LE ROY PENNYSAVER & NEWS -FEBRUARY 9, 2014 According To Hoyle by Lynne Belluscio The exhibit at LeRoy House so I’m not sure what parts of this next year will be about whist and contract bridge are “play.” It’s a pretty wide topic. similar, but I did discover in How often did you hear your our collection the “trays” for mother tell you to “go outside whist and I just bought on ebay and play! “ Or “don’t play with a beautiful wood counter to your food.” Or “you’ll have to keep track of the score. I also play inside today.” One of the located a “bridge set” with an aspects of play that I’m having embroidered card table cover a good time with right now, is and a set of snack dishes. We “playing cards.” Historically also have a set of Jell-O molds I’m finding some really neat for clubs, diamonds, hearts, and stuff. For example, did you spades. We hope to invite local know that at one time, the LeRoy groups to come to LeRoy house fire departments competed in to play cards. When I first came “whist’ tournaments? I suspect to LeRoy House, I would pull that few people even know out a drawer and find decks of how to play whist. What I have cards. We also have a collection discovered, is that whist was of old card tables, as well as two first played in England in the of the LeRoy card tables with early 1700s. And it was a man business listings printed on the by the name of Edward Hoyle top. We think they were made Italian cards. who published the rules for the in the early 1940s. game - - yes the man whose In our recent newsletter, I all the moves! ) Wilfred also Bottling Works on Mill Street. name became associated with asked folks to remember the mentioned a card game that his The object is to predict the the term “according to Hoyle.” card games they played - - or for Italian family played, called number of fingers shown. I His name became attached to that matter still play. Cribbage, Briscola. Later that day I talked discovered that the game was published books on all kinds euchre, poker, hearts, canasta, with Mimi Baglio about Italian prohibited in some places in of card games. We have in pinochle, hearts, gin rummy, card games, and sure enough, Italy until 2003, when it became the Jensen Collection a copy Michigan rummy, old maid, there were several games she legal again. of the 1845 “Hoyles Games” authors, crazy eights, uno - - remembered. But what I learned So, on these snowy cold which includes the rules for well the list goes on and on. on the internet, was that the days, while you’re sitting next many card games as well as But then I want to know: could Italian games are played with to the fireplace, trying to keep draughts (checkers), chess, you play cards on Sunday; what a 40-card deck, with three face warm, write down some of cricket, tennis, dominoes, and kind of food did you eat; where cards and ace through 7. Instead your memories of playing - cock fighting. (Don’t think I’ll did you play cards; did you of the usual suits, the Italian -especially cards and give me consider cock fighting as part of play for money; . . . Of course cards are marked with cups, a call or send me an email note the exhibit.) I’ve been asking folks about batons, swords, and sunbursts. at [email protected]. Whist is a card game where playing cards. Ruth Harvie told I just bought two Italian card players take tricks. It evolved me about visiting her family in decks on ebay into bridge whist which was Canada and they had to pull including the rules an ancestor of contract bridge. the drapes to play cards, so – in English for I never learned to play bridge, the neighbors wouldn’t they the other popular were playing cards on Italian card game, Sunday. I also talked Scopa. If anyone with Wilfred Vasile, remembers playing and he mentioned these Italian games, that growing up at I really want to the School For the hear from you. Blind in Batavia, they The other Italian played with cards game that I want to marked in Braile. (I know about is the just bought a Braile game played with deck on ebay. Wilfred the hands – much is also bringing in for like rock, paper, the exhibit a checkers scissors. It’s called set that he made, used Morra. Mimi said for blind students. I that the men would These tables were used in the Masonic still can’t imagine how play during lunch Lodge. They date from WWII because of you can remember out behind the the notice about buying war bonds.