation that is somewhat at odds with its history.

"They fought long and hard to make bridge respectable. We hope to put poker on the same road. People bet on chess and bridge but the world acknowledges that beneath that, these are fascinating, strategic games. It's been slower to accept that about poker."

The broader issue however is attitudinal change, which may take generations. "Many schools run their own bridge clubs, and no parent group would be up in arms if a teacher were to use bridge to explain a maths question to teach probabilities and game theory," says Holden.

"But there would be a stigma to an afterschool poker club. But they both have much to teach: It sharpens your ability to calculate. You need to know what your return on investment would be, what chips are available to be won, what you have to hazard to win it. On top of the math, there is psychology, the need to follow the moods of a player over the course of long game, to recognize fear, panic, frustration, aggression, all of our foibles, is great practice for business, relationships and life."

So how do you feel about this? Are bridge and chess really reasonable comps?

Can the strategic parts of the game be separated from the gambling associations? Or is poker forever doomed to be perceived as "seedy", as a "back room game"?

According to the game's publisher, Encore Software:

"This year's line of Hoyle games is getting back to basics and addressing the feedback from our loyal fans," said Cal Morrell, President of Encore. "With larger cards and new game-play features, we improved the classic games that people have played throughout their entire lives."

Hoyle Card Games 2012, Hoyle Casino Games 2012 and Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games 2012 have been extensively re-worked to include bigger cards, new interface design and a range of improved game play features. Slicker and faster than ever before, the new Hoyle games make the experience of winning more rewarding and exciting with avatars, card back customization and Hoyle Bucks -- the more you play, the more you win! Interactive "competitors" -- popular characters that have been featured in Hoyle's best-selling lineup -- bring the game to life with engaging and humorous commentary.

Hoyle Card Games 2012 is the largest & most comprehensive collection of card games available for both PC & Mac. Featuring more than 150 game variations, players can choose from favorites like Poker, Gin Rummy and Hearts or try their hand at Cribbage or Euchre. Over 45 varieties of Solitaire challenge players to think strategically and Go Fish, Old Maid and War are included for the young or the young-at-heart. Choose single player or tournament play for a unique way to play card game favorites.

Step up to the table with Hoyle Casino Games 2012 -- featuring over 600 casino game variations. Bet it all playing Blackjack, Craps and Roulette or spin-to-win with over 50 video and reel spinner slots. Play Video Poker, Keno and Texas Hold 'Em just like a real casino. Players can choose single or tournament play to collect winnings!

With over 1000 game variations, Hoyle Puzzle & Board Games 2012 is the most comprehensive puzzle and board collection available. Players can choose traditional standards such as chess, checkers and dominoes or test their vocabulary and memory with hundreds of word and tile games. This collection is bursting with games that are easy to learn but take a lifetime to master.

Learn more about Hoyle Card Games 2012, Hoyle Casino Games 2012, and Puzzle and Board Games 2012.

You can visit the publisher's web site at hoylegaming.com.

Bridgepoint Playing Cards were invented by Maurice Freedman, and sold by the Bridgepoint Playing Card Company of Philadelphia, PA. The "exclusive point count feature" claims to "speed bidding" and "help beginners".

The set contains two decks of bridge-sized playing cards, featuring a mirrored swan design on the card back, one deck in black, the other in red. The Ace, King, Queen, and Jack of each suit is marked with a point value (4, 3, 2, and 1, respectively) just below the pip. The Ace of Spades is unique, showing North, East, South, and West designations in the design.

In addition to the 52 standard cards, each deck contains two "Bridgepoint Summary of Point Count Bidding" cards, which give a brief description of the point system and how it's used.

The summary cards also state that "Bridgepoint Playing Cards" may be used for all types of card games. Use this card as a Joker for games other than bridge." There are thus two "jokers" with each pack.

The cards say "©Maurice Freedman" and the box says "©Bridgepoint Playing Card Co.". Not sure how old this vintage Bridgepoint Playing Cards set is.

This is the set -- box, 2 decks of cards, instructions.

This is a close-up of the front of the box.

A detailed look at the four point cards.

A detailed look at a summary card.

These are the 52 standard cards.

Bridgepoint Playing Cards were granted a patent (#488797) by the Canadian Intellectual Property Office in 1952 (see patent filing). Here is the description, as provided by Maurice Freedman:

This invention relates to contract bridge playing cards and more particularly to playing cards marked with numerals for the purpose of assessing the value of the hand.

For many years experts have used systems for the evaluation of contract bridge hands based upon attributing numerals to the higher ranking cards. The higher ranking cards are assigned numbers or points which reflects their relative trick taking values. The assessment of the value of a hand involves totalling the numbers of the high ranking cards in the hand to ascertain whether the hand conforms with prescribed requirements for opening or other bids as the case may be.

In the most widely known system popularized by Charles Goren the following values are assigned:

• Ace: 4 points
• King: 3 points
• Queen: 2 points
• Jack: 1 point

In addition some players count the 10 as being worth 1/2 point.

In the system generally known as the Work count the Ace is worth 3 points, the King 2 points, and the Queen 1 point.

Beginners and intermediate players have encountered considerable difficulty in using systems of the type described above in that the mental process of recalling the number to be attributed to each high-ranking card and adding it to the total already obtained for other high ranking cards is usually slow. Frequent errors occur and concentration on the numerical totalling of the hand is apt to distract a players attention from other matters which should be considered.

