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.