The Oxford Guide to Card Games

The Oxford Guide to Card Games PDF

Author: David Parlett

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1990

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Imported from the Mamluks of Egypt, card games first hit Europe around 1371 and within ten years had spread from Spain and Italy to France and Germany. By 1420, German and Swiss cardmakers were producing packs by the thousands (first by stencil, later by metal engraving) marked with a bewildering array of suits, including hounds, bears, parrots, roses, helmets, banners, and bells. Games proliferated as well, and by 1534, Rabelais could name 35 different card games in Chapter 22 of Gargantua. Today, of course, there are thousands of games, from the universally popular Poker and Contract Bridge, to national manias such as Swiss Jass, German Skat, and French Belote. This is a historical guide to cards in Europe and America. This is not primarily a book of rules or hints on how to play better, but a survey of where the games originated, how they have developed over time, and what their rituals and etiquette tell us about the people who play them.

A History of Card Games

A History of Card Games PDF

Author: David Parlett

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1991

Total Pages: 396

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

An historical guide to the card games of Europe and America. It surveys how the games originated and developed, and the rituals and etiquette which surround them.

The Oxford History of Board Games

The Oxford History of Board Games PDF

Author: David Parlett

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1999

Total Pages: 410

ISBN-13:

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

For thousands of years, people have been planning attacks, captures, chases, and conquests - on a variety of different boards designed for an astonishing diversity of games. Today the compelling mix of strategy, skill, and chance is as strong as ever; new board games are invented almost daily,while the perennial favourites continue to attract new devotees and reveal new possibilities. The Oxford History of Board Games investigates the principles of board games throughout the ages and across the world, exploring the fascinating similarities and differences that give each its unique appeal, and drawing out the significance of game-playing as a central part of human experience - asvital to a culture as its music, dance, and tales. Beautifully illustrated and with diagrams to show the finer points of the games, this is a fascinating and accessible guide to a richly rewarding subject. In his trade-mark accessible, entertaining style, David Parlett looks at the different families of games: games based on configuration or connection, races or chases, wars or hunts, capture or blockade. He focuses mainly on traditional games, the folk entertainments that have grown up organicallythrough the centuries, and which exhibit endless local variations, although he discusses also the commercial products that have tried, with varying degrees of success, to match their astonishing popularity. This is not primarily a how-to book, although the rules and strategies of certain games are discussed in detail, neither does it offer sure-fire tips for success, although with a fuller understanding of a game the reader will undoubtedly become a better-informed, if not better, player. Rather, itis an affectionate and authoritative survey of one of the most familiar parts of our cultural history, which has until now been inexplicably neglected.

A Dictionary of Card Games

A Dictionary of Card Games PDF

Author: David Sidney Parlett

Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA

Published: 1992

Total Pages: 360

ISBN-13: 9780198691730

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Ranging from such classics as bridge, poker, whist, and rummy to the more familiar Cucumber, Pishti, Go Fish, and Spinado, this book provides clear and expert advice on the rules and playing strategies of virtually any card game popular in the Western world. Discover such historical favourites as hombre, piquet, and trappola, great national games, including belote (France), scopa (Italy), and skat (Germany), and all manner of patience and tarot games. Whether planning party games (Newmarket, Old Maid, and Oh Hell!), or a civilized card evening with friends, this will be an invaluable source of information and entertainment.

The Book of Word Games

The Book of Word Games PDF

Author: David Parlett

Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media

Published: 2012-05

Total Pages: 260

ISBN-13: 9780963878472

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

If you were to imagine your ideal guide to a book of word games, who would you picture? Does an urbane, witty writer come to mind? How about a widely recognized authority and historian of games? Perhaps you'd want someone who successfully creates games himself and has written extensively on a wide variety of games? And oh what the heck let's make him British to add a bit of extra charm. Well, if that sounds like the ideal game guide, look no further. David Parlett is an internationally recognized master of games. The author of many books, including the Oxford History of Board Games and The Penguin Book of Card Games, he has also created many games including Hare & Tortoise, which has sold over 3 million copies. In "The Book of Word Games" Parlett presents a practical and entertaining guide to word games and how to play them. He offers clear and witty introductions to over 150 word games, indicating degree of difficulty, appropriate number of players, and age range (many of the games are great for the classroom or to give your kids some fun while improving their language skills). Parlett also gives a wealth of interesting etymological knowledge, including word origins, phonetic facts and interesting tidbits like the longest word in the English language. There is something for everyone, from new readers to sophisticated word connoisseurs. From well-known favorites such as Boggle and Consequences to lesser-known but equally enjoyable games such as Bacronyms and Aesop's Mission, "The Book of Word Games" presents a wide-ranging collection of word games for verbivores of all ages. "

The A-Z of Card Games

The A-Z of Card Games PDF

Author: David Parlett

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2004-10-14

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9780198608707

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This fascinating dictionary tells you how to play almost any card game popular in the Western world. Besides classics like Bridge and Poker, it also includes famous historical games, popular folk games, and even Tarot games. With hundreds of games to explore and enjoy, David Parlett's book will be invaluable to anyone planning a card evening with friends, or on a rainy family holiday.

