Our activities on Wednesdays – morning (10am-1pm), afternoon (1-4) and evening (6-9pm) – play the following and we thought you might like to learn a little bit about these games. Never played? Don’t be shy, they will teach you!
Canasta (evening)
Basics – Canasta is played with two full decks of cards, (our Wednesday evening group plays with four) including two Jokers from each deck totaling 108 cards. The main object of the game is to outscore the opposing team, or players. Points are scored by forming melds. In Canasta, a meld is a combination of three or more cards of the same rank, with wild cards (deuces and jokers) optionally included. A natural meld consists only of cards of the same rank, while an unnatural meld includes wild cards. A meld of exactly seven cards is called a Canasta.
Cribbage (evening)
Cribbage is a card game for two players (though variations exist for more) played with a standard 52-card deck. The goal is to be the first to reach 121 points, scored on a specialized board with pegs. The game involves dealing hands, discarding into a “crib” (a hand for the dealer), playing cards to a running total (not exceeding 31), and then scoring hands and the crib.
Poker (evening)
Is played on Wednesday evening and the game is dealers choice.
Mahjongg (morning)
Is played on Wednesday mornings. Mahjong is a tile-based game, originating in China, typically played by four players. The goal is to be the first to collect a hand of sets and pairs, similar to rummy, by drawing and discarding tiles. It involves skill, strategy, and a bit of luck.
Pinochle (morning)
Is played on Wednesday mornings. Pinochle is a trick-taking card game, typically played with four players in partnerships, using a special 48-card deck. Players aim to score points by forming melds (specific card combinations) and winning tricks containing valuable cards. The game involves bidding, melding, and trick-taking phases. The team with the highest score after a predetermined number of hands wins.
Rummikub (morning)
Is played on Wednesday mornings. Rummikub is a tile-based game for 2-4 players where the objective is to be the first to empty your rack of tiles by forming sets and runs. Sets are groups of at least three tiles with the same number but different colors, while runs are three or more consecutive numbers in the same color. Players can also manipulate existing sets and runs on the table to create new combinations and get rid of their tiles.
