Great Britain, like many places in the world, loves to play card games. Due to the variety of card games available to Brits, you can play them on holiday, on weekends with family, at parties or even in pubs.
In this article we’re going to give an overview of Britain’s favourite card games. If you’re visiting in the future or already living in Britain you should be acquainted with some of these and if not, give them a go.
Texas Hold’em
The most popular poker variant in the world is just as popular in Great Britain. This poker form is particularly popular in pubs where they will often hold a poker league. Please note that this game is only permitted for individuals over 18 as it almost always has a real money component unlike the other card games in this post.
It is played with a regular deck of cards. Players are dealt two cards face down and attempt to make the best five card hand. There are multiple rounds of betting where players can literally bet everything they have in front of them. The no limit format makes it incredibly complex as players have more control than other card games where luck is far more prevalent.
Unlike other card games, knowing poker hand rankings is absolutely essential. Fortunately, there are resources available like a Texas Hold’em Cheat Sheet that detail everything you need to know.
Happy Families
This old card game goes back a long time. It involves a unique deck that has different characters. The objective is to acquire four of each character making a complete set. The winner is the player who has the most sets at the end of the game.
The rules are easy to understand; the deck is shared out amongst the players and each rotation involves a player asking another whether they have a certain character. If they affirm that they do, they must give it to the player requesting it.
It’s a fun game that can be played by people of all ages, even children. Playing it today gives you a sense of the history of happy families as it was adored by Brit’s centuries ago too.
Old Maid
This fun game dates back to the Victorian era, probably when maids were more common! Historical sources suggest this game used to be played to determine who pays for the drinks i.e., the loser of the game. In the 21st century it is a fun past-time that can be played by people of all ages.
The rules of old maid are quite simple. It is played with a regular playing deck of cards with three of one card removed, often the queen. The deck is shuffled and all cards are dealt to the players. The players then look at their own cards and pair up any cards they have. The pairs are put into the middle of the table. Players cannot match up three of a kind.
Beginning with the dealer, the players turn their hands face down to the person to the left. The player to the left selects a card (without looking). After selecting the card, the player attempts to make a pair with their own cards. If this is possible, they then put the pair in the middle of the table again.
The object of the game is to eliminate all cards from your hand. The game ends when a player is left with the lone queen or “old maid”. This game has an element of bluffing as players will act as though they don’t have the old maid.
