When the Whole Family Gets Together, Table Games Are What You Need

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Wait a minute; we know what you’re thinking. Table games for the whole family? How on Earth is that even possible? Kids aren’t allowed at casinos, and the very idea of a gambling session as a part of a lovely family gathering seems a bit bizarre. But you haven’t read the article yet! Wait until you have more information before you make up your mind and decide whether our ideas were convincing for you or not. Deal?

Taking kids to a casino sounds like the epitome of inappropriate behavior; and just plain bad parenting, at that! There is no need to do so! You can organize a cozy evening at home with all sorts of table games that will allow your family to work as a team. And children obviously don’t have to participate anyway! Do you know how the whole family gets together during the holidays? These gatherings are sometimes punctuated with awkward moments and complete silence. You only see some of those people once or twice a year! You may have little in common, and you will have a hard time finding a topic of conversation that will be interesting for all of you. We mean, you might as well come up to a complete stranger in a bar and ask them what they’ve been up to these last couple of years.

This is where table games come to the rescue! Your aunt Sally is happy, your cousin John is absorbed in a game, and there is no need to discuss your relationship status, work, or all that ‘what are you going to do with your life’ stuff either. Board games are indisputably fun, but it’s hard to please everyone with this kind of game. And when it comes to cards…  Well, there’s a significant chance that your extended family will prefer table games. Just don’t ask uncle Steve to play — you know what he’s like! He’s that one relative that every family gathering has — the one who gets drunk and puts kerosene on the barbecue like it’s an Eddie Murphy sketch! The last thing that this group of people needs is Steve playing a competitive table game…

The first table games were invented as early as 3500 BC. Additionally, board games were played by Jiroft, which sounds like a software provider; but actually, it’s an ancient civilization from today’s Iran. So even the Egyptians, the Persians, and the Romans enjoyed table games. At some point, it wasn’t enough to play the game without an actual reward, so people started betting money on the outcome; so that’s how gambling was finally invented! However, you can still play these games without placing money on the table. Table games are a several-millennia-old activity you can enjoy with your family, and it will certainly help you make those family nights all the more enjoyable!

Blackjack

It’s an amusing choice, isn’t it? Blackjack is one of those strategic thinking games that are fun, based on a spirit of competitiveness, and are even suitable for kids! I mean okay, you may not think that gambling is for children; but blackjack, in fact, has a lot of benefits! No, seriously… Keep reading! Blackjack develops mathematical skills, and it also serves as a kind of rigorous training in social interaction. There is probably no reason to explain the basic rules of Blackjack because it seems that even toddlers are familiar with them! However, playing with toddlers may not exactly sound like the best idea ever! And since your goal is to reach 21 or a number as close to it as possible, you’ll have to count quickly, and operate your emotions like a pro. You don’t have to bet actual money when playing with family or friends. However, this game can serve as a great way of figuring out who’ll be washing the dishes or cooking breakfast. But don’t cheat! We know how much you hate washing dishes, but fair is fair.

Monopoly

Monopoly is probably the most family-friendly table game you can enjoy with your kids. The rules are pretty simple, and even little kids can master them in a turn or two. Virtually every square on the board is a property which you can buy, and later charge others for stopping on it. It’s a fun game you can use to teach the kids whose roof they’re living under! So what if they’re only five? Why can’t they contribute anyway? Each player receives playing money — usually $1500; but this can vary, depending on which version of the game you have. If a player doesn’t have enough to pay up, they either sell some of their properties, or they’re out of the game. Additionally, there’s a banker who handles transactions, and if you’re playing with your kids and/or family, you should assume that role — Steve will cheat. Although make sure you don’t cheat yourself — it ruins the fun (unless they are completely oblivious to it!)

Pai Gow

It’s Dominoes time! No, not pizza, although it might be a good idea to combine the two. Can a pizza ruin a table game? Never! Just be sure to use napkins, though! Pai Gow is akin to a version of Chinese dominoes. The rules are similar, and the goals are pretty much the same. However, there are some crucial differences that will help you distinguish between these two family table games. We’re not too sure whether kids should be involved in this game, but you can give it a shot anyway if you want! Pai Gow is actually older than Roulette and a lot of other traditional casino games. And to be honest, its rules are significantly more complicated. Also, it’s a bit similar to poker. In fact, there is even a game called Pai Gow Poker as well! But Pai Gow Poker is not especially family-friendly, because you’ll probably have to spend an entire evening explaining the rules to your grandma. Pai Gow, on the other hand, is fun, and it’s pretty challenging too. So, what more could you want from a table game?

Baccarat

Baccarat is fun but rather simple; so the whole family will be able to participate! All you need is a deck of cards, and then you can decide who’s going to be the dealer. Or you can just play in pairs instead! Did you know that Baccarat is James Bond’s game of choice? If not, then don’t worry: there are numerous Baccarat blogs at your fingertips already. And many of these blogs will reveal that 007’s favorite was introduced in a famous movie from 1953, Casino Royale. So if you’ve ever wanted to embrace your inner James Bond, you now know how to do it! The whole point of the game is to get a hand of cards that adds up to nine. The principle is similar to blackjack. An ace is worth only one point, while a king, a queen, a jack, and a ten are worth absolutely nothing; and this makes the game even more exciting and unpredictable! Oh, and speaking of which: calculating your odds is close to impossible because the card order in the deck is supposed to be absolutely random!

Risk

Show dominance over your puny family by dominating the whole world! Risk is the most popular strategy table game out there. The board is a map of the world split into territories. You have your units, and you attack others, with a view to overtaking their spot. Both the attacker and the defender roll the dice, and whoever gets a better roll wins the battle! And when you finally own a whole continent, you can add more units than your opponents; so the goal is to defend your borders while also expanding them at the same time. This is an easy concept that you can definitely play with your kids, but it’s still pretty fun for adults too. Although, uncle Joe might end up acting a bit too much like his namesake, so be on the lookout for that! Because when you win, there’s nothing better than reminiscing about your moves out loud in front of the others. So never, ever admit it was purely down to luck — let’s be real about this, you’re definitely the better player, right?!

Casino War

Yeah, so we know this game has the word ‘casino’ in it; but don’t worry, you can play it with your kids too! After all, they couldn’t have just named it War, could they? And guess what… the game is incredibly simple — you could almost play it with your newborn! Show that little thing who’s boss from day one! And better still, all you need is a 52-card deck. The game revolves around the two of you (or more, depending on how many of you want to play) drawing a card. Cards have a ranking similar to poker — Two is the weakest, while Ace is the strongest. And of course, the player with the higher card wins. Simple! And if you draw cards of the same rank, you have the option to surrender (forfeit half of your bet), or else go to war. When you go to war, there’s another round of drawing cards, and you basically repeat the process; except there are more chips at stake now! And as the whole point of the game is actually to win the bet, it’s perhaps not the best idea to play for real money, but there’s always a substitute though! So… Who’s gonna clean that barbecue grill drunk Steve burned on you?!