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Online Card Games
By Alex Jensen
May 11, 2002
The Internet is more than just a tool for finding information and for sending and receiving e-mail. It is also a place for people around the world to gather and play online games. Online card games are among the most popular forms of gaming available on the Internet. On the Internet, you can find everything from euchre and bridge to plain old Go Fish.
Many websites, including Pogo (www.pogo.com), Yahoo Games (games.yahoo.com), and Games.com (www.games.com), offer free gaming services.
All you have to do is signup for an account on one of these sites and choose a username and password. From there you just pick a game, then you proceed to select a "game room." A game room divides the players up, much like different rooms in a school. With a thousand people in one room, things can get a little crowded. It's the same for the Internet. The name of the game room is displayed, as well as the number of players currently in that room. This makes it simple for friends to meet in a specific room without having to search around. The game rooms are based upon skill level ranging from social and beginner to advanced and master. The player ratings are also displayed. Player ratings are a number, that is a calculation of you skill, depending on the number of games you have played, won and lost. For the experienced card shark or just a beginner, there is a game room for you.
Once you have chosen a game room, you advance to the "lounge" or "lobby". From there you can join an existing game or create your own new game. To join a game, just simply click on the "join" or "play" button in one of the empty spots from the long list of available games. When creating a game, you may choose whether or not the game is rated, and whether or not a password is required for other people to join. This way, if you're meeting a group of friends, you can ensure that only they will be able to join your game.
Pogo Games offers players a lot freedom to customize their own game tables. It lets you select a password; whether or not the game is rated; and which rules you want to apply. For example when creating a game of euchre you can choose if the dealer must declare trump ('Stick the Dealer'). You can also limit the players joining your game to specific skill ratings.
If you find yourself stuck, most of the sites offer a help section and rules for the individual card games.
Although there's nothing better than playing euchre with three friends offline, online card games give you the opportunity to brush up on your card skills before playing with your friends face-to-face. These games are also handy for times when it is difficult to find enough people to play a game of cards. A willing euchre partner is waiting for you on the Internet!
Alex Jensen was the Community Access Program student working from the Kintore branch of the Oxford County Library.
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