King Pedro (“pee-drō”) is a rather unique card game played in many countries all over the world—and known by about as many names. Here in Canada, we know it as “King Pedro”, although it can be played by two common sets of rules. There’s the standard Canadian King Pedro game, and the Ukrainian-Canadian version. Today, … Read more
Hola is a card game popularized by Ukrainian-Canadian communities, often played in many parts of Western Canada. Its history is rather unique, mostly because there’s only so much information we know about its origins. Hola is certainly not your typical card game. Like many other trick-catching games, it requires players to skillfully capture tricks to … Read more
There’s more than one way to play the popular Canadian card game of Hola. In fact, there are several commonly applied variations to the rules. You can switch up everything from the number of players, to the amount of wild cards, to the way points are scored and, in some cases, taken away. Common Hola … Read more
Hola! No, I’m not reverting to the Spanish language. “Hola” is the name of a popular Ukranian-Canadian card game played throughout western Canada. Its name comes from either Slavic or Ukrainian descent, meaning “nakedness” (Slavic), or “naked” (Ukrainian). Designed for 2 players (or 4, with partners), Hola rules call for a standard deck of 52 … Read more
Two Hundred (200), or by its French name, Deux Cents, isn’t your typical card game. It doesn’t have an extensive history, dating back through the centuries. It didn’t originate on some distant continent like Asia or Europe. The history of 200 actually starts right here, in Canada. It is played in a rather wide variety … Read more
In Part 1, we detailed a multitude of Rule Variations for Two Hundred (200). In Part 2, we’ll deal solely with how to play 200 with varying amounts of players, or as a cutthroat card game, with no partnerships. Rule Variations vs. Traditional Two Hundred Rules Serious players—especially tournament players—rarely invoke anything outside of the … Read more
Two Hundred (200) is widely played in Canada, in one form or another. The game has quite a few variations to the rules, most of which are also widely popular in different regions. Note that this article assumes you are already familiar with traditional 200 Rules. In Part 1, we’ll deal with general rule alterations. … Read more
Two Hundred (200), or Deux Cents, is a card game believed to have originated right here in Canada. It is especially popular in New Brunswick. Similar variations are played in Quebec and further east, where the game goes by numerous other names; Dix, Bidder 10, Le Rough, Le Ruff, La Bloutte or La Fouine. 200 … Read more
Forty-Fives is such an old, wide-spread game that it goes by a vast number of names. They include Forty-Fives, Forty-Five, Auction Forty-Five(s), Strong Fives, One Hundred Twenty, Auction One Hundred Twenty, Growl, and—the first known names—Spoil Fives and Maw. This trick-catching card game originated in either Ireland or Scotland, and is extremely popular among Celtic … Read more
Auction Forty-Fives (aka One Hundred Twenty) is a popular card game throughout Canada. A direct descendant of the Irish game, Spoil Five, it’s particularly favored by Irish-Canadians in Nova Scotia. Like so many games that spread from one region of the world to another, not everyone plays by the same rules. Over time, several common … Read more