Cards, dice, dominoes, wheels... what else?

New games seem to thrive on familiarity, which begets the fact that existing games with new twists become the most popular. This also means the same methods of random outcome determination are used time and time again: Decks of cards, 6-sided dice, dominoes, Pai Gow tiles, Big Six and Roulette wheels, etc.

Are there other tools we could use to play or invent games? Or is this a moot question, in that anything "new" would likely scare away players? Is there a middle ground that could be reached, by using, say, Pinochle decks or n-sided dice?

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Please refer to commandment number four.

One of the biggest scams pulled in Baltimore involved Pinochle cards. Does any drug store still even sell them?

Was popular game as late as the 70's. Then sort of disappeared.

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Does your friend have grey hair ? Just asking.

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Quote: Ibeatyouraces

No hair. Around here, Euchre is the game of choice.

But only if there is not a seat available at the Faro table !

Quote: Dween

New games seem to thrive on familiarity, which begets the fact that existing games with new twists become the most popular. This also means the same methods of random outcome determination are used time and time again: Decks of cards, 6-sided dice, dominoes, Pai Gow tiles, Big Six and Roulette wheels, etc.

Are there other tools we could use to play or invent games? Or is this a moot question, in that anything "new" would likely scare away players? Is there a middle ground that could be reached, by using, say, Pinochle decks or n-sided dice?

I think the majority of games will be played and invented using this tool:

Seriously, though, other than Pai Gow (tiles) and Mah Jongg, there haven't been any successful tiles games. I've wanted to change that for a long time:

The game can be played in any jurisdiction: it works with either domino-faced playing cards (Bicycle sells these and they'll do custom decks) or standard domino tiles. Click through to play a demo.

I just haven't been able to spend the time needed to market it. Maybe I'll give Raving a shot next year.

Bernie Mac in Ocean's Thirteen pitching "Nuff Said: Casino Dominoes"

Quote: Ibeatyouraces

No hair. Around here, Euchre is the game of choice.

Euchre is freakin' awesome. I grew up playing that game. The way we played it, wide open, EVERYTHING was fair; there were penalties if you got caught. You want to reneg? Go ahead. It cost 2 points if you get caught, 4 points if you get caught against a lone hand. Steal the deal? Just pick up the deck, shuffle and start dealing (dealing team has a huge advantage). The opponents have until you turn the up card to stop you. Snag a trick? Try it, play the left bower under the right and just pick it up. That one is tough, though. I only saw someone get away with it once. (ETA: Spades were trump, clubs were led, opponent played the Js. My brother played the Jc last and scooped the cards, no one said anything.)

My brother and I got so good as a team that we were almost unbeatable, playing square or not. But I haven't played in about 20 years. My wife isn't a card person. I played some of the computer simulations, but they made strange choices on what cards to play.

Also ETA: When you play wide open, it is best that everyone understands that the game is wide open. We never played that way against people who didn't agree.

Quote: Mosca

Euchre is freakin' awesome. I grew up playing that game. The way we played it, wide open, EVERYTHING was fair; there were penalties if you got caught. You want to reneg? Go ahead. It cost 2 points if you get caught, 4 points if you get caught against a lone hand. Steal the deal? Just pick up the deck, shuffle and start dealing (dealing team has a huge advantage). The opponents have until you turn the up card to stop you. Snag a trick? Try it, play the left bower under the right and just pick it up. That one is tough, though. I only saw someone get away with it once. (ETA: Spades were trump, clubs were led, opponent played the Js. My brother played the Jc last and scooped the cards, no one said anything.)

My brother and I got so good as a team that we were almost unbeatable, playing square or not. But I haven't played in about 20 years. My wife isn't a card person. I played some of the computer simulations, but they made strange choices on what cards to play.

Also ETA: When you play wide open, it is best that everyone understands that the game is wide open. We never played that way against people who didn't agree.

