Card Games Update

One of my favorite placed to go is this Card Games web site. I don't go there as often as I used to (and it isn't updated as frequently), but I went there today and saw that it was updated less than a week ago, after a hiatus of over a year. Good times.

I like browsing different card games, but I have noticed three trends that annoy me. The game of Sheepshead, has all these features, so I'll refer to it. [The description also has the wonderful line, "Sheepshead players never play with a full deck."]

The game uses a deck of 32 cards, 8 cards in each of the four suits. Rather than simply use the cards numbered 1 (Ace) through 8, it removes the lowest cards and you play with the 7 through King, plus Ace. Why? Does playing with more face cards make people feel special?

Rather than rank the cards in the natural order, it ranks Tens higher than Kings, but lower than Aces. Statistically, it doesn't matter if you play A, K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7 or A, 10, K, Q, J, 9, 8, 7, so why do it? I've seen this done with Jacks, Twos, Threes, and Sevens, and it doesn't make any sense. In fact, I have a suspicion (probably wrong) that that this happened long ago with the Ace (which is a 1, people!) and that's how we have so many games with Aces being high.

Many games designate a card, like Jacks or Sevens, and makes them trump, even if they don't belong to the trump suit. Sheepshead does this with both Jacks and Queens. This has the effect of adding more trump to the game, which is fine, but why take them from the middle of the ranking? Why not just say "all Aces are trump?" Kings then become high.

And really, after you've made all these changes which add nothing but confusion, you're better off just making your own special deck rather than try to shoehorn the game into the standard 52-card deck.

I have a bonus fourth annoyance, and that is for games, like Pinochle, which give bonus points when you are dealt particular cards. Woo. No skill, just pure luck.