I absolutely love to play games of most any kind. My favorites are card games, Dominoes, and Pool (mostly 8-Ball).  If you like playing the lottery you can try these simple lotto random number generators (if you win, I'd like a cut; if you lose, I don't know you).  They don't cover every state but can be used for Colorado, Florida, and PowerBall.

Card Games

When you talk card games, you're talking to a master.  Anyone who plays with me will tell you about the unbelievable luck that I have with cards.  I swear it isn't luck, but rather great skill coupled with opportunity and a major risk taker.  Just about every Friday night my buddy Tombo, my wife Chris, my son Derek, and I get together to play several games.  Chris, Tombo and I start with Cribbage followed by Derek joining us for Pitch, Smear, Pinochle, and Dominoes.  When Derek isn't available for the evening, Tombo, Chris and I play three hand versions of these games which is strictly cutthroat since partners aren't really possible. Of course my "opponents" often have other ideas about who will win and usually find it in their power to help each other out and screw me when they get a chance, so in a way, it's kind of like they play partners and I'm against them.  I think it's because they get tired of getting their butts kicked week in and week out.

Now don't get me wrong, we have been playing these games every week (sometimes twice a week) for more than 30 years and if I drop my guard even once, these two pounce on me, but I still usually kick their butts!  I don't know if it's because I love card magic so much or what, but I swear the cards love me as much as I love them.  One of my favorite things to do is to tell Chris that my God kicks her God's butt and that's why I win, but then again I'm not afraid of lightning in a small room.  Tombo is always hanging in there and winning too, so it isn't like he never wins.  We just seem to enjoy making him drive 30 miles to our house every Friday night and beat him, that's all.  Chris and I love to gang up on Tombo when he bids 3 in Pitch and steal the game point from him on the last trick and set him.  That's probably the best show in town when that happens.

Derek joining us on Friday nights results in Tombo and I playing partners with Chris and Derek playing partners, except for Dominoes where we play a cutthroat version. Tombo and I usually beat Chris and Derek since they still don't believe liking the cards has any effect on the cards liking them. They can keep believing that way and week in and week out, they will continue to lose with a rare win here or there.

I'm a very serious card player and I expect to always play by the rules.   I don't care for half-baked rules, so I follow the rules set forth in Hoyle or the rules we agree to up front that are based on the kinds of rules "most" people use.   This way, people only lose if they don't get the good cards or they don't play so well - not because someone is changing the rules or has their own made-up rules.

Here are some games we often play including the rules for each game.

Pitch

Here's a perfect pitch hand (leaves open the danger of losing the deuce). To me it's perfect because I love danger, but the fact is that a truly "perfect" hand would have a 9 of diamonds rather than a deuce - unless you were playing with the "off Jack" in which case the Jack of Hearts would follow the Jack of Diamonds and the 9 wouldn't be needed.

Note that Pitch has other names such as High-Low-Jack, or All Fours or Set Back. There's also the game known as "Smear" (pronounced like Shmeer) which is similar to Pitch or Setback.  Check out the links below to find the rules for these games.

Pitch or Setback

Smear (a four hand game)

Matt Reklattis' Nine Card PC Pitch Game (freeware)
 

Pinochle

Note: We usually play with card holders when playing with 3 or more players.  That's because it's just too many cards to hold (especially with double deck).  There are triangular holders which I really don't like, and then there's the round ones with a spring in the middle. I like these the best. If anyone knows where I can get some let me know. Mine are about shot and I haven't been able to find any for quite a while now.

Two Hand Pinochle
Three Hand Pinochle
Four Hand Pinochle (single deck)
Four Hand Pinochle (double deck)

Cribbage

Two Hand Cribbage
Four Hand Cribbage

Pool

I find that most people (even in Pool halls) don't know the true rules for Pool.  For example did you know if you make the 8 Ball on the break you do not win the game?  You don't lose either. In fact the breaker can choose to re-spot the eight ball and accept the balls in position, or they can choose to re-break the balls. Rules say you must make all of your balls (be they stripes or solids) in 8 Ball before you make the 8 ball or it's a foul and you lose the game (except on the break where the rules illustrate what happens - see the link for Billiard Congress Of America below).  

Did you know that according to the latest "world" rules if you scratch on the 8 Ball when it is the only ball left for you to play and you don't pocket the 8 Ball when you scratch, you don't lose!  Of course it is ball-in-hand anywhere on the table for your opponent so that won't be good if you are playing a good player and they can run all of their balls in plus the 8 ball, but at least you didn't lose the game as a result of scratching as most folks incorrectly believe is the case.  A major change in the old rules is scratching.  Now the rules say it is simply "ball-in-hand" anywhere on the table.  Similar to 9 Ball Pool.  Check out the rules pages at Billiard Congress Of America.

I have some pictures of my Pool table and some of my friends getting beat - I mean, playing me for the "Grand Championship Of The Universe" title.

Here are some good links to follow up on a variety of rules and tools of the trade.

Women & Billiards Online magazine
Amateur Billiards News
Billiard Congress Of America
Billiards Seminars International
Cue-Tech
Playpool.com
Breaktime Billiards (supplies and pool sticks)

Dominoes

First the pictures. Some of these are old pictures that show us at a younger age with some newer ones showing how we have aged as we play various games.  This just goes to show that we are in it "for the long haul."  Links to other sites that have all the rules follow the pictures below. 

(click a picture to enlarge)

Kids and Grandparents playing Dominoes - Christmas 1998. This shows how Dominoes can be enjoyed by the whole family.	Lucky Chris getting ready for Dominoes Note the coffee- does that means she'll be playing for a while?
The Friday night Domino gang. Anyone can win.	Guys and Gals. Cheryl thinks she's going to win, but I don't think so.

Here are some links to domino games:

The Game Cabinet
The Card Games Website  (link to Mexican Domino page)
The Card Games Website (for general rules of many games, especially cards)