Card Games – Are you gamed for one? – Fun Simplicity

Traditional Game #3: Card Games

Card games is a popular pastime regardless of age and gender. Today, I will introduce four traditional card games, which you may had played before.

Firstly, DONKEY card game.

How to play:

1. Two or more people may play “Donkey”.
2. Deal all the cards. Any player who gets two of the same kind should place them face down in front of him without letting the other players see the picture-side.
3. The game goes on in this way: The first player offers his cards , faced down, to the player on his left who takes one of them. If this card pairs with any he already holds, he places both cards face down in front of him with his other pair. Now this player offers his cards in the same way to the next player. So the game goes on until all the cards are used up.
4. When any player has paired all his cards, he is out of the game. If “Donkey” is one of the last two cards a player holds and he is able to pair the other card, he can then pass “Donkey” to the next player.
5. The player who is left in the end with the “Donkey” card is the loser and you can call him (or her) “Donkey”.

Next, SNAP card game.

How to play:

1. Any number of players can play.
2. The 36 cards are dealt round, faced down, to the players
3. Each player keeps his card, without looking at them, faced down in front of him. The player on the left of the dealer starts the game by turning up his top card and placing it before him. Thus, starting a stack.
4. When two cards of the same picture turn up, the first player to call “SNAP” takes both stacks of the up-turned cards. He places them faced down under his own pack. If a player calls “SNAP” in error or if two players call together, then their up-turned cards are put in a pool in the centre.
5. If a card that is turned up is the same as the one on top of the pool, the first to call “Pool SNAP” takes the pool.
6. The player who eventually holds all the cards is the Winner.

Thirdly, HAPPY FAMILY card game.

How to play:

1. Any number of players can play.
2. The 36 cards are dealt round, faced down to the players.
3. Each player sorts his cards into as many families of four as possible. Completed “Families” are placed faced down in front of the player.
4. The player on the left of the dealer starts the game, by asking any player he chooses for a card, to make up one of his families. If the other player has it, he must give it up; but if he doesn’t have it, he replies “Not at Home”. It is then his turn to ask for the cards he wants. No player can ask for a card if he does not have one or more of the same family in his hand.
5. The one who completes his families first is the winner.

Lastly, OLD MAID card game.

How to play:

1. Two or more people may play “Old Maid”.
2. Deal all the cards. Any player who gets two of the same kind should place them faced down in front of him, without letting the other players see the picture-side.
3. The game goes on in this way: The first player offers his cards , faced down, to the player on his left who takes one of them. If this card pairs with any he already holds, he places both cards face down in front of him with his other pair. Now this player offers his cards in the same way to the next player. So the game goes on until all the cards are used up.
4. When any player has paired all his cards, he is out of the game. If “Old Maid” is one of the last two cards a player holds and he is able to pair the other card, he can then pass “Old Maid” to the next player.
5. The player who is left in the end with the “Old Maid” card is the loser and you can call him (or her) “Old Maid”.

Note: The rules for playing Donkey and Old Maid are pretty much similar.

Where can you find card games?