In accordance with the present invention the number of points assigned to each high ranking card is printed adjacent to the corner symbols at present used to indicate the rank and suit of the card.

This reduces the task of evaluating the hand to a simple addition of a series of numbers visible on various cards in the hand. The counting of the number of points in each hand will be speeded up, errors will be virtually eliminated, the mind will be freed from having to concentrate on the number of points to be given to each high ranking card and the total present in the hand, and the teaching and learning of any method of bidding using these points as a basis will be greatly simplified.

The "most widely known system popularized by Charles Goren" is detailed in Charles H. Goren's Point Count Bidding in Contract Bridge, which is described thus on the cover:

Here is a method of bidding which is simpler to learn and is far more accurate than any methods or "systems" that have ever been used. Coming as it does from the most successful bridge player in the world, it is a book of impeccable authority, but -- perhaps equally important to the average bridge player -- it is written with clarity and grace.

• What to discard when it is your crib -- After dealing a hand in Cribbage, the first decision you have to make is what cards to discard to your crib. This decision is often a difficult one; unlike the non-dealing player, you don't simply want to hold "good" cards and discard "bad" cards.
• What to throw in your opponent's crib -- The first decision you will make each round of Cribbage is what two cards to discard to the crib. If you are the non-dealer, you want to leave your opponent as weak a crib as possible. This means not discarding two cards likely to turn into lots of points for your opponent. Here are some points to consider when it is your opponent's crib in the card game Cribbage.
• What to lead in the counting round -- Once you've discarded your extra cards to the crib and revealed the cut card, it's time for the counting round. Often overlooked by novice players, the counting round is where clever play can be more important than the cards you hold. Here are some tips on what to lead as the non-dealer in a game of Cribbage.
• What to play as the second card of the counting round -- As the dealer in Cribbage, your opponent will always play the first card of the counting round. Your response to the lead, the first card you play, is your earliest opportunity to get points each round. However, it is also important to protect the rest of the round for yourself. Here are some tips for responding to the lead in the card game Cribbage.

More from About.com: Resources for players of the card game Cribbage.

Subtitled "Containing Clear and Comprehensive Directions For Playing The Games of Euchre, Whist, Bezique, All-Fours, Pitch, Commercial Pitch, French Fours, All Fives, Cassino, Cribbage, Straight and Draw Poker, and Whiskey Poker: Together With All The Laws Of Those Games", the book was compiled published by Dick & Fitzgerald in New York in 1866.

Curiously, the book shows no author, but the person who compiled the book is apparently William B. Dick, author of an amazing variety of works, including card games books such as Dick's Games of Patience or Solitaire with Cards, The American Hoyle: Or, Gentleman's Hand-Book of Games, Containing All the Games Played in the United States, With Rules, Descriptions, and Technicalities Adapted to the American Methods of Playing, Dick's Hand-Book Of Cribbage, and The Modern Pocket Hoyle: Containing All The Games Of Skill And Chance As Played In This Countery At The Present Time.

The book does have a lovely cover illustration:

The games covered in the book include:

• Whist -- Long Whist; Short Whist; Dumby, or Three-Handed Whist; Two-Handed Whist
• Euchre -- Two-Handed Euchre; Three-Handed Euchre; Set Back Euchre; Lap, Slam, Jambone, and Jamboree
• Cribbage -- Five Card Cribbage; Six Card Cribbage; Three-Handed Cribbage; Four-Handed Cribbage
• Bezique -- Bezique without a Trump; Bezique Penanche; Bezique Limited to a Fixed Point; Three-Handed Bezique; Four-Handed Bezique
• All-Fours -- Four-Handed All Fours; Pitch, or Blind All Fours; Commercial Pitch, or Auction All Fours; All-Fives; French Fours
• Cassino
• Poker -- Straight Poker; Draw Poker; Whiskey Poker; Stud Poker

The entire content of the book is available from Archive.org, in a number of formats, including PDF, EPUB, Kindle, Daisy, and Full Text. The book may also be read interactively: read online.

The EPUB and Kindle versions of the book may be downloaded for free to your favorite ebook reader (such as the Amazon Kindle

According to mlive.com:

Cribbage is an "old school" board game, something like a combination between poker and dominoes.

While some organizations based on the somewhat complicated game are focused on strategy and how best to "skunk" their opponents, the get-togethers among collectors are about showing off rare or handmade boards.

Members will be "displaying many of their prized boards, playing tournaments and enjoying what Grand Haven has to offer," Bradshaw said.

The nationwide group with 150 active members started holding annual conventions in 2000. He said 42 members plan on making the trip, some from as far way as Washington State.

The convention will be Friday and Saturday at the Spring Lake Holiday Inn, 940 W. Savidge, but is only open to the public 10 a.m. to noon Saturday. Residents can stop by and see the wide and varied collections of members, and maybe take a board home, if the bid is right.

There will be a silent auction and board-swapping at the convention.

Here is the Convention Registration Form.

And here is a recap of the 2010 convention, which took place in Des Moines, IA and included presentations about ivory cribbage boards, magnetic cribbage boards, handmade boards, folding travel boards, and historic cribbage boards.

Learn more about cribbage boards.