Euchre was fun on pogo.com in the early years of internet cards. Haven't been there for it in years. Computer doesn't let you cheat, though. Pitch (6 card/4 point) is similar and a blast; very aggressive game. I love bridge, and would really like to find a partner. Grew up on cutthroat pinochle, canasta, and whist, casino, screw your neighbor, gin rummy, and cribbage. Don't really play any of those any more.

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Quote: beachbumbabs

I love bridge, and would really like to find a partner. .

I played a lot of bridge in the early 70's, my partner
and I were members of the American Contract Bridge
League and played in contests and tournaments. He
and I eventually had a falling out and haven't spoken
in 40 years. His loss.

My dad is a Gold Life Master at duplicate bridge, at 85 years old he still gives lessons. The unfortunate part is that the game is dying. I never took to it myself, even in the 60s and 70s it was falling out of favor. Most of the people where I went to school had learned that it was okay to act like jerks, berating partners and opponents alike for perceived poor play. "New York style", I call it. He tells me I'd be great at it, and I still love to work the hands in the daily paper, but I'm not interested in playing. Too much trouble to hang out with people I don't like.

Quote: Mosca

My dad is a Gold Life Master at duplicate bridge, at 85 years old he still gives lessons.

That's great, good for him. I loved bridge and chess at
one time, then the people played with moved on and
I found other interests. Bridge is facinating, they still
have a lot of tournaments.

Quote: Wizard

Please refer to commandment number four.

Was there actually a dreidel-based game at some point? That is nuts and hilarious. I don't think the orthodox Jewish audience is going to launch a lot of casino games into wild success...

Quote: Mosca

Euchre is freakin' awesome. I grew up playing that game. The way we played it, wide open, EVERYTHING was fair; there were penalties if you got caught. You want to reneg? Go ahead. It cost 2 points if you get caught, 4 points if you get caught against a lone hand. Steal the deal? Just pick up the deck, shuffle and start dealing (dealing team has a huge advantage). The opponents have until you turn the up card to stop you. Snag a trick? Try it, play the left bower under the right and just pick it up. That one is tough, though. I only saw someone get away with it once. (ETA: Spades were trump, clubs were led, opponent played the Js. My brother played the Jc last and scooped the cards, no one said anything.)

My brother and I got so good as a team that we were almost unbeatable, playing square or not. But I haven't played in about 20 years. My wife isn't a card person. I played some of the computer simulations, but they made strange choices on what cards to play.

Also ETA: When you play wide open, it is best that everyone understands that the game is wide open. We never played that way against people who didn't agree.

I had never heard of Euchre until I moved to the Indiana for college (grew up in Idaho). It is a fun game, but with 2 good teams and playing straight, there isn't a lot of strategy; it's mostly who gets the cards. I never played "wide open" as you describe here, sounds like a lot more fun!

Also, getting a Computer Science degree in the state of Indiana, one of our CS projects was to build a networked, multiplayer Euchre game. There was one API agreed upon by the whole class, and then each team built a backend and a frontend. Building an AI that at least followed the rules was a requirement, but it didn't have to be any good. It was a pretty good project for a 2nd year CS class.

Quote: AcesAndEights

I had never heard of Euchre until I moved to the Indiana for college (grew up in Idaho). It is a fun game, but with 2 good teams and playing straight, there isn't a lot of strategy; it's mostly who gets the cards. I never played "wide open" as you describe here, sounds like a lot more fun!

It becomes a game of social manipulation as well as cards. If you are trying to steal the deal, you not only pick up the cards, you start talking about something else, absentmindedly. When my brother took that club trick, he popped that left sucker on top and said, "BAM!!!" and we set them. (It helped that there was much booze flowing). Another trick is to change the score. Take 2 instead of 1, for example. As always, the other team has until the next deal to catch it, or else it becomes fait accompli. And there's no anger, just a mild "Ah-ah-ah, no, we took one trick and you only get a point for that." It is actually fun to let someone think they are stealing the deal, and right before the card is flipped toss your hand in and say, "Sorry, my deal."

