For a night in with friends, fun activities like card games always help shake up the mood. Below are a few favourite titles that everyone loves to play.
Never Out of Style
As the gaming industry develops new technologies to create elaborate gaming experiences like VR, card games might seem like a thing of the past. That is simply not true! In fact, some have said that card games will dominate 2022 due to their accessibility, variations, and unbeatable entertainment. While these technological advancements in gaming are exciting, many new games have different social attributes that are still in their experimental phase. Of course, that in and of itself is interesting, but there is nothing quite like gathering around a table with a deck of cards and a group of friends.
For all the titles listed below, players only need one deck of cards and a little competitive spirit to win.
Spoons
Spoons is a fun choice for groups who enjoy a high-speed competition. Outside of cards, there are many varieties of the game, so it’s quite easy to adapt for different groups. First, spoons are left out on the table. There needs to be one spoon fewer than players for it to work. Sort of like musical chairs, players have to make a four of a kind as fast as possible, then grab a spoon to secure their place in the next round. The object of the game is to survive each round until there is one winner, as if it were a tournament.
Spoons tends to work best in medium to large groups, usually between six and thirteen people. Obviously, this can be adjusted accordingly, but to create tournament-style tension, having more people around is the way to go.
Poker
While spoons is a fast-paced, adrenaline rush of a game, poker requires a bit more tact and thought. Of course, everyone is probably familiar with what poker looks like. A room full of tense stares as bets are raised, dim lights in a glamorous salon. However, few people actually know the rules, the game variations or the possible hands. Above all, one of the most important things to know before getting started is how the hands rank. To keep it simple, it’s best to focus on one variation. The most common version of poker seen on TV and in movies is No-limit Texas Hold’em, where the object of the game is to make the best five-card combination with the cards dealt and the cards the dealer lays on the table. Higher hands such as the royal flush are less and less probable, while lower-ranking hands like one pair or three-of-a-kind are much easier to achieve. With practice and the air of friendly competition, poker is a no-brainer for a night in with friends.
BS
For anyone who wants all the bluffing that goes into poker without learning all the hands, rules, and variations, BS is a fun and simple alternative. Recently, a game show with Howie Mandel has been aired of people playing BS on the big screen. That’s to say, it’s definitely still popular.
Often played amongst younger people, the object of the game is to get rid of all the cards as quickly as possible. Players put down cards in ascending order, going from aces to kings and starting over again. It is easier at first because usually, each person has a combination of cards. However, after a few more rounds, players have to start bluffing about what cards they have for their turn, which is where the fun begins. Opponents have the opportunity to call BS on players. If the player was lying, then they take the stack and have to use it in their hand. Conversely, if the player was telling the truth, then the opponent who called BS takes the stack.
As one can imagine, BS is played best in large groups so that the cards are distributed amongst more people. This makes it difficult to know who has what cards, so players often have to judge by facial expressions and body language to call BS.
Final Thoughts
Cards have something to offer everyone. For those who love a speedy game loaded with competition, spoons is the right choice. Meanwhile, poker is optimal for any groups that are prepared to learn a few more rules to throw some dicey staredowns. Finally, for larger groups that aren’t looking for too many rules and a lot of laughs, BS is the way to go.
That’s to say, it’s always good to have a deck of cards lying around.