Thursday afternoon game time in Kinderton Village has evolved (devolved?) into Thursday afternoon CANASTA time. . . The OG plan was for this group to meet and play games: Scrabble, Sequence, Dominos, Clue, really, any game at all was – and still is - welcome.  But in that second or third meeting, three decks of cards came out and voila, TACT (Thursday Afternoon Canasta Time) was borne.  

 

Sometimes there are four participants, sometimes as many as twelve but the appropriate number of tables are set (with green felt table covers, no less!), the revolving card holders come out, pens and scorepads appear: seats are taken.  The only things missing are the green visors and sleeve bands. This group has even developed a system whereby teams are chosen with the draw of cards.  I suspect that this is so the more competitive players (you know who you are) don’t choose one another to be teammates and beat up on the rest of us!  

 

From 1:30 to 4:30, cards are shuffled and whether three attendees or fifteen, eleven cards go into each hand and play begins.   For three hours, cards are dealt, drawn, played and laid over and over until an individual or team reaches 5000.    Unlike many card games, chatter is permitted and everyone catches up with everyone else, trading favorite restaurants, hair salons, lawn care: it’s kind of recreational networking.  But make no mistake: CANASTA is the main event.

 

I urge you, Gentle Reader, do not be disarmed by the apparent ages of these players nor by the frequency of the words, “Whose turn is it?”  These folks mean business!  Should idle chatter go on too long, you’ll be guided back to the game with a gentle, “Ok, it’s your turn”, (fill in the blank: we all lose track sometimes)    

 

For the newcomer, the group is made up of gentle, patient teachers and this is a good thing because there are about a million (!) rules: you get 100 points if you play a red three, 800 if you play four of them. But a three only counts for 5 points in scoring.  (?)  You can’t start laying cards out until you have 50 points to play.  Sometimes the requirement is 90 points sometimes 120.  ☹  On your turn, you can pick up the card that was discarded by the player on your right, but you must pick up the WHOLE DISCARD PILE.  Unless, that is, the person to your right discards a black three: then you MUST draw new cards.  Eights count for five points but nines count for ten.  And there are more: oh, my aching head!  

 

Did I mention that there are treats?  Whether store bought or home baked, goodies are brought on an informal rotating schedule and these are worth the price of admission!  (There is NO admission price: it’s free to come and play.)

 

This is a fun group, a fun game and a great way to spend an afternoon.  Get to know your neighbors, grow your community, enlarge your circle.  The door to the Kinderton Village clubhouse is open on Thursdays from 1:30 to 4:30 and we’d love to have you join us.