Games : Card Games

You're no idiot, of course. You host the most fabulous dinner parties and select just the right wines. But when it comes time to play some bridge, you feel like hiding away in the kitchen. Don't spend the evening washing dishes! This book will help you learn the rules of the game in friendly, easy-to-swallow bites. You'll learn how to deal and play a 'rubber' (that's bridge-talk for a game), how to keep score, and even how to deal with less-than perfect partners! more...

Price: $16.95

A gloriously written memoir of growing up in a family of hard-core gamblers-Martha Frankel thought the gambling gene had passed her by, until she found herself addicted to online poker and knee-deep in debt. Most weekends when Martha Frankel was a kid, her mother had a mah-jongg game going in the kitchen with her girlfriends while their husbands were in the living room playing poker. Once Frankel reached adulthood, however, while her cousins were making their way in the world as bookies and drug dealers, gambling didn't much factor into her life. In the tradition of Five-Finger Discount by Helene Stapinski and Dry by Augusten Burroughs, Hats & Eyeglasses traces Frankel's love affair with poker. It was a passion that bit her in her mid-forties and remained harmless enough when she stuck to real cards. But everything changed one evening in 1998 in Atlantic City, when Frankel overheard one dealer bemoan the fact that his tips that evening were going to be small what with the meager crowd assembled. Another dealer mentioned that everyone must be playing online-"Why leave the house when you can play in your pajamas?" the dealer said. Why indeed? thought Frankel, who couldn't wait to get back to her computer. The next morning she took a deep breath, typed in her credit card number, and entered the world of online gambling. It was the beginning of what one of her uncles called "hats and eyeglasses," a term used to describe those times when you're losing so bad you're drowning (so all one can see is the poker player's hat and eyeglasses floating on the surface of the water). By turns hilarious and heartbreaking, Hats & Eyeglasses is a tale of passion, addiction-and those times in life when we almost lose our shirt. more...

Price: $23.95

Like a secret society, poker has its own language and customs -- its own governing logic and rules of etiquette that the uninitiated may find intimidating. It's a game of skill, and playing well depends on more than just a good hand or the ability to hide emotion. The first step toward developing a style of play worthy of the greats is learning to think like a poker player. In a game where there are no absolutes, mastering the basics is only the beginning -- being able to pull off the strategy and theatrics is the difference between legendary wins and epic failure. more...

Price: $17.99

Tricks. Trumps. Auctions. Contracts. Bridge is a challenging game, but you can quickly grasp its basics with this guide that shows how it's played. Teach Yourself VISUALLY Bridge covers everything from evaluating a hand and bidding it through playi more...

Price: $19.99

A step-by-step guide through the wild and wildly popular world of collectible gaming Here's the perfect guide for anyone interested in this fast-growing hobby, as well as for parents who'd like to know a little more about what their kids are into. more...

Price: $19.99