3 Fun Card Games to Play on Your Next Beach Getaway

With the pandemic slowly improving in recent months, more Americans are planning their vacations — and beach destinations are ranking at number one. According to a recent consumer travel survey from Trivago, nearly a fourth of US travelers expressed their desire to vacation on a tropical island. Popular sun-and-fun destinations include Miami Beach, Panama City Beach, Myrtle Beach, and Cancun, to name a few.

As the country reopens, warm weather getaways are the perfect place to feel young again. Aside from lounging on the sand and playing in the water, the beach is also a great place to play some games. Here are three fun card games to try:

Slapjack

Slapjack is a game that requires players to pay attention to the cards being released. Cards are dealt clockwise until the deck runs out, and players cannot see their cards until they are played. Each person takes a turn to place the card in the center. When the Jack court card is turned face up, the person who “slaps” it or covers the card with their hand first wins all the cards in the pile. This goes on until one person wins most of the cards. Because the game depends on players reacting quickly, some slapjack rules penalize overeager slappers who simply hit every upturned card. If a player incorrectly slaps the card, they must give the top card in their pile to the player who placed the slapped card.

Poker

Poker is a classic card game to play; it’s simple enough to learn but can get complicated enough to keep adults on their toes. All you need is a pack of cards and a shaded area to play in. For poker beginners, the Five Card Draw variation is a good choice. The game begins with each player being dealt five hole cards, all of which are face down and visible only to the player holding them. After a deal, a betting round commences and players can discard as many cards from their hand as they wish, which will be replaced by the dealer. Once players form a new hand, a final round of betting takes place. All remaining players have a showdown with their cards, and the best five-card hand wins. After you master Five Card Draw, you can improve your skills by studying poker in-depth.

Hearts

Hearts is a card game ideal for a group of three to four people. Its 18th-century ancestor was called Reverse, because the objective of the game is to lose tricks, rather than win them. After all cards have been dealt, each player will select three cards they want to pass to another player, face down; the passing rotation depends on how many players there are in the game. The player holding the two of clubs after the pass makes the opening lead, and other players must follow the suit. If they don’t have the suit led, a card of any other suit may be discarded. Hearts may not be led until a heart or a queen of spades has been discarded. The highest card of the suit wins a trick, and the winner of said trick leads next. At the end of each hand, players count the number of hearts and queens of spades they have taken; each heart is one point, and each queen is 13 points. The player who wins 100 points loses.

For more suggestions on how to have fun by the coast, check out our beach tips archives on the Ocean Beach Bulletin today.