Card Night: Classic Games, Classic Decks, and The History Behind Them

by Will Roya

Overview

Learn when to hold 'em and when to fold 'em with Card Night, a collection of 52 classic card games, including rules and strategies.

Featuring step-by-step, illustrated instructions, and two indexes that organize each game by difficulty and number of players needed, Card Night includes directions for playing all the most popular card games, including Hearts and Bridge, Rummy and Go Fish.

In addition to providing the rules of standard game play, Card Night also details the fascinating stories and peculiarities behind some of the world's most famous card decks, some of which were used as currency, tools for propaganda, and even as a means for sending coded messages.

Offering one game for each week of the year, Card Night is the go-to companion for weekly game nights, long car rides, and rainy days spent at home. Wow your friends and family with your game playing prowess and keep them entertained with fascinating details from playing card history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780762473519
Publisher:	Running Press Book Publishers
Publication date:	07/13/2021
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	214,006
Product dimensions:	5.10(w) x 7.10(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

A one-time professional magician,Will Roya is the founder and CEO of PlayingCardDecks.Com, where he creates and sells custom decks of playing cards and re-issues historically important decks for avid card collectors around the world.

Table of Contents

Introduction ix

I Classic Games

Bingo 2

Crazy Eights 3

Cribbage 6

Devil's Grip 15

Egyptian Rat Screw 18

Go Fish 21

I Doubt It 24

Ninety-Nine 26

Old Maid 29

Pig 32

Six-Card Golf 33

Slapjack 36

Snap 38

Snip, Snap, Snorem 40

Solitaire 42

Spit 48

War 51

II Rummy Games

Rummy 62

Gin Rummy 69

Canasta 75

Hand and Foot 82

Tunk 86

Conquian 88

III Trick-Taking Games

Bezique 98

Bridge 102

California Jack 110

Cinch 111

Euchre 114

Forty-Five 122

Go Boom 125

Hearts 126

Idiot 131

Napoleon 134

Oh Hell 137

Pinochle 139

Piquet 146

Pitch 149

President 155

Sixty-Six 158

Spades 161

Whist 165

IV Gambling And Casino Games

Baccarat 178

Blackjack 181

Booray 185

Fan Tan 186

Guts 188

In-Between 189

Michigan 191

Red or Black 194

Seven-Card Stud 195

Texas Hold 'Em 204

Thirty-One 211

Glossary 220

Index of Games by Difficulty 231

Index of Games by Number of Players 232

Image Credits 233

About the Author 234

Editorial Reviews

10/01/2021

Beginning with a whirlwind history of playing cards, lifelong playing card enthusiast Roya goes on to describe various games. Organized into sections such as "Classic" and "Rummy Games," entries discuss setup, how to play, and scoring, along with game variations and occasional asides ("The phrase old maid is an extremely rude way to refer to a childless and unmarried woman"). Illustrations, a glossary, and cross-references by difficulty level and number of players are helpful additions. VERDICT From slapjack to minuman (a drinking version of Go Fish) to variations on solitaire, this book has a card game for everyone. A family-friendly guide to low-tech diversions.

Library Journal