Friday, May 26, 2006

Fijians and playing cards


Skip-Bo Card Game

From Wendy
Fiji people are enthusiastic card players but I am not and always excuse myself to do something else. Anyway, that has changed! We discovered Skip-Bo!

Peceli and I had never played this card game before, though members of our family like playing 500 and games like that. We were introduced to Skip-Bo by two Tongan ladies who invited us to visit them at the Mecure hotel as they were leaving Geelong the day after. They had been to our city for a church conference and stayed on to explore our part of the world. I had met them when I joined a music elective at the conference.

Out of a 162-card deck, two to six players are each dealt 20-card "stockpiles"; the first one to deplete their pile wins. Numbers 1 to 12 but no Jacks, Queens, Kings. Players draw from a central pile and stack their cards sequentially onto one of four "build" piles (for example, an eight onto a seven, a three onto a two), using plentiful Skip-Bo wild cards to break up static situations.

I won four out of four games! I hadn’t played any sort of card game for at least ten years so I was rather proud. Then they gave me their pack of cards as the winner! It looks like a good game for families because even six year olds could join in. Like our grandsons in Suva!

6 comments:

Pandabonium said...

4 for 4 huh? No wonder you like the game! Ha ha. Lose a few games and then post how much you like it. (Just kidding).

I have fond memories of playing rummy with my mother and two older sisters during vacations. We used to stay at a house that had no TV. My dad and brother weren't into cards and would go off to read.

My wife and I played board games with my daughters when they were kids. We always had so much fun.

I've tried to get K to play cards without success. I'll see if I can find Skip-Bo and give it a try. Thanks.

YD said...

rummy! or skip-bo!

I enjoy playing cards, without betting money. cuz everytime when i start betting, i would lose miserably. haha..

I think the card-playing culture is quite strong among chinese community too. people play during chinese new year, during mooncake festival, during all other festivals, and during non-festival period too! (what am i babbling??) children grow up accustomed to cards and variety of card games...

No wonder there's a misconception that all chinese love gambling. :-S

Anonymous said...

Me and the kids are regularly playing texas holdem poker with coins I won from work. Good way of teaching them how to count coins

I cant believe that you are now playing cards after so many years. Must be because you were scared of being beaten by your kids:)

Jordan is very good at trump 10 and playing cards is a really good social activity in terms of bonding several different age groups

Peceli and Wendy's Blog said...

I am surprised that people comment on this little item about Skip-Bo because no-one comments on my poems in the other blog! Poetry scared them off perhaps! Yes, I've got the bug. We took the cards last night to Ken and Selai's for some kava-drinking, and Peceli taught Ken and Carol to play Skip-Bo and now in our house the three of us are playing. Wonders will never cease!
George, happy birthday to J for Wednesday.
W.

YD said...

oh! Now i realized I didn't know of and subscribe to your other blog... Just found another wonderful blog! Thanks...

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