Part of the family
Ever since I was a little kid, at almost every family gathering, some of the adults would get together and play Pinochle. It didn’t matter what the gathering was, a birthday party, a random trip through town, or Christmas, there was always time for a couple of games of Pinochle. For those of you who don’t know the game, it’s a trick-taking game involving four people (in the way we play it), somewhat similar to the more popular game bridge.
As as kid, I (and my cousin Kelly), had very little interest in the game. It’s just what happened for two hours after we got to open presents, and it was great as it gave us time to play with our new toys, watch TV, rid our uncles’ backs, or various other fun activities.
In high school, however, our family became somewhat smaller (when my aunt and grandma died) and people weren’t always as interested in playing Pinochle. However, my parents and grandpa still enjoyed playing, and on a few occasions, I got recruited to join in on the game. Pinochle, however, is a rather complex game. If you have somebody standing over your shoulder the first few times, you can get the basic hang of the game. Mastering the strategy, however, is much more complex. I was a novice (and still am), but enjoyed the few times that I played.
When I went to college (and later graduate school), my family found it harder and harder to find four people willing to stay those few extra hours to play Pinochle. So the game died for our family. Last time people remembered playing was probably 8 or so years ago.
Over Christmas break, however, my mother thought of the game for some reason and suggested that we play a game with my grandpa. He was always one of the regulars (with grandma) and loved playing the game. In his advanced age (94), he’s been having a harder time getting around at the farm and remembering things, but we hoped that he’s still enjoy playing Pinochle.
After our traditional New Years Day chicken dinner at Chicken Mary’s tonight, we had grandpa over for three games of Pinochle. What a blast it as. Grandpa remembered the game much better than my parents did, and I caught on surprisingly well, especially considering that I’ve only played a few times before. After a few hands, we were able to put the rule book aside and just play. The strategy was a bit slower coming for me, but I learned a lot of it throughout the evening. And to top it all off, mom and I pretty much slaughtered grandpa and dad, winning 2 of 3 games, beating them 1082 to 50 in the last game.
As much fun as playing the game was, the best part for me was feeling like I was able to join in on another family tradition. I clearly remember those evenings at grandma’s house, playing around while my parents played cards. I remember getting older and going into the kitchen to watch what they were doing. I miss those times. Hopefully we can revive this game in our family, if only to also revive some of those memories.