A Shanghai Christmas

(This blog is dedicated to Mason who talked so much smak about winning at Shanghai, but couldn't stay for the game.)
Christmas was big and bold again this year.  We have so many people in our family that it would be smart for each group to pitch in and rent a Mansion for the holidays.  We filled each room at the Brown's house this year.  Presents came out of the closets, living room, Grandma's house, purses, cars and even from behind end tables!  The noise level may have warranted a decibel citation.  Would I trade it for a quiet, isolated Christmas?  No way...especially when someone suggests a hot game of Shanghai!!

Most of the men-folk wanted to play poker and they rallied tables and chairs in the living room, while grabbing some vintage chips from Grandma's house.  Us women-folk (and Jordan) played Shanghai in the dining room at the large table.

This was one of the funniest damned Shanghai games I have played in years and I'll tell you why:  The table was packed which made it a very intimate game.  Jokes could be heard, smak was slung as we had three new players: Ally and Abbie (Zach and Jordan's wives who were obvious friends with Ashley and Katie) and my daughter, Riley. 

Ally, Abbie, Ashley, Zach, Jordan, Chris, Riley and Katie.

For the record, this score sheet will be encapsulated and stored in a fire-proof safe due to the pendulant nature of Ashley's parlor trick she tested on all of us:  She dipped a necklace with a key-shaped pendant  beside each woman's hand 3 times, then hovered it over our palms to describe if the key was circling (you will have a girl), or swaying back and forth (you will have a boy).  If after the dips it did not move, then you are done having children.  For Chris, Jamie and I it held true as we are all done having little ones.  The messages for those who have started and even are growing a new one are eerily true.  Here are stats for the futuristic mamas at the table:
Lucky 7 (Chris):  Boy (Scott), Girl (Katie).

Exhausted players.

Winner #1 (Riley):  Boy, Girl.
K-Pop (Katie):  Boy, Girl, Boy.
Babbington (Abbie):  Boy, Girl.
Da Baby Mama (Allie):  Girl (Paisley), Boy, Girl, Girl.
DTJ -Don't Te Jealous (Ashley):  Girl, Girl, Boy.
Shanghai Pro (Stephanie):  Boy, Girl.
Julie:  Girl (Stella), Girl (Preggers with Girl #2!), Boy.
Jamie:  Girl (Kenzie), Girl (Camdyn).

Yes, yes.  The mystics are always around us! Now back to the game!

As with most games, there is usually someone who stalls...someone who lags in their awareness that it is their turn.  I was skeptical that these darling girls wouldn't pay attention to the game since they were singing Christmas songs from Pandora.com via Ashley's cell and gabbing and laughing amidst it all..  I was happily mistaken.  These girls and all the women were on it (and of course Jordan is always alert and attentive!)!  They drew when it was their turn and for hosting 8 players, the game went by quickly.  Did they realize that they laid down 5 players through the game?  Who am I to bring that up:)!

Oh...did I say "8" players?  Yes, well, there were eight players up until the time Zack bought into the game and made it an uneven, but an even more enlivened "9" player game.  He wanted in so desperately, that he matched the highest score.   As if by magic, his name appeared on the roster sheet of players.
This buy-in charged Riley (as she was in last place) and the game accelerated to a new level:  cheating!

With nine players, there was a fear of running out of cards.  And it happened.  We reshuffled the remainder deck five times and realized that no one wanted those cards.  Then, those who were down discarded their unwanteds in hopes others could go down.

The Last Round is finally over!

When games get like this, we have threatened to play Shanghai in a new way:  Once your down and you have a card that can replace a joker, it is traded and then you can swiftly go out.  We agreed not to play it that way because Ally was able to go down that round, but Katie and Chris impatiently used this tactic and after that it was Shanghai Helter-Skelter:   Zach reached over to Ashley's hand and said she didn't need that card and he plucked it from her clutches and everyone got an extra Christmas bonus buy.

The Shanghai Pro and Winner of the Night

Right now, I can't remember who went out that night.  We didn't score the last round because it was such a noxious cluster-fouquet!  But it was one of the funnest, getting-to-know-the-kids-in-a-new-way game of Shanghai that I have played in a long time.

Hammered and Bootless

The Honored One

Just before Randy's birthday party, I wanted to donate some second hand cowboy boots that had been sitting in the closet for two years and John didn't want to see them go.  He came up with the idea of gifting them to Randy for his birthday as a joke.  I told him Randy wouldn't bite.  John bet otherwise.

