Last evening we conducted a Malawi Crazy Whist fundraiser card night which was enjoyed by everyone, including many who had not previously played and learnt to play for the first time. We had a practice session beforehand. We provided prizes for those with the highest points (although you play in pairs each person keeps a score sheet).
In Crazy Whist winners after each hand is completed move to the nearest adjacent table whilst losers remain. However no one remains in the same position as you’re constantly playing againt different partners. Losers will eventually be dealt an unbeatable hand and become winners; also pairing against other winners of varying abilities ensures it all evens itself out after several hands.
We provided 7 prizes, for the best 5 scores and to add interest for the worst 2 for being such good sports.
For those interested here is how to play the card game.
Players
The classic game of Whist is played with 4 players of 2 partnerships. Partners sit opposite one another and the game is played clockwise.
It is best to sit the fours at separate card tables.
Cards
A standard 52 card pack is used and the cards rank from the highest to the lowest, Ace, King, Queen, Jack ,10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 6, 2. Each player receives 13 cards after removing the Jokers.
Dealer
The cards are cut to determine who deals; the player with the highest of the four cards becomes the dealer. The cards are shuffled and the dealer deals out 13 cards.
Playing
The player to the dealers left leads the first card.
Rules
The game is based upon SUITES, e. g Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades and No Trumps. You must follow that SUITE if you have a card in that SUITE. If Hearts were the nominated SUITE you need to follow on and play a heart whenever you have a heart card.
When playing each hand you and your partner record a win (called a TRICK) when either has the highest card in a particular SUITE (Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades) which are called TRUMPS.
TRUMPS are nominated before the cards are dealt. If Hearts were TRUMPS the Ace of Hearts is the highest TRUMP, then King, Queen Jack 10 9 etc.
1 point for each TRICK taken, which will be the highest card in that SUITE but when there is no TRUMPS left (Hearts) then the highest card will take the TRICK.
Any card (before the trumps are all extinguished) that is not a TRUMP will be beaten by a TRUMP.
If No Trumps is the suite than it is the highest card in any suite that always wins.
After each hand the winning partners move to their right to the next table.
In Crazy Whist you can make the scoring more complicated by adding in different variations before each round , adding 4 to those who have a winning trick with a particular card not in the given SUITE etc. You announce the SUITES before each hand.
14 comments:
That looks like fun! Musical cards. That's a pretty good sized group you have there as well.
That does look like a lot of fun.
What's bizarre, though, is how strange it is for me, a Texan, to look upon a Catholic event and see all white people!! :)
Hello, Lindsay.
I've heard of the game before, but I've never played. Cards are not quite my strong suite, you might say.
One thing you left out in the explanation is exactly who it is that announces which suite will be the trump for each hand.
It sounds very much like Spades that we play in the States, or Hearts in other circles. If I remember correctly, Hearts has a few differences in the order of the highest card than Spades.
Several years back, I knew a group of Kenyans that played a game they called Spades. It was very much like the card game Uno, but with a standard 52-card deck. The Jack was a jump card to skip the next player; the Queen was always required to be covered, or you would lose your turn-- but you could cover a Queen with a Queen from another suite to change the suite and play several cards at once; the King reversed the order; and the 2's & 3's were "punch cards," where the next player could play a like punch card or draw from the deck, cumulatively. I forget exactly, but I believe it was the Aces that could be played to change the suit at will.
Anyway, it sounds like fun.
But I noticed you neglected to mention how you did in your hands.
;)
i have a cousin who is a whist addict. she tried to teach me but i'm hopeless at cards... i'd rather build things out of them. (and knock them down with an evil laugh!) ...yes, as PT asks, how did YOU stack up?
One of my fondest memories of the Sumas prairie in BC Canada is the regular Canasta nights we had.
Not as wild and crazy - what am I saying? We didn't change chairs, but they were often amazing experiences.
Whist I don't know but any of those group experiences are a treat.
Hi Lindsay,
Not the same thing at all but my favorite card games got pretty silly too and that was playing multiple cribbage games with my mother. One night, while she was off to the ladies and it was my turn to deal, I went through the cards and gave her a perfect hand. The look on her face when she picked up her cards was priceless. Then she looked at me and I just couldn't keep a straight face. Laughing together and just having fun was our favorite thing. Thanks for reminding me with your story of crazy whist.
Hi Josie, Arulba, PT, GF, Cart & Susan.
It was a very sociable enjoyable evening.
PT asked ~"One thing you left out in the explanation is exactly who it is that announces which suite will be the trump for each hand". This was predetermined. I just started with Hearts, Diamonds, Clubs, Spades and No Trumps and continued on in different orders. I acted as the host and trainer for the night, hence I didn’t have any score, but I still managed to enjoy myself.
GF~ I bet I could teach you to be good player in no more than 5-10 minutes!! Some attendees had never played before but soon settled in (after my explanation and 2 practice rounds) and were disappointed when we came to close at the end of the evening.
Susan ~Some of the expressions on the players were similar to your Mother, without any external assistance I hope , one pair won 13 tricks out of 13 for one hand, as a consequqance of being dealt an unbelievably good hand.
I've played what we call "Bid Whist" for years as well as Spades which is quite similar except that spades is always trump.
I'm assuming you bid for trump?
Belated Easter greetings. Blogger has been causing problems with commenting (so what else is new). That, in addition to my computer crash, has put me way behind.
Of course our lovely spring weather may have had something to do with it as well.
My grandmother taught me "Crazy Whist" when I was a little girl and on school holidays I would go with her to her CWA (Country Women's Association) cards group. The game was always followed by a magnificent spread for lunch! I'm trawling the internet now to find a copy of the score card so I can teach my kids. I can remember it had such rounds as "Klondyke Klubs" and "Kalgoolrie Spades"...
Hey Lindsey, would it be possible for you to email the game? I played years ago and loved it. I had a copy but have misplaced it lost. We were planning to play this at our family Christmas party this year. I have been trying to find the list of the various twists that happen during the game.
Rose
Has anyone found the score sheet for this crazy whist game? I played it at a friends house and it is fabulous but cannot find the score sheets anywhere. Not online or in a shop. Help! I need them for a card night.
Did you have the cut card already prearranged to finalize a perfect hand?
I’d love to get a copy. Used to play. Great fun nights.
Me too. Same exact problem.
Post a Comment