With summer right around the corner, you're guaranteed to get a pretty large dose of boredom. Don't deny it, summer sounds all fun in the beginning, but you quickly get overwhelmed because there is too much not to do. Video games and social media can only take you so far.
Luckily, one of the best ways to beat this boredom comes in a small pack that fits in your pocket and a couple of other people, be it friends, family or just colleagues. I remember how in the last few days of school this year, it was insane how many people brought cards to school and just started playing in class. It was so simple — a deck of cards literally bought you a whole circle of people and fun for a while.
Here are some of the best games to get your good times started with cards this summer.
1. ERS (Egyptian Rat Screw)
In this game with 2+ people, the rules state players take turns placing cards on the central pile. They are not allowed to look at their cards before it is on the pile, so the game cannot be influenced by the people.
This game has several rules with which you can slap the central pile to take the pile of cards. The objective of the game is to collect the entire deck of cards. The person who does this is declared the winner.
Hint: Slap as often as you can. It's better to burn just one card than to lose an entire pile of cards to someone else!
2. Speed
The rules of this game state that it can only be played by two people, it is a fun game that takes only about five minutes to complete. Each player is given a pile of cards, and the remaining cards go in the middle of the table.
The object of the game is to place cards on the two center piles in increasing or decreasing order and get rid of all your cards as fast as you can. The player who does this first wins.
Hint: To avoid the deck from being too under shuffled, try switching cards from piles here and there (without looking, of course) to mix things up!
3. President
Though this game is arguably more complicated than most of the other card games on this list, it is a fun game to play with a larger group of people. According to the rules, players put down cards in rank order, with the cards getting higher in rank as the game goes on.
The objective is to get rid of all your cards the fastest. The order in which everyone gets rid of their cards determines what the player becomes. For example, the first person to exhaust all their cards is the president, with the vice president coming after. The last person to finish all their cards is called the scum or the a-hole.
Hint: Make sure you use all your bombs early on because the tendency is to end with them. Guess what? That makes you automatic scum!
4. Slapjack
Slapjack is one of the easiest games out there, with just one simple rule in the classic version: if you see a jack, slap the deck as fast as you can! The first person to slap the deck wins the entire deck of cards. If you slap the cards accidentally, you must take a card from your pile and place it at the bottom of the playing pile (called "burning" a card). You must deal cards equally to all players and no one can look at their cards beforehand. The person with all the cards wins!
Hint: You can make variations to this game, such as adding two cards that you can slap to win the pile. It'll be fun to see who can remember the rules in a fraction of a second!
6. BS or Bluff
This is a fairly popular game that becomes increasingly enjoyable with more people. Players are dealt an equal number of cards that they are allowed to look at and organize. According to the rules, play goes around the table in increasing order of cards, in which players play cards according to whatever number they are assigned. If they don't have that card, they can lie, provided that no one else finds out about their "bluff."
The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards without anyone being the wiser. This is where the luck aspect of the game comes in since you most definitely will not win unless you don't have to lie about the card(s) you are placing down.
HInt: Call BS on anyone who places their last card down immediately. Chances are that it's not the card they needed.
7. Spoons
Let's end this list with a nice, leisurely paced game. This, in my opinion, is one of the easiest card games to learn and master. It is about luck and speed. Players start with a hand of four cards, and cards are passed around to each player as other players put them down.
The rules state that the objective of the game is to secure a hand with a similar card from all four suits, such as a four of hearts, clubs, diamonds and spades. This person will take a "spoon" from the center. At this point, anyone can take a spoon, whether they have a full hand or not, and this is where the speed aspect of the game comes in.
Hint: If you aren't getting any matches, just watch the center pile of spoons instead. This way, you can grab the spoon as fast as you can as soon as someone has their match.
There are tons of variations to these games, and tons of more outcomes. But one thing is clear — the card games will certainly keep you occupied and test your reflexes while allowing you to have fun with other people. It's not a bad way to start off the summer!