Card Games For Dummies

Card Games For Dummies PDF

Author: Barry Rigal

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2011-03-04

Total Pages: 387

ISBN-13: 1118054768

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Card games offer loads of fun and one of the best socializing experiences out there. But picking up winning card strategies is a bit of a challenge, and though your buddies may think that picking up the rules of the game is easy, winning is a totally different story. With Card Games For Dummies, Second Edition, you’ll not only be able to play the hottest card games around, you can also apply game-winning strategies and tips to have fun and beat your opponents. Now updated, this hands-on guide shows you everything you need to know—the basics, the tricks, and the techniques—to become a master card player, with expanded coverage on poker as well as online gaming and tournaments. Soon you will have the card-playing power to: Pin down your opponents in Texas Hold’em Show off your power in Stud Poker Hit wisely in Blackjack Break hearts ruthlessly in Hearts Mix up the night with Gin and Rummy Build yourself a victory in Bridge Send them fishing in Go Fish This straightforward, no-nonsense guide features great ways to improve your game and have more fun, as well as a list of places to find out more about your favorite game. It also profiles different variations of each game, making you a player for all seasons!

Cowboys Full

Cowboys Full PDF

Author: James McManus

Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Published: 2009-10-27

Total Pages: 529

ISBN-13: 1429990686

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

From James McManus, author of the bestselling Positively Fifth Street, comes the definitive story of the game that, more than any other, reflects who we are and how we operate. Cowboys Full is the story of poker, from its roots in China, the Middle East, and Europe to its ascent as a global—but especially an American—phenomenon. It describes how early Americans took a French parlor game and, with a few extra cards and an entrepreneurial spirit, turned it into a national craze by the time of the Civil War. From the kitchen-table games of ordinary citizens to its influence on generals and diplomats, poker has gone hand in hand with our national experience. Presidents from Abraham Lincoln to Barack Obama have deployed poker and its strategies to explain policy, to relax with friends, to negotiate treaties and crises, and as a political networking tool. The ways we all do battle and business are echoed by poker tactics: cheating and thwarting cheaters, leveraging uncertainty, bluffing and sussing out bluffers, managing risk and reward. Cowboys Full shows how what was once accurately called the cheater's game has become amostly honest contest of cunning, mathematical precision, and luck. It explains how poker, formerly dominated by cardsharps, is now the most popular card game in Europe, East Asia, Australia, South America, and cyberspace, as well as on television. It combines colorful history with firsthand experience from today's professional tour. And it examines poker's remarkable hold on American culture, from paintings by Frederic Remington to countless poker novels, movies, and plays. Braiding the thrill of individual hands with new ways of seeing poker's relevance to our military, diplomatic, business, and personal affairs, Cowboys Full is sure to become the classic account of America's favorite pastime.

Ultimate Book of Card Games

Ultimate Book of Card Games PDF

Author: Scott McNeely

Publisher: Chronicle Books

Published: 2012-01-06

Total Pages: 400

ISBN-13: 1452110484

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Classic and comprehensive, this guide to over 350 games is sure to appeal to all ages. From Bridge to Poker and Solitaireto Hearts, card games are a beloved source of entertainment and competition (and they are recession proof!). This authoritative book is ideal for every household, college dorm, family cabin, or neighborhood bar that has a pack of cards. Designed in the style of the popular Ultimate Bar Book, this essential resource provides the rules to dozensof variations of your favorite games, and a few you've probably never heard of (Bezique, anyone?). With simple instructions and clear illustrations to guide the way, this volume will be a welcome addition to any gamer's library.

Tabletop

Tabletop PDF

Author: Drew Davidson

Publisher: Lulu.com

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 207

ISBN-13: 1257870602

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

In this volume, people of diverse backgrounds talk about tabletop games, game culture, and the intersection of games with learning, theater, and other forms. Some have chosen to write about their design process, others about games they admire, others about the culture of tabletop games and their fans. The results are various and individual, but all cast some light on what is a multivarious and fascinating set of game styles.