Playing Canasta

Backstory

We were in the card room of a senior center.  At one table, four distinguished-looking women had two decks of cards spread out and scattered all over the table.  They were moving the cards around with gusto.

I asked one lady what card game they were playing. It was Hands & Feet.  I asked, “Was that scramble of cards a part of the game?”  “Oh no,” she replied, “We all have arthritis in our fingers. Since we can’t shuffle the cards, we just sort of smush them around!” 

Whatever it takes!

Playing Canasta

Mention the card game Canasta, and the response is often that parents used to play that or…I think I played that as a kid.  Canasta must have been more popular than Monopoly back in the 50s and 60s.

We’ve resurrected it here in our hometown.  Lots of people are playing or re-educating themselves.  It’s relatively easy to learn, just challenging enough, and requires strategies you have to work out.

There are multiple versions of the game so house rules should be established. Otherwise, the game can dissolve into chaos.

It can take a few hours to play, so drinks and snacks had better be ready.

Healthy stuff or something everyone will like.

Our parents may have served Mary Jane candies or Necco wafers. They probably sipped mixed drinks while they played. Remember cocktail names like whiskey sour and highball? Today’s card players will probably choose wine or healthy juice or even the ubiquitous bottled water.

Room was made on the card table for ashtrays. Smoke filled the room; they puffed as they played. That’s all disappeared now too. But the addiction to the game of Canasta is the same. Try it out and you’ll see.

P.S.  During the pandemic, Internet searches for ”online card games with friends” jumped. In March 2020, they increased by over 1,000 percent. People were looking for new ways to hang out with their friends when the first restrictions were imposed.

Surprisingly, the current trend is toward the card game Solitaire. But now it’s played online instead of with cards. Do we now prefer relaxation solo rather than with friends?

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