Shuffle & Deal

by Tara Gallagher

Do you ever wish you watched less and played more? Shuffle & Deal is a card game book packed with hilarious, evil and deeply addictive games that are guaranteed to spread through your circle of friends like poison ivy. This isn't a book full of old favourites; all of the games selected offer something a bit different - new twists and alternative rules. But Shuffle & Deal is more than a collection of card games. Fun to read and beautiful to look at, it features a collection of stunning artwork dating from medieval times to the present day. Alongside the games are historical anecdotes, top tips for winning, and card-speak jargon busters, designed to ake everyone an expert. In a world that relies ever more on screens to fill its need for entertainment, card games are a beacon of light. So come in from the cold, call your friends and families, grab a deck, and make some memories.

Genres: Nonfiction, Games

160 pages, Hardcover

First published June 16, 2015

Reviews

[Derek]

“Any number of players” is a bit of a weird statement, considering there are no solitary games presented in this book. I realize the author’s intent is to provide games to play >with people<, but there is something to be said about the creative space a solitary experience can become.

This game does an “okay” job at explaining rules, but I found myself having to extrapolate a few times and was frustrated when certain key rules were listed as an aside, rather than as part of the primary text for each game. I think a dedicated “examples of play” portion for each game would have been very helpful.

That being said, I do appreciate the clean, but aesthetically-pleasing, layout of the book, some historical snippets, strategic tips, as well as the author’s attempt to rate games by difficulty in learning and/or playing. I’m not sure I would totally recommend this book as a “book of card games” to someone, but it’s not a terrible choice. I found this copy at the library, and I think that’s a great inclusion for that space specifically, and not as something I might own personally.

[Ann]

Really enjoyed this book. I am considering buying it after looking through it as a book from the library.

I enjoyed the atmosphere of the book - the old cards are fun to look at and the cover is beautiful. For me it makes the book more engaging.

I didn't mind the limit of 50 card games , mentioned by another user. This is a great reference book to have in the living room for something to grab on family game night - to settle a dispute in rules, inspire something new to try, or refresh ones memory.

[Jon]

Clear directions, broke games into easy / medium / challenging categories and put them into chapters based on the number of required players. There were a few interesting games I'd never heard of, and maybe 6-8 that we ended up playing.

It wasted a lot of space with pictures of old cards, but I would imagine it's difficult to fill a book that's limited to 50 card games (major card game books typically contain 250).

[Debra]

I really liked the photos of the antique cards. The descriptions of how to play the card games were clear and concise, but many of the games are old favorites, covered by other books on cards. I would have liked a better selection of games.