Student life
How to run a card night in student halls
A deck of cards costs less than a round of drinks and works in any shared kitchen.
A card night is one of the easiest regular events to run in student accommodation. It needs a table, a few decks and someone willing to explain the rules.
Pick games that teach quickly
Start the night with a game that can be explained in two minutes. Crazy Eights and Spoons work well with a crowd. For a smaller table, Durak is a good second game: the rules fit on a page, rounds are short, and players who are out early can watch and learn.
Teach with open hands
For the first round of any new game, play with all hands face up and talk through the choices. It is quicker than reading rules aloud, and it lets people ask questions without slowing a real game.
Mixed groups
Halls often bring together students from many countries. Ask who knows a game from home. Students from Eastern Europe and Central Asia may well know Durak already, and may have firm views on the house rules. Settle the arguments before the cards come out, not halfway through a bout.
What to bring
- Two decks, so a second table can start without waiting. For Durak, take the 2s to 5s out of one of them.
- A pen and a sheet of paper for scores and for writing down the house rules.
- One printed rules sheet per table for the game you are teaching.
- A table that can be cleared of food and drink, or a tray for the cards.
- An agreed finishing time, so nobody has to break up a game in the middle of a round.
Keep it going
- Pick a regular night and stick to it.
- Keep two or three decks in a shared cupboard so the night does not depend on one person.
- Write the house rules for each game on an index card and keep it with the decks.
When the kitchen is busy
If the kitchen is taken, most games can be played on a phone with friends in the same room, or on a laptop between two people.