The coronavirus has the world firmly in its grips. More than a billion people are spending their days in their homes. Reducing social contact seems to be the only effective way we have got of combating the virus. This is all well and fine, but we are all left with a problem of what to do cooped up in our homes 24/7. The problem is even worse for families living in small apartments. Video games and watching TV will get you only so far. Perhaps the answer is to go back to traditional means of passing the time, like card games. They come in all shapes and sizes, designed to be played by any number of players. Some are even meant for a single player. All you have to do is pick the one that seems the most interesting and find a deck of cards.
Knockout Whist
Players: 2 – 7
Number of Decks: 1
The Knockout Whist comes from Britain. You will need a single deck of cards and anywhere between two and seven players. Each player is dealt seven cards. One card is placed on the table, face up. This is the trump suit. The first player places one card and the rest of the players must answer. The highest trump card wins the trick, with the ace being the highest and two the lowest. Whoever won the trick, starts the next one. The winner is the player with most tricks won. The loser is the player with the least tricks and they are removed from the game. The game is played until only one player remains.
Hearts
Players: 3 – 4
Number of Decks: 1
Hearst is an old game, and it can be traced back to the 17th century and a game called Reversis in France. It can be played with three players, although the game works best with four. The deck is divided equally among the players. Then, each of them will choose three cards to pass them to the player next to them. The player with the two of clubs starts the game. All players must answer the suit if they have it. The highest number wins the trick, with the ace being the highest card. The object of the game is to have the lowest possible score possible. If you can’t answer the suit, you can play any card you like. This is a good opportunity to rid yourself of high-value cards.
Eights (or Crazy Eights)
Players: 2 – 7
Number of Decks: 1
Although seven people can play Eights, it is recommended that only two play at the time. If only tow people play, seven cards are dealt to each one. If there are more players, then each gets five cards. One card is played on the table face up. The players must answer the suit or they have to buy a card from the rest of the deck. Eights are wild-cards, meaning you can play them at any time.
Solitaire
Players: 1
Number of Decks: minimum 1
If you are spending coronavirus quarantine alone, this is the game for you. Solitaire is an old game and has been used to pass the time for centuries. The objective of the game is to sort cards according to suit, in numbered order. There are several types of the game, but the most popular is Klondike, allegedly originated in that Canadian region during the 19th-century gold rush. It is also the version Microsoft included in Windows operating system. The deck is divided into seven piles. The first pile on the left has just one card, while every next one has one card more. The cards are placed face down, except the last one in the row, which is face up. The players must build four foundations, each consisting of single-suit cards, starting with aces. Revealed cards can be moved to form sequences. An entire sequence can be moved to another pile or a foundation.
Poker (Texas Hold’Em)
Players: 2 – 4
Number of Decks: minimum 1
Texas Hold’Em is probably the most popular poker version in the world. Each player is dealt two cards, called hole cards. After each round of bets, one card is placed on the table face up. The objective is to form the strongest possible combination with the hole cards and the cards on the table.
