Have any of you played Uno cards? I’ve always managed to make good my escape, pitting the kids against each other or passing the buck very gracefully to my mother or sister when they have been available. However this weekend I was well and truly caught.
Stuck as I was, I applied myself diligently to the game. ‘They’re just two ten-year-olds’, I thought, ‘how tough would it be to defeat them and get on with my chores?’
After about twenty minutes I was more than willing to eat my words (or even my thoughts). The game just refused to end. The idea is to get rid of all your cards but each time I thought I was almost there I’d be saddled with some more.
There is a whole big bunch of the most complex rules. (Or maybe is it just me with my terrible memory. I’ll never know). Sometimes I got the sneaking suspicion that the children kept changing the rules to suit themselves. I kept being made to skip chances or reverse the order of playing till I had no clue what was going on.
At the end of half hour I just wanted the game to end. I decided I’d try to lose and get over with it. However, that wasn’t happening in a hurry too.
This game of cards is U.N.E.N.D.I.N.G!
(Quite like the Game of Thrones, which I am also ploughing through these days.)
(Quite like the Game of Thrones, which I am also ploughing through these days.)
After much hard work N finally won and I celebrated harder than she did. Come Monday I will begin work on a strategy to circumvent more Uno card encounters.
Teen Do Paanch and Kot Piece were easier
Did you play cards when you were young? We did. It was’t considered the most respectable of past-times but when six of us cousins got together each summer, card games were a favourite.
Not for us these Unos. We played Teen, Do, Paanch and Kot Piece (or is it Court Piece or Coat Pees, I need to google that). Then there was Bluff which was played with multiple suits and Gun which needed six players. There were also Rummy and Flash which were considered too grown up for us. Even though I did manage to finally officially grow up I never got a hang of those two.
We spent many long afternoons over hotly contested games cooled down by tall glasses of nimbu paani and the fragrant breeze from khas khas mats. Allegations of cheating flew back and forth (Cousin no 2 was a pro at it) and cards would be thrown down with promises of ‘I’ll never play with you again’ (that would be our oldest, Cousin no 1). Many a sad tear was spilt followed by hours of ‘I’m not talking to you’ only to be forgotten in favour of yet another good game.
That’s the way we played cards.
This time when I was home, my father just back from China, got these beautiful dinosaur playing cards. (He’s a Palaeontologist, hence). After we’d admired them enough, I thought it was time to initiate the kids into my kind of game. And so I explained the whole thing about declaring trumps and making hands.
To their credit they took to it way better than I took to their Uno and were soon yelling ‘I trumpeted you’ with great vigour filling me with hope that we’ll stick to these. At least our card games have an end to them.
All in all a weekend well spent.
So what did you do over the weekend. Do you remember any childhood games? Or those that you’ve shared with your kids? I’d love to hear from you.
Linking up with Mackenzie at Reflections from Me
I have played cards with my cousins during those long summer vacations. It used to be yes. UNO came much later but Rummy, court piece, teen, do, panch, that one called 29 and yes – flash. Have played all. I still Freecell on my phone 😉
Freecell ends up stumping me quite often. But playing against the computer isn'the half as much fun, isn'the it? No fights! No fun. Thanks for this comment blitz Paul.
Oh yes. UNO is one of my favorite games, though I've lost my set. Need to buy another. 🙂 When we went out of station, my sister and I took it along, and at my grandma's home, we found two cousins who were bored too. We ended up playing the whole day! Endless, it can be. 😀 But very very fun.
I remember playing a card game called Declare when I was a kid, or playing with Wrestling Cards, trying to get the other player's cards, pitting our WWE star's best aspect against the other one. Ah. Memories!
Wrestling cards? I thought those were just collectibles. There were also those cards called Cricket Attax that my son was crazy about at one point of time.
Oh, yes, we have played UNO and at one point of time, like crazies. Aaryan introduced us to this game and we 3 got hooked to it. It became a nightly ritual for KG, AG and me. And then we introduced it to 2 of our friends too during one of our vacations. So, 6 adults and 3 kids spent all our waking hours in the hotel (after sight seeing and lunch/dinners etc), playing UNO. And we have played the card games on the sly, coz mom-dad never approved of it so we never had cards at home.
Oh yes.. card games were considered not so good – were perceived as gambling I think, which is why they were such a no no. I need to re-look at this Uno.
Yes. I've played Uno and I taught my niece and nephew and believe me, I got impossible to defeat them!
And this post brought so many memories. I used to go to my nani's place and we used to play cards. Who hasn't in their childhood? I played bluff and we called it 420, then there was Penalty, Mat mat, teen do paanch, rumee, flash, laad, 7-8, and have you played 29? O it's even more fun!
Loved this post to bits!
