What a Card
As kids my brother Ken and my sister Kathy would play card games at times: Old Maid, Fish, and War. They weren’t challenging, but they’d keep us busy when we couldn’t go outside or during times we were bored with nothing else to do. Later we learned to play Rummy. There were other older card games like Flinch and Milles Borne, but we never learned the rules to play them.
When I was in high school I would visit friends who lived near my grandparent Miner’s farm. Several brothers were my age and we liked to play Hearts and Spades. I liked these games. They were more of a challenge. It’s been so long ago since I’ve played them, I’m not sure I would remember how to play.
While I worked at Walworth Valve Company in South Greensburg I learned to play Canasta. At lunch several men would break out decks of cards and play. I learned the game through observation. When one of the men didn’t show up for the game, I would sit in. I got the “newbie” hassle because I was still learning and might make the wrong bid or play the wrong card. It was a “learn quickly” or I wouldn’t be invited to sit in and play cards.
There was a lot of down time while I was attending Corps in school the United States Navy at Great Lakes. Since I didn’t drink or use drugs, I often stayed in the barracks and not going into Chicago for the weekend. I would frequently play Poker. We weren’t allowed to gamble, but used pop tops as poker chips. No money was on the table, but the pop tops were used instead of nickels. I made money, not because I was a great gambler, but because I had staying power. Someone would show up wanting to play and they would “buy” my seat at the table. I’d hang around until someone bowed out, opening a seat. I would claim it, coming back in with a fresh pot of money. I’d play until someone else would want a seat at the table.
I also learned to play Cribbage, an easy game to transport. A deck of cards and Cribbage board didn’t take up much room. The board I had was very plain, but I’ve seen some fancy Cribbage boards with ivory or exotic wooden pegs owned by serious players.
Today’s kids play Dutch Blitz and Uno. They can be fun, but Dutch Blitz is too rapid paced for me. I can’t collect my thoughts as quickly as those from the younger generation.