The World’s Nastiest Card Game
Danny Baker asked on Radio 5 for card game stories. Here is the e-mail I sent entitled, The World’s Nastiest Card Game.
Many people have played hearts, black maria, scabby or other variants of this trick winning game, where you mustn’t win hearts or in some versions the queen or other high spades.
There is a version called cancellation hearts, which is played with two packs of cards shuffled together. The one difference is that if in the same trick, two identical cards are played, they don’t count towards who wins the trick. But they do count in the scoring. So if you don’t like someone, they get dumped on in a big way.
It is one of the games that is ideal for odd numbers of upwards of 5 people or more. Drink improves it tremendously and it is not unknown that the odd fight breaks out.
It is also a game beloved of divorce lawyers, as it is very good for business.
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