Cheers
Geets
29? No don't think I've played that unless we called it something else. I do remember another one though – Black Queen. Oh and Laad was Bluff I think.
Nope haven't played Uno. But yes teen do paanch, kot piece and rummy. Did you play rummy? That was a lot of fun. My nana used to play it so seriously. No giggling and laughing. 🙂 Even bluff and of course teen patti around Diwali time. But we used to play with fake money. Oh, I loved all these games. We used to play carrom, chess and Scrabble with papa during our vacations. Just on and on we played in the summer heat savouring the indoors. Beautiful memories you re-kindled, Tulika.
Rummy was a game for the brainees. And teen patti was beyond me – I could never remember which combination was bigger than which. I cannot imagine playing cards and not shouting and fighting. We played carom and scrabble too, also Chinese Chequers. So much fun.
Oh no! Whenever we used to play UNO at home, I was always suspected of changing the rules even though I never did anything of that sort! That's why I started keeping the instruction sheet next to me at all times, and showed it to anyone who challenged my authority 😀
Ha ha Mithila.. see, that's why I love it when you comment on my posts – they're like replies from the 'other side'. I'm sure the kids will start brandishing the instruction sheet at me soon enough.
hahaha UNO is the only card game I know… I am terrible with card games… can't wrap my head around it. Plus here my friends play all sort of different japanese card games (not the ones with numbers)… there's a sushi game which I like …
Whew – and I can't figure out Uno. I wonder why a game needs to be this complicated. Kind of takes the fun out of it. Or maybe that IS the fun of it.
I've managed to escape UNO, both with my nephews and nieces and then later, with Vidur. I prefer regular playing card games. I'll bet you enjoyed yourself with this! Heheh. Gotcha hooked eh?
Lucky you :-). I prefer the old way better but who knows I just might convert. I'd better, if only to be fair to the kids.
I have played cards a lot, still do at holidays but no UNO yet. I suppose it is inevitable when my son grows older.
I am totally bad a teen patti but the others I can play. 🙂
You had a good weekend! many more!
Thanks, yeah we did have fun once I'd given myself up to spending time with them. You'd better begin to get a hang of Uno – it's bound to strike sooner or later :-).
We play UNO and it is such a great fun. It is one of the few card games that the whole family can enjoy together. I remembered playing card games like Donkey, Old Maid and Snap with my cousins and friends. We had so much fun then. #mg
I think I just had too many chores on my mind. I need to give this another shot.
Actually UNO is pretty addictive. I played it a lot with friends and cousins when growing up. On journeys and short trips too. We still play cards every now and then when all the cousins and relatives gather. Ah, happy days!
I really enjoy these posts of yours that make me reminisce, Tulz 🙂
Is it addictive? I'm yet to get there I guess. I just need to remember all those darned rules so that the kids can't get away with whatever.
we actually play Uno all the time, it started a year ago, we went away and were given a free pack of Uno cards, my then 5 year old became obsessed, and I mean obsessed! It actually has become loads of fun. Some times I just want to get on with my own life, but I must admit it can be fun when I beat my hubby lol #mg
I need to befriend it the way the kids are going. At least it keeps them sitting in one place and spells 'no screen time'.
Oh yes.. 3-2-5 and kot pees .. were indeed best, reminds me all those afternoons spent playing ,, Every sunday 10 am to 12 noon was card time ..
good old days and No I did not even know of something called UnO 🙁
Bikram's
Ha ha.. Uno is the new age thing Bikram. Check it out.
Ohh .. I am too old for the new things now …
I've played UNO..we used to call them "knock" with the good old cards. Also, played rummy, bluff, Napoleon (memory game), 532, Donkey and so many more. Remember all the "You're a cheater", "I'll never play a game with you" and the likes with cousins. Oh, what fun! Yet to introduce the kid to the world of cards. I'm intrigued with the dinosaur playcard thing.
Such a lovely post triggering nostalgic memories! And, I was laughing at your account of UNO problems.
I hadn't heard of all those card games. But then we would get them out only during those two summer months. Now I need to befriend Uno.
Card games sound like an ancient pass time. But i used to love it..and i have spent hours and hours and late nights playing cards. We used to carry 2 ppacks of cards when travelling to Kerala which was a 3 day event back then. Made many new friends on the way.
Aha.. yeah that tradition of playing cards in the train – so much fun. You took 3 days in the train?? That's quite a bit.
I've played Uno and I have grown up playing all the card games you mentioned. Bluff & Rummy being my favorites, I was always tough to beat in those two.
Those cards with Dinosaurs look so interesting, I'd love to get hold of these someday 🙂
Summer Holidays with cousins and cards were some of my life's happiest times. Your post has made me nostalgic in a happy way. Loved reading it on a Monday 🙂
Thanks My Era. Card games were part of summers for us too. I loved those dinosaur cards too, as much as the kids :-).