h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We spent many happy hours playing a variant where not only did the deal rotate but with each hand played the trumps changed in a fixed sequence ... Spades, Hearts, Diamonds, clubs then No Trumps, AND the cards reduced by one with each hand. In a full game you`d play with 13 cards down to 2 cards then back up to 13 again. Our bidding was done so that the number bid could not equal th enumber of tricks available so that someone had to lose.

With a large number of cards in your hand the skill factor was paramount and down at the other end luck played a great part. Added to the fun and the psychological side.

You called that Spades?

I played a game sort of like the one you described called Oh S**t. In spite of it's name, it was a lot of fun. You started with 1 card per hand, and you got one card more during each hand. After the cards were dealt, the next card was turned up, and that was trump. Then you tried to take all the books you could.

It's my favorite card game, but I haven't come across many who play it.

I used to have my own name for it .... `oh god I`m going to lose more money again` .... it was hideously complicated but it was my favourite. I never came across anyone who played it outside of my unit, but I`ve taught a lot of friends it over the years.