I didn’t grow up in a family who played many card games. The ones I remember are War, Crazy Eights, and Go Fish. I spent much time playing Solitaire on the computer in high school during computer lab. However, despite my lack of card play I have developed a habit of picking up decks of cards as souvenirs. I want to be the kind of person who excels at card games, who is good with cards. I’m always enthralled when a magician or dealer does even the simple Riffle Shuffle.
Some of my favorite characters from literature and pop culture have ties to playing cards, including The Queen of Hearts and Harley Quinn. Just last night I was watching Casino Royale and admiring James Bond’s ability with the cards as he played Poker. Come to think of it, there are so many movies where you’re swept up in the game (Rounders, Molly’s Game, 21). How exhilarating it must be to win a high-stakes Poker Game against worthy adversaries. But even the less glamorous card games intrigue me- so many of the characters in my beloved Jane Austen and Edith Wharton novels while away the evenings playing whist/bridge. And isn’t the expression “House of Cards” evocative?! So it seems one of the themes of the day for me is cards– what incredible fun you can have with an inexpensive deck of 52.