Puzzled!

rgsrinivasan · Apr 28, 2011

In summer holidays, when it was very hot outside, we all stayed at home and indulged ourselves playing card games most of the afternoons.

"Ass" (or, is it ace?) was our favourite. It required some skill, a decent set of cards and ofcourse, guessing what cards the others have, especially, the ones after you.

One of our neighbours joined the game at times. She was a house-wife and wore spectacles. She had a polished attitude and spoke in english most of the times. Her son was couple of years elder to us. While we all played one day, it so happened that she was always "caught". And the person who sat before her, was my friend's elder brother.

He is quite an interesting fellow and outwitted many. Everytime, he got into a troublesome situation, he simply dealt with the suitable card, to have the lady caught. It was just amazing to watch. The lady was puzzled, stupefied and just exhausted in the end, finishing last.

She even suspected that he saw her cards and kept it so close to herself that others could not see. Yet the result was the same. And the accuracy of his dealing the right one improved.

Later, he shared the secret with us - he saw her cards through the reflection from her glasses. "The closer she kept them, the better I saw!" he said.

Just another time, one of my friends wanted to show his "magic" to my neighbour (the girl about whom I have written in "Moved"). He claimed that he and I (yes! myself) had telepathic connection, so, I could guess what card she thought, even without seeing her choosing one from his pack of 9 cards (this is a common magic, but to deduce the right card, without seeing it is "magic") only once.

She thought it was not possible, so there was a bet of a rupee. He quickly shuffled the pack, threw 9 cards at random (to confirm that there is no special marking in the cards) and kept the rest, stacked in his hands. I was asked to go out of the room and was called to identify the card she chose after a minute. Quite rightly, I picked the correct one.

She was dumbfounded at first and thought that some cheating was involved. So the process repeated for a few times and she lost close to ten rupees.

Finally, she got the hint. She asked him to put all the cards that he had in his palm and asked for one more time. This time too, she lost. Then we explained her. Actually, he marked 9 positions in his palm (3x3) and used his fingers to indicate the card she picked, to me. I was playing all along, as though, "carelessly" looking at him and "carefully" looking at all the cards, "think" a while and pick the "right" one. Earlier, he used to point the position in the stack of cards he had.

It was quite funny to look at their faces, when they lost time and again.

I hope many of you know the "four kings" magic in cards. If not, please let me know. I will explain.

mssunitha2001 · Apr 28, 2011

Dear RGS

I had always wanted to play cards with my friends while young. But my grandma would object (my brother and me) and say we should not play. (we never asked why..????)

We both just never played ...till now.

After marriage, i used to feel very bad when i see all dh's relatives play cards at home with so much fun and laughter. I used to be very shy to admit that I dont know to play cards. I sit there anyway ...with some book in hand.

But now I am happy (satisfied ??? ....dont know what kind of feeling it is...)..........when i see my kids playing cards with their friends on sunday afternoons...when it is raining heavily and there is no way they can go out to play cocoa, shuttle, cycling or whatever).

I feel very happy/contended ...atleast they know something which I dont know. (May be I did not attempt to learn the game or find it interesting enough even now)

Sorry my fb went offside....

You have had a very enjoyable childhood RGS.....:thumbsup

rgsrinivasan · Apr 28, 2011

You have had a very enjoyable childhood RGS.....:thumbsup
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There are so many occasions where we really enjoyed, then. Also, being the last kid, I am still pampered all along

And I don't think you missed much by not knowing to play cards. I am sure, you would have your set of mischiefs then. Is it not Sunitha? Thanks for your nice feedback and the apt image. -rgs

sreemanavaneeth · Apr 28, 2011

hai rgs,

well narrated the card story. I have played only Rummy.
You and your friends really played a tricky card game.
I enjoyed your card writing

rgsrinivasan · Apr 28, 2011

We played rummy too Sreema. On the nights before festive occasions and some sundays - but never for money. Thanks for your nice feedback. -rgs

sojourner · Apr 28, 2011

Sunitha:

My mother never let me play cards. [I am the oldest -- parents end up screwing up the oldest the most ] Coming from her background (she was the daughter of a SastrigaL), this was perfectly understandable. She thought that playing cards was only the first step to a life of debauchery. Of course, I ended up there anyway, taking the longer route -- quantum mechanics, IISC, and the U.S.

It is still not too late to learn. There is a one-player game called Solitaire (called Patience in India), which you can even play online.

I learnt to play cards at the Fair Lady's house -- her mother enjoyed playing cards. In fact, her mother had a super Joie de vivre (zest for life) in spite of having eleven daughters.

RGS,

There is indeed a card game called "Ass", which also I learnt at the Fair Lady's house. I can't remember now how it is played.

When my children were younger, I used to play endless games of Go Fish. They liked winning -- I have never won a single game against them. After a while they figured out that I was losing on purpose and would complain. I would still lose but after putting up a fight. This was a lot harder than straight losing Of course, it was a disaster if both the boys were in the same game. I would have two separate games going at the same time.

rgsrinivasan · Apr 28, 2011

I agree Sojourner. it is difficult to actually pretend to lose every time. And I admit your line of parents restraining more on the elder kid. They sort of mellow down for other children either, or get wiser (inspite of restraining so much, so little improvement we see! Not worth it) perhaps? Thanks for your feedback. -rgs

mssunitha2001 · Apr 28, 2011

[QUOTE=sojourner;bt59403]Sunitha:

>>>>>My mother never let me play cards. Coming from her background (she was the daughter of a SastrigaL), this was perfectly understandable. She thought that playing cards was only the first step to a life of debauchery. Of course, I ended up there anyway, taking the longer route -- quantum mechanics, IISC, and the U.S.

May be My grandma too had some (mis)conceptions about playing cards..anyway she would have been really happy to have obedient grandchildren like us.?????:rotfl

>>>>>It is still not too late to learn. There is a one-player game called Solitaire (called Patience in India), which you can even play online.

I am going to try it out, for sure...Thanks so much.

>>>>>>I learnt to play cards at the Fair Lady's house -- her mother enjoyed playing cards. In fact, her mother had a super Joie de vivre (zest for life) in spite of having eleven daughters.

I truly admire her mom for being such a sport inspite of having such a big family and a load of responsibilities...bcos in today's age moms are so so busy with just one/two kids....

>>>>>When my children were younger, I used to play endless games of Go Fish. They liked winning -- I have never won a single game against them. After a while they figured out that I was losing on purpose

You are for sure a great dad !!!!!!!:cheers
To make kids happy you did that inspite of knowing in and out tricks of card games

sojourner · Apr 28, 2011

I will write more later. I almost posted links to Solitaire online. The simplest version is with 5 columns. I didn't find a link for this.
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> You are for sure a great dad

Thanks. Almost everybody (including my wife) says this about me. I never hear "You are a great husband" or "You are a great employee"

My American friend Steve thinks that I am a great person -- I got him fooled

sojourner · Apr 28, 2011

> They sort of mellow down for other children

I also think that they simply run out of energy, since they have other children to worry about.

Parents of only children never stop being helicopter parents ("they always hover").