Hoyle's Rules of Games

Book excerpt: Here is the perfect gift for novice and expert game enthusiasts alike. With Hoyle's Rules of Games you'll learn how to play games, sharpen your strategy, and settle disputes with the revised and updated edition of this essential reference guide—now covering over 250 classic and popular games! Whether you’re a casual gamer looking for a reference guide for your next family game night or whether you take the rules a little more seriously, this essential guide to card games, board games, and game strategy is for you. It also makes the perfect companion to board game gifts for children this holiday season: they'll love the game, but they’ll love winning even more! More than 250 years after Edmond Hoyle first published his guide to the game Whist, Hoyle’s is still the definitive name when it comes to the rules of the game—whether it’s bridge, backgammon, Scrabble® or Blackjack. With Hoyle’s Rules of Games, all you need to have hours of fun with family and friends is a board game or a deck of cards! The game player’s basic reference, this handy guide has now been updated and expanded and includes rules, strategies, and odds for over 250 games, including such favorites as: • Scrabble® • Canasta • Contract Bridge • Gin Rummy • Chess • Backgammon • Solitaire games: Nestor, Pounce, Pyramid, and Russian Bank • Poker variations: Anaconda, Blind Tiger, and Hold ’em • Children’s games: Beggar-your-neighbor, Memory, and Slapjack • Computer games: Minesweeper and Freecell • ...And more!