It’s the final week of Ramadan and your last chance to make the most of the Suhoor tents around town. And what better way to while away the long, sticky hours than, smoking shisha, snacking on mezze and of course, getting competitive over these killer card games.
Here are a few of our favourites, so swot up on the rules before your next evening out. Just mind your elbows on the shisha pipe!
Snap
Players: as many as you like, but three is best.
How to play: It may be eye-rollingly easy but we still find nothing gets the adrenaline going like this simple card game. All you have to do is deal the cards equally between players (no peeking). Then take it in turns to place your cards face up on the table, one by one. When you notice that a card is of the same rank as the previous card, slam your hand down on the pile and shout ‘SNAP!’ Whoever gets there first collects the cards, and the person who ends up with the most cards is the winner.
Easiness rating: 5/5
Cheat
Players are dealt even numbers of cards. Each player takes it in turns to get rid of their cards, in ascending numerical order and more than one card of the same rank can be put down at once. For example a player who puts down three twos might be followed by a player who puts down two threes, depending on what cards they have. But here’s the twist. Cards are placed face down on the table when they are played, so no one can see if what you say you are putting down is true or not, so you’re free to lie your socks off. If you suspect someone of lying (if you’re holding three jacks for example, and they claim to have put down two jacks) you can shout ‘Cheat!’ If you were right, they have to pick up the pile of cards, but if you’ve made a false accusation, you have to pick ‘em up. Can your friendships stand the test?
Easiness rating: 4/5
Rummy
Players: 3-5
Each player is dealt seven cards, and the others are left in a stack on the centre of the table. The aim is to get either one run of seven cards, or two runs, one of three cards and one of four. The runs can be consecutive ranks (10, jack, queen or two, three, four) in the same suit, or all of the same rank (three queens or four 10s). Each player takes it in turn to pick up a card from the pile, which they can keep if it fits into their planned runs or discard if it doesn’t. If the new card is kept, it must be swapped for another in their hand (so each player keeps seven cards at a time.) The player who manages to get all their cards into one or two runs is the winner.
Easiness rating: 3/5
Hakam
Players: 4
One of the Middle East’s favourite card games, players are in two teams and the game is played in three stages. First of all, each person is dealt 13 cards, and bids on the number of tricks they think they can win. The lowest bid is seven and the highest 13. The final bidder chooses which suit is trumps. The second stage is when the cards are played. Each person places one card on the table, and the person with the highest ranking card wins the round. The trick is won by the highest trump in it, or by the highest card of the suit led, if it contains no trumps. Each team tries to take at least as many tricks as they bid. When all the cards are played, the scores are added up by counting the number of tricks of each player and adding the team members’ together.
Easiness rating: 3/5
