Tips on Becoming a Card Sharp

I have played cards since I was knee-high to a grasshopper, I became a card sharp out of sheer desire to be the best. One needs to try to master a variety of card games, find two or three that you particularly enjoy, then practice, practice, practice!

The game of "Fish" is not particularly entertaining. By asking your partner, "Do you have any twos?" simply tells him what you have in your hand. The game of "War" is much faster, only requires two players and as many decks of cards as they please. The highest card wins. In case of a "draw," where two cards are the same, then it becomes "war." Each player lays three cards down, and the highest card wins.

Then, when I was a teenager, I learned "Crazy Eights," a fast frenzy of play that requires a sense of humor, a hunger to win and a competitive (but fair) spirit. The object of the game is to "match" your opponent's card. If he lays down a 6 of spades, you have the choice of laying down a six of any other suit, go fishing, or if you have an 8 in your hand, you may choose to change suits.

One needs to have a sharp eye, a sharp memory, and the ability to mentally out smart your opponent, including the ability to bluff like one possessed so that your opponent matches your bets. Doing so scares off the other opponents, as in "Poker," thus eliminating the competition and winning by intimidation. I have won hands when I only had two threes in my hand, even after the discard was played. In face-to-face games, one needs to have absolutely no expression of pleasure on one's face. A smile only tells your opponents that you are totally certain that you will win. However, the expression of disgust tells your opponents that you have no cards to play, and therein lies the secret of bluffing. Either you have a great hand and seem disgusted, or else you have a rotten hand and seem overly confident.

One of my favorite card games is "Spades." This game is best played with a partner and two opponents, who are also partners. Spades are Trumps. They are the highest winning cards in the deck. The object of the game is to meet the number of tricks (plays you bet you can win) and beat your opponents. The secret to playing Spades is to always mix up how you play so that you do not become predictable. If you start with high cards first but only have two spades in your hand, you should probably not bet more than two tricks, certainly not more than three. Betting higher will almost guarantee a losing hand. Partners are not mind readers. They will "cover" your low cards, playing their highest cards when possible.

If you have seven spades, two aces and one king with the remainder of the cards higher than the number four, you will most likely be able to win 6 tricks. Since there are only thirteen tricks in a deck of cards, this means you may overbid, causing your opponent to overlook your bid and overbid, also. If such occurs, one set of opponents will lose, period.

One choice is go "Nil," meaning your hand has all low cards and few spades. The one way an opponent will try to trip you up is to play a card he thinks may be lower than what you have in your hand. The best method of playing "Nil" is to play all of the cards on one suit so that when you are out of hearts, you may play a King and still remain a player who may win. Keep the lowest cards in your hand and do not play them until the end of the game. Always try to get rid of high cards first. For example, your partner plays an Ace of Diamonds, thinking you may have a King of Diamonds in your hand. This is the time to play your highest card of that suit, such as a King, Queen, etc.

One cannot "choose" to become a card sharp. Experience is the name of the game, and if you do not have much experience, be honest about it, and you will gain more confidence in your abilities. Pay attention to what your partner plays without talking on the phone or constantly interrupting the game to leave the room on an errand. Doing so will erase whatever ground you have gained, and you will find yourself losing faster than you suspected.

A card sharp is always in control of his cards, his plays and his bets. However, games of chance, such as "Poker" have a higher rate of losses due to the "law of large numbers." This "law" works only in the hundreds and thousands of plays made in card games. Staying with a game, hoping to win back what you lost is a loser's attitude, not the attitude of a card sharp. Card sharps know when to quit. Since a card sharp cannot manipulate the cards, he cannot always win. Better to lose gracefully and leave the table than to remain and lose his life savings.

Keep your mind on the game and practice, practice, practice!