Saturday, October 29, 2016

One-Card Poker Face

The game is called One Card and this is the way San Geraldo's South Dakota family plays it.
  • Each player is given three pennies (that's three one-cent coins for my non-American readers)
  • Each player is dealt one card, face down. 
  • Ace is high. Two is low. The goal is to NOT end up with the highest card. 
  • The first player looks at their card and decides if they want to keep it or trade with the next player (if it's a high card you usually pass it, low card you keep it). 
  • If the next player has to trade a low card for a high card, they will usually then trade that higher card with the next player. 
  • If a player is happy with their card, they simply say (smugly) "I'm good" and don't trade with the next player. 
  • However, a player cannot refuse to trade cards with the previous player unless they have a King.  If a player has a King, they hold up the card and very obnoxiously make a loud buzzer sound (the best part of the game) to indicate that the preceding player is stuck with the card they don't want. 
  • Once play circles the table and returns to the dealer, the dealer can choose to keep the card or draw another card from the deck. 
  • Whoever ends up with the highest card has to throw one of their pennies into the middle of the table. If there's a tie for high card, each player must forfeit a penny. 
  • Once you lose all three pennies, you play on your "reputation" until you lose another hand. 
  • The last player to remain (either with pennies or on their reputation) wins. 

In September, we played at nephew and niece-in-law, Ryan and Emily's house. As each player was knocked out, they kept someone else company. Our great-nieces (really, really great) traveled around the table. Their older brother (also really and truly great) played quietly... and stewed when he lost.

GREAT UNCLE JERRY CONSIDERS TRADING WITH ELOISE.
"ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO TRADE?"
ALICE GETS A CARD THAT'S NOT REALLY HIGH AND NOT REALLY LOW.
"KEEP OR TRADE?"
UNCLE JERRY: "YOU TWO ARE GIVING ME AWAY!
EITHER WORK ON YOUR POKER FACES OR LOOK SOMEWHERE ELSE!"
ELOISE MOVED ON TO GRANDMA... AND GRANDMA MOVED ON TO HER REPUTATION.

Can't read my, can't read my... No he can't read my poker face...

30 comments:

  1. Coming from a card gambling family myself, I think this one would go over well.....except they would want to 'up the ante' a bit.
    Looks like a fun time had by all, Mitch.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Jim:
      It's a great game when you've got kids you want to include (and therefore the only time Jerry doesn't up the ante)! it is always a blast. An absolutely amazing family. We're so lucky.

      Delete
  2. How many players were there? All those pennies on the table with only 3c each... just wonderin'.....

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sharon:
      13 players! A whopping 39 cents on the table.

      Delete
  3. Replies
    1. Ron:
      Oh, Jerry would be so happy to have card-playing, game-playing friends nearby.

      Delete
  4. I meant to ask if Jerry has tried the suduko on http://www.paulspages.co.uk/sudokuxp/sdxppotd.php
    You can get them as hard as you like, and the best part is
    that you can have them enter the 'candidates'. Also easy
    to print. I like them hard but solvable.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. jacquie:
      He hasn't. Thanks for the recommendation. I'll pass it on.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. anne marie:
      They are the greatest. And so is their brother. And our two nephews are and have always been incredible and have equally exceptional wives. I can't believe how lucky we are to have family like this.

      Delete
  6. I have not played cards in YEARS. Note to self.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Optimistic:
      Jerry's family has always played cards and games together. My sister and I always played as kids, but I don't come from a card-playing family. It's a great way to spend time together.

      Delete
  7. Replies
    1. Michael:
      It really is a fun game and great for large groups and children. We always have a ball.

      Delete
  8. I haven't played a card game in ages. My loss.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Stephen:
      If we had card-playing friends here, Jerry would play daily if he could.

      Delete
  9. We used to play that game except we called it one card no peekee

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Cheapchick:
      I'm so glad Jerry's family doesn't use the "no peekee"!

      Delete
  10. I love family games :) I also love Eloise's Christmas jammies :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Judy:
      I didn't grow up with family games, but Jerry did and his family has continued the tradition from one generation to the next. It's a joy. And, yes, I loved Eloise's Christmas pajamas, too.

      Delete
  11. I am wondering if the camera man had lost his reputation.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Wilma:
      I stayed in the game for quite a while (I was still playing when I grabbed the shots of Alice and Eloise playing). But I lost my reputation after only one hand! Go figure.

      Delete
  12. So funny! We played that card game in Indiana and called it "Pass the Trash"!!!

    ReplyDelete
  13. What a fun game, but my poker face grins all the time! As a family, we always played cards. Is it more a Norwegian tradition or is it because Cards were a South Dakota past time?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Elaine:
      I always figured there was excessive card-playing in South Dakota because you were snow-bound for so many months. What else COULD you do?!?

      Delete
  14. One should not generally play cards with relatives, especially little girls, who turn out to be absolute gangsters.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Spo:
      Those kids were hilarious. There must be a genetic predisposition for "Card Sharp."

      Delete

Please visit www.movingwithmitchell.com if you would like to comment or stay up to date. I stopped posting here and reproduced all previous posts, as well, 25 September 2018. Thanks!!!