THE GAMES PEOPLE PLAY

I grew up playing cards.  I was playing Euchre and Rummy before I could multiply.  Rook, Pit, Authors, and Mille Bournes were other favorites.  My love for mathematics is probably due in part to my not being able to remember a time when I was not around a card game.  My parents played cards with friends and family each and every week.  When I got too big to fall asleep on my Mom or Dad’s lap, many nights I remember falling asleep on the floor next to their chairs while they continued playing cards well past my bedtime.  I remember how great I felt when I would set on my Dad’s lap and he would let me play a trick or two.  But perhaps my fondest memories are of Holiday gatherings when a table would be looking for a 5^th player for a game of Cutthroat or Five-handed Euchre; IMHO, one of the best card games ever. 

 Growing up as I did, it was only natural that I would learn to play games of Solitaire with a Deck of 52, more formally known as a French Deck.  There were several different Solitaire games that I learned over the years.  We even played a game called Nertz, which was an adaptation of the very familiar Klondike Solitaire, but was played with either 2 or 4 players competing against each other.  As technology has advanced, I have learned that a computer can certainly make a game of Freecell a lot more convenient.  But when it comes to games of Solitaire I still prefer to play old-school style with a real deck of cards in my hands.   It’s simple.   I don’t have to worry about having to recharge a battery.   

I always carry a deck of cards with me when I travel, and I find my favorite time to play is when I’m flying.  Yes… I’m the guy who annoys everyone with the shuffling noise.  My favorite game of Solitaire is one for which is simply called One Hand Solitaire.  It was taught to me by my parents.  My Dad really enjoyed it.  It is very simple and doesn’t require a table for a big spread of cards.  It is basically played as you hold the deck in your hand, dealing from the bottom of the deck to create a top pile of visible cards from which you play the game from the top 4 cards.  I haven’t played any other Solitaire game in many years.

So why would I care to write about my favorite game of Solitaire?  Well… as I sit here at 34,000 feet above the ground on a trip from St. Louis to Detroit, I began to wonder if it is possible to know something about a person by observing the games they play.  The game that I enjoy so much is nearly impossible to win.   The mathematical odds of winning have been calculated at 0.7%.  I have been playing it for over 4 decades and I only remember winning one time.  That’s right: One Time!!!   On this flight, I twice had 4 cards remaining – the object of the game is to have none – and I felt really good with the results.  What does it tell you about a person that is willing to play a game for over 40 years, playing it over and over again, and though they’ve only won it one time, they continue to play it still?  I do not know….