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The Strategy of the Shuffle: Why Card Games Still Matter

My Ope-pinion Card Games Euchre Family Midwest Culture

There’s something honest about a game of euchre or spades. You’re sitting across from someone, looking them in the eye, and trying to outthink them. It’s a bit of strategy, skill, and luck, wrapped up with a whole lot of personality. It’s a way to spend an evening that doesn’t involve a screen or a subscription, which makes it feel a little old-timey.

In a world that ironically feels increasingly disconnected, these games offer a rare chance to be truly present. Working with a partner forces you to communicate with shared goals and split-second decisions. You learn to trust the person across the table, and together, you navigate the flow of the game. It’s a team effort that builds a different kind of muscle than the ones we use for our daily work.

Perhaps the best part is learning to work with what life deals you. You can’t control the cards you’re handed, just like you can’t always control the circumstances of the day. But you can control how you play them. Whether you’re holding a winning hand or trying to salvage a difficult one, there’s a quiet dignity in making the best of what’s on the table. It’s a small-scale lesson in resilience, wrapped in a game of cards and shared laughs.

Euchre: The Unofficial Card Game of the Midwest
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If you didn’t grow up in the Midwest, there’s a good chance you’ve never heard of euchre. If you did, there’s a good chance you learned it at a kitchen table, a family reunion, or a college dorm. It’s especially popular in Michigan, Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Wisconsin, where euchre tournaments at bars, churches, and VFW halls are a regular thing.

Here’s the basic idea:

  • Four players, two teams. Partners sit across from each other.
  • A small deck. Only the 9s, 10s, Jacks, Queens, Kings, and Aces are used, so 24 cards total. Everyone gets five.
  • Picking trump. One card is turned face up, and players take turns deciding whether that suit becomes trump. If everyone passes, players can name a different suit.
  • The bowers. This is the part that confuses newcomers. The Jack of the trump suit (the “right bower”) is the highest card in the game. The other Jack of the same color (the “left bower”) is the second highest and counts as trump.
  • Take the tricks. The team that called trump needs to win at least three of the five tricks. Win all five and you get bonus points. Fail and the other team scores instead, which is called getting “euchred.”
  • Going alone. If you’ve got a monster hand, you can tell your partner to sit out and try to take all five tricks yourself for even more points.

First team to 10 points wins. It’s quick to learn, fast to play, and full of table talk.

Spades and Other Partner Games
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Spades works on a similar idea with a full deck. Spades are always trump, and each team bids how many tricks it expects to take. Bid too high and you get set back. Bid too low and you pile up “bags” that eventually cost you. It rewards honest bidding and knowing your partner’s habits.

Pinochle, bridge, and cribbage all have their own loyal tables across the region too. Every family seems to have its own house rules, and arguing about them is half the fun.

Deal Someone In
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Card games are cheap, portable, and work for almost any age. A deck of cards costs a few dollars and fits in your pocket. If you have kids, teach them. If you have older relatives, ask them to teach you their game. Some of the best conversations happen while someone is deciding whether to call trump.

Corey Fields
Author
Corey Fields
Lifelong Midwesterner (40+ years), rooftop solar owner since 2022, EV driver since 2023, gardener, and road-tripper. Writing about practical living, technology, and the places that make the Midwest home.

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Shining a Light on Inconsiderate People

My Ope-pinion
We often hear the old saying that good fences make good neighbors, and that principle applies to more than just property lines. In a shared space like a theater, the rules are the fence. They exist to ensure that everyone can enjoy the experience they paid for without distraction. When someone chooses to ignore those boundaries by constantly using their phone, they are tearing down that fence for everyone else. It is a matter of basic consideration. If you are going to be in a public space, it is your responsibility to respect the common ground and the shared experience of the people sitting next to and behind you. I was at a play recently and experienced this distraction from the actual performance. About halfway through, the person sitting in front of me started treating their phone like it was the main attraction. They were constantly pulling it out to take pictures or videos and replying to texts. Every time that light shone in my eyes, it felt like a tiny fence was being knocked over. It was frustrating and I did not want to be further interrupted by an usher having to do the rule enforcement. It just goes to show that being a good neighbor means respecting the shared space we are all in. It is sad how we have reached a point where some people think their notifications are more important than the live art they are paying to see. They are treating the audience like a background for their social media feed. If you cannot respect the fence of the theater rules, maybe you are not the right audience for the show. Artists Are Pushing Back # It’s not just audience members who are fed up. Performers have noticed too. Some comedians and musicians now require audiences to lock their phones in small pouches at the door, and the phone is only unlocked when you leave or step out to a designated area. Broadway actors have stopped mid-scene to call out people filming them. Plenty of theaters now play a pre-show announcement that’s longer and more pointed than it used to be, because the polite version wasn’t working. It says something when the people on stage have to enforce manners. They’re giving a live performance that will never happen exactly the same way again. The least we can do is watch it. Simple Rules for Being a Good Audience Member # None of this is complicated, but it’s worth spelling out: Silence it and put it away. Not face down on your lap. Away, in a pocket or bag. Don’t film or photograph the performance. It’s usually against the rules for copyright reasons, it distracts the performers, and your blurry video is never going to be as good as the memory. If you must check it, leave. An emergency is an emergency. Step out to the lobby where your screen won’t light up the row. Turn off the smartwatch notifications too. A glowing wrist is just a smaller phone. Take your photos before and after. The stage, the set, the marquee, and the people you came with are all fair game before the lights go down and after the curtain call. Showing consideration to others in shared spaces is part of Midwestern values. Let’s try to be better neighbors. A little consideration goes a long way!