The celebration of  Randy's 60th occurred at the Milton Tavern.  Good food, drinks and fun was had by all, not to mention a delicious finish of outrageously custom-designed cookies (by Katie) featuring the honored one's picture.

As the evening closed, someone brought up the idea of playing Shanghai at Grandma's house since she was in Europe.  Ashlee quickly excused herself from the party to clean up Grandma's crib after having house sat for a month.

Asian Ashley

Hammered and Bootless with Winner

There was only one problem:  John hadn't convinced Randy to take his boots from him yet.  As it turns out,  all John had to say to Randy was "I have a bet with Stephanie that you won't walk out of the party with my boots on."  Randy replied, "Oh, we can get Stephanie?  Let's do it!"  Randy walked out of the tavern with John's boots on and John walked out of the tavern hammered and bootless.

Capt. Nick with Intimidator

Hammered and Bootless

At the house, the six of us choose names and began the game.  Katie (Intimidator) and Ashley (Asian Ashley) took photos of John drinking beer in Grandma's bed to show her what she was missing while she was away.  (Captain) Nick just watched in patient silence as we got the rebellion out of our systems.

"Winner" (Jenny) ended up winning the game with 95 points and I have to admit that her record was spotless until The Shanghai Pro (me) set her in the last round.  No matter though, because her hand was lean and light as she had planned it that way.

Delay of game.

A tough lesson learned tonight...Never let a player's turn last  longer than one minute and here is why:
Having dined in divine excess on local seafood and IPA,  we had an idea of a hot game Shanghai to end our good day.
I was proud to have led the first 6 rounds with 10 points total.  My Son, Sam, was second with 90 points, and my smart ass husband, John,  was dead last with 390 points.  During the last round, my hand looked pat; I only needed a nine of spades to set my opponents and I would proudly post my picture on this blog.
Then John began his turn and took so long I felt compelled to count down from 60.  At zero, I told him his turn is over.  He then took another several seconds to rearrange his hand and went out.
He set me with 120 points making Sam the winner!
Before we play again, John has to sign a form agreeing not to take any longer (in any given turn) than 30 seconds.   
If you play Shanghai with a player who takes a turn beyond a reasonable amount of time, take my advice:  Get everyone in agreement to disallow such blatant delay of game methods.  Who knows?  It could be you left holding the cards!

Two Buys Per Round...

With at least 20 years banked at playing Shanghai, there hasn't been very many times that a player has gotten to the 7th round and laid down their cards without buying at least once.  Typically, buying twice allows one's hand to be "looser"; since you have more cards,  it gives you the freedom to change suits at the last minute (especially if the game is going slow, your playing with a rookie, or your playing with my Mom).

Sam, Riley, John and I have been playing Shanghai for two nights in a row.  "Yours Truly" was the winner the first night with a minimum of 25 points.  The second night my husband John won the game.  Seems his new, unlucky hat from the first night had struck some virtue and helped him win the second game.

When John (and his hat) went out the last night during the 7th round, he looked at me sheepishly.  I thought it was because he had won the game.  Then the twinkle is his eye shone:  he went down and out without having bought any cards.  I looked at him as if he had won a lottery ticket.  He said, "I guess you can go down and out without buying at all!"

Professionally speaking (and putting aside my loss), I do not recommend putting faith and energy into superstitions to help you get the edge in winning Shanghai.  Once good luck charms are discovered, it can annoy other players at the table.   A pledge of revenge may be planned.  Then it gets ugly...  One never knows if the "lucky" hat can't be found for the next match! 

LESSON:  Never let the competition get the edge; be it a new hat, rock, rabbit's foot (do they still sell these?), or other gimmicks to shatter your confidence.


This picture has not been tampered with.  It is real. 

The Shanghai Tarot

Shanghai is a form of rummy-the game where each person is dealt 11 cards from 3 sets of cards. The main difference from traditional rummy is several: Shanghai has 7 rounds, you must play out versus discarding out, and jokers are wild.
The cards speak to those who can stream in luck from helpful forces unseen. 
The strategies posted have been painstakingly cultivated since 1980. Actual players may not like the graphic pictures. It may portray them as weak, humiliated and humbled.
This website is designed to strengthen your competitive nature of the game, stabilize family challenges and intuitively command that a player "be there" when you need it.
Watch. Listen. Learn.