Does anyone use Tarot as a card game?

I remember when I was a kid and the first Tarot deck entered my house, my brother spend a few days looking for a book on how to use Tarot. He was amazed to find almost only book on divination and nothing regarding the card game.
Anyway he eventually succeeded, and for a while Tarot was one of the family games.

Year later, when I started working with Tarots, I learnt the rules better... and made quite a few games.
But I never found - among the Tarot community - people really interested into the Tarot card game (in any of his variants).
I may tell... because I saw it, that entering a tavern and finding people in a corner playing Tarot silently (Tarot is played without speaking), is an utterly charming experience.

Best,

Riccardo

I've run across some sites that sell different kinds of games that give the directions, but I just can't remember where the sites were. I didn't bookmark any of them, but I wish I had.

I haven't played any games with them yet, but I think I'd like to try if knew the rules. Anytime I can handle my cards I'm happy.

mrsjvan

There are rules to several varieties of Tarot Card Games at the Card Games Website. Many of them seem pretty involved!

I seem to remember someone here talking about playing Tarot Games before, but I can't remember who...Major Tom, maybe?

A completely silent card game must really be something to see, Riccardo!

Peace,

Melvis

Sounds cool

My family was a big game playing family... lots of gatherings to play card games.. but pretty traditional.. I don't know how they would have gone for tarot.

Sadly, most of them are gone... brings back bittersweet memories...

Peace!

I love playing games with my cards. I have the Lord of the Rings deck that comes with a game but I'm not satified with it. But Iove to play tarot war. Here's the rules:

Take out all the major arcana and place them in order from 0 the fool- 21 the world in which the fool lays on top.
Shuffle the rest of the cards and deal them out to however many players you wish. (I suggest not going past four players, but you can play with however many people you want.) You play like regular war: all players lay out the top card and the highest rank wins the cards that were layed down. Word cards rank: page, knight, queen, king, ace or however your deck varies. When 2 or more cards have the same rank and are the highest of the group have a war. Each player puts down another card face down on top of the original played card. Then another card face up, the highest rank of those cards win all the cards *plus* the next character in line. The characters should be still aside from the beginning of the game. So the first winner of the war gets the fool and then the next gets the magician and so on. If you happen to get a double war which means you got the same rank again you repeat the proccess and the winner gets 2 characters! When these characters come up in play each player owes the amount shown on the card. For example: if the magician comes up everyone owes the person 1 card which would be the card they just laid down. The Empress comes up and everyone owes that person 3 cards. For The fool everyone just puts their card at the bottom of their deck because the fool is 0. If 2 characters come up in the same turn, the higher one just takes the lower one and that player doesn't have to give up any more cards but any other player who played a non character card must still pay the cards. The first card is the only one to count. If a characer comes up in the middle of giving cards it doesn't matter. I have never gotten to the point to reach the world because its so powerful. The last player left with cards in their hand wins.

Have fun...

P.S.-I made some of that game up myself. I'm so proud of myself.

The Enchanter said:

I love playing games with my cards. I have the Lord of the Rings deck that comes with a game but I'm not satified with it. But Iove to play tarot war.
I made some of that game up myself. I'm so proud of myself.

Click to expand...

That sounds really cool... might try to get some folks to play that... thanks..

Peace!

Though my maternal grandfather was more into the Marseilles and hence its more esoteric and spiritual uses, I grew up also very much playing the game of Tarot (with my family and others), and also, when younger, witnessed some gambling on Tarot playing amongst my father's friends (and gambling acquaintances).

Tarot and Chess were the two household games I grew up with, though I haven't played the former since the late 1970s.

The game is somewhat similar to Bridge or 500 (with of course many dissimilarities), both of which much more common here in Australia.

My youngest son has the Lord of the Rings tarot deck and card game. He uses the deck as both.

The deck has a game designed for it. Hard to describe-kind of like a combo of crazy eights and go fish. Luck is a huge facror, and it's easy to learn.

I used to play soliitaire with the R/W, just like you would with a regular deck. The version of three cards, put down aces, with the majors as the extra suit. When I'd get stuck, I lost, which happened most of the time...

Recently, a friend bought a book round my house which contains the rules for alot of different Tarot games. He, my boyfriend, and I played a game called Scarto all night... Its much like Whist, and very very fun...

In the New Year, we will be setting up regular Torrochi evenings, playing Scarto, learning how to play a few other Tarot games maybe...

Kiama