When we had company while I was growing up, Dad would set up the card table and the four adults would gather around it for a competition of “500.” I often watched and absorbed the intricies of bidding and playing. I was determined to stay awake during their visit so I could take Mom’s place for a few rounds while she went to the kitchen about 10 p.m. to fix coffee and a sweet for lunch before the guests went home.
The popular, area card game brought people of all ages together. When I was a teenager, I often joined my parents at public “500” card parties and played with some people old enough to be my grandparents.
One of my requirements before Ken became my husband was, he had to learn to play “500.” The in-laws-to-be had a get-acquainted supper at our house in December before our April wedding. After the meal, Mom sat down beside Ken and helped him play the game with me as his partner and his parents as our opponents.
The next evening, the two of us visited Lola Mae and Joe, Ken’s sister and her husband. Ken showed off his newly acquired skill. He told them, “I was kind of scared of Lolita’s mother, but last night, when she sat down beside me and helped me play ‘500’, I decided she must like me.”
Shortly after Ken and I were married, we joined five other young couples in a “500” card club. Our homes could accommodate three card tables and we took turns entertaining the group once a month. Each night, the man and woman who had the highest and the second highest scores for the evening were awarded a small prize. The two with the lowest points each received a booby prize, which might be a gag gift. Snacks and a light lunch were provided by the hosting couple. None of us had much money and it was a cheap night out without children who stayed with a babysitter or grandparents.
One of my girlfriends wanted to learn bridge, considered more of a sophisticated card game. She asked me to be a member of her group of eight women. Although I’d never been fascinated by the pastime, I wasn’t going to pass-up the opportunity to learn. If we ever moved, it might be my ticket into a new community of women. I played more by “the seat of my pants” instead of learning all of the little nuances. Our bridge club lasted about forty years.
In our middle-age, Ken and I joined a Euchre club, a world-wide game similar to “500.” but using a smaller deck of cards. The six couples took turns hosting the meeting once a month. Since that group became too old to get together in the evenings, we haven’t played cards.
Many senior citizen organizations feature regular, afternoon Euchre games.
Do you play cards?