Card games have existed for centuries. Some of the earliest examples can be traced back to China before 900 AD. Suited playing cards as we know them today (♥,♦,♠ and ♣) were first introduced in the 1700s in France. Thousands of card games have since been invented using these playing cards. Some of the most popular examples include solitaire, gin rummy, poker, blackjack, bridge, hearts and cheat.
For some people, card games may seem like nothing more than a way of passing the time. However, there are many other benefits to playing card games, which partly explain the enduring popularity of these games. This post delves into some of the great reasons to play more card games.
Card games are a great social activity
Regular social interaction is important for our health. And yet many of us are held back by social anxiety or a small friend circle. Card games could be a great icebreaker activity in social situations – they can force us to interact in a fun and structured way that can make it easier to talk to people. It’s part of the reason why card games are so popular at parties and at places like hostels.
If you already play card games, you may even be able to meet new people through such games by joining clubs. Games like bridge have to be played in teams, and so there are many clubs specifically set up for people to play bridge. Local clubs can also be regularly found for games like cribbage and poker. And of course, you can meet people at casinos.
Card games are also a great means of bonding with people you already know. They can be a great way to bring families together or a great way to reconnect with friends. This could include playing familiar card games or teaching each other new card games.
They can also be a great way to spend alone time
Not all card games have to be played with other people. Solitaire is a genre of card game that is designed to be played solo and can be a great way to spend time alone if you are bored and don’t know what else to do. In fact, solitaire is believed to be invented by French prisoners who were looking for a way to beat loneliness.
Digital card games have made it possible to play all kinds of card games without having to physically meet up with people. You can play such games against a computer or against real players online. Such digital games can be played from anywhere on your phone without having to carry around a deck of cards.
Card games are a good form of stress relief
Card games can be a healthy form of meditation for some people. They force us to free our mind of our current thoughts and focus on the game at hand. Solitaire is particularly good for this and is sometimes recommended as a bedtime ritual for those with insomnia as it can help to refocus one’s mind before going to bed. Social games can meanwhile be great stressbusters by helping us to relax around other people.
It’s worth noting that card games can elevate stress levels if money is at stake. Therefore, it is best to avoid gambling card games if you are trying to relieve stress – losing money will only increase feelings of daily stress.
Card games can boost your memory
Many card games are good for keeping our short term memory sharp and may even help fend off cognitive diseases like Alzheimers. A specific card game that revolves all around memory skills is pairs (also known as ‘memory’ or ‘concentration’). This game involves placing all 52 cards face down across a table and then taking it in turns to pick up two cards. Every time you pick up a pair of cards, you win that pair. If you don’t pick a pair, you have to return them face down, while ideally trying to remember what each card was.
This is not the only game that can test your short term memory – in fact, many other card games require you to remember cards and combinations in order to plan ahead or keep your hand secret (as in poker, in which your cards are often placed face down after taking a glance). Card counting is meanwhile a skill used by some professional card players, which involves remembering cards from previous rounds (sometimes frowned upon, but not illegal).
Card games help improve problem solving skills
Many card games are problem solving puzzles that can help us to exercise our brain. Such card games may even help us develop better problem solving skills to use in day to day life.
For example, poker can teach us to read people, while games like blackjack can teach us to do quick maths and quickly assess the risks for quick decision making. The likes of trumps and gin rummy can meanwhile teach us to strategise and think ahead.
Many card games may improve hand eye co-ordination
Card games could also help to improve your hand eye coordination. Many card games – especially when played at a fast pace in a casino or tournament – require players to quickly read cards in their hand and on the table. These motor skills can be transferred to many other areas of life.
There are an endless selection of card games to try
The variety of different card games makes it possible to constantly try new games whenever you get bored of one version. For example, games like solitaire have many different variants to try ranging from pyramid to freecell. Games like poker meanwhile have their own variants including 7-card stud, Texas hold’em and Omaha Hi. You may even be able to make up your own games and variants to play with friends.
You can play many card games online for free
While card games are often synonymous with betting, you don’t have to gamble money when playing card games. In fact, many card games can be played for free online via various sites and apps. This can allow you to play card games without even having to buy a deck of cards. Games like poker may be played with virtual in-game money to still provide stakes.
