Handremi

 

My friend came towards me with an extra sparkle in her eye. "Today we will teach you something new," she said with a smile, and procured two new playing decks from the plastic bag around her wrist. "It is called handremi, you know this game?" I confessed that I didn't, and idly shuffled one of the decks of cards. It had been a long time since I'd played a card game. She mixed the second deck into the first. I definitely have not played handremi.

Fourteen cards, dealt carefully two by two to each of us. No Las Vegas slide for this lady, no. A fifteenth card was turned upwards and left on the top of my pile. The remaining cards were left face down on the table, and the top card turned over, the King of Clubs, and poked, protruding, into the middle of the deck.

Double decker poker without the bids, really. And a twist, because there is always a twist. The object of the game is to build suit runs and matches in your hand, at least three in a series. That random card sticking face up in the deck? That tells you which Ace is wild, and only the ace with the same suit as the up card is wild. Aces high, face cards are counted as ten points each.

As I was given the fifteenth card, I discarded first. Everyone picks from the deck, never the discards. I watched the cards I wanted pour out of her hand and considered dismay, before I remembered we were playing with two decks.

There are two ways to win. In the lesser bid, a player can lay down all matches and suits in her hand if the total points add up to sixty. If she chooses to do this, other players can add to her combinations when the game is over, so don't forget to play that hand when you discard.

Handremi is the big winner, and this is when all your cards are suited and matched. You must have every card in your hand matched, unlike gin where you can lay one down.

The double decker card fan is a must, by the way. Practical and infinitely chouette.