Jim and I would play as many lone hands as we could; having 3 solid tricks was a good enough reason, or holding L/R and an off A. With half the other cards out of action, you never know what might be good and what might not be. It is worth the risk of 1 extra point (for a 2 hand sweep) to get the extra 3 (for a solo sweep). An off suit 10 might score the 5th trick if both opponents guess wrong.

Remember Bunco? I heard that actually started as one of the early gambling games when it came over to the US before it morphed into it's current form.

English taverns had to have signs outside so ale inspectors would know ale was being sold there, such signs however did not have to have any text since often the population was largely illiterate.

Now sure... laws change, customs change, signs had text added to them, taverns became more than ale houses but also served beer and spirits as well, were centers of commerce and social change.

So how did gambling games get taught but in taverns and new games most likely developed as appendages to the older games. The more private rooms would have the quieter games with fewer players and more challenging rules.

I would expect some games remained common in certain areas of the country. Faro seems to have been in major ports and in the American West and in Chinese owned gambling dens. Chinese dens seem to have kept their games for a long time because they kept to traditions in how the games were presented and the establishments administered.

I wonder if game developers should look for ideas from afar or from the tried and true games that already exist.

Quote: Perdition

Remember Bunco? I heard that actually started as one of the early gambling games when it came over to the US before it morphed into it's current form.

I love the games on this site; I've been playing their sims for many years. Here's their Bunco Night:
http://www.ledgaming.com/game/bunco_night

All games are great. REALLY. It's a matter of which game you were introduced to and in what era. Where the hell can I find a Faro table ??

Seriously, in the 50's my Dad drove a cab. Cab drivers off-shift played Pinochle. I rode the street card to school and Fayette Street in Baltimore was all black and every block of two I would see two old guys playing checkers. Usually on a card table, while they sat on the white marble steps in front of a brick row house.

Gin was the card game I first saw played for serious money in 1957 in Henry G's pool room. Matter of fact in the 1964 movie GOLDFINGER, first time Goldfinger appear on screen he was playing a card game for big money. No, not baccarat, even in this
James bond Classic. It Was Gin.
1965 A Big Hand for the Little Lady Draw poker with Henry Fonda. 1966 Cincinnati Kid 5 card stud Edward G Robinson Steve McQueen .
After my term in USAF when I got back to Baltimore Pitch was the card game in white bars, Tonk in black bars. Sometimes 7 card stud in either.
Almost forgot that 50's craze Canasta LOL

The 80's Hold'em hit Denver. And Omaha of course. Then in 90's the casinos opened in Colorado.
Funny thing, most of the in-town cheats stopped coming to casinos. But suddenly re-appeared after on-line went dead. Co-incidence ?

Everytime a 7 card stud game opens in Blackhawk, it only last an hour or two. Usually 4 or 5 starters. then slowly rises to 10 with 5 ROCKS. Even low card brings it in doesn't help enough to make the game attractive. SIGH

If there is any poker game in Grand junction I have not found it. There is a bridge club next to the Post office. And I think I once saw someone under 70 years old go in, but they may have just been a designated driver.

Quote: Perdition

Remember Bunco? I heard that actually started as one of the early gambling games when it came over to the US before it morphed into it's current form.

My parents still play bunco. There was also a pretty big bunco gathering in Pittsburgh last month.

Quote: AcesAndEights

Quote: Wizard

Please refer to commandment number four.

Was there actually a dreidel-based game at some point? That is nuts and hilarious. I don't think the orthodox Jewish audience is going to launch a lot of casino games into wild success...

I saw one with a dreidel at G2E in '08....I think it was called "Spin To Win"....I immediately thought, "not a chance"......and I am a guy hoping to make a card & dice game work someday so it is not like I don't have an open mind to new device games! I also like ME's Twist'em....but the market just doesn't seem ready to add something truly unique quite yet.