13
From The Extended Group
Thirteen is a now defunct card game played extensively by some members of the group between 1997-2001. Associated heavily with Asian-American culture, some took to simply calling it "Asian Poker".
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Rules
The game is played with usually four players, thereby dividing a 52 card deck evenly. Each is dealt thirteen cards, with the object of the game being to discard your hand as quickly as possible. The Three of Clubs starts plays, with each person playing a subsequently equal or higher "single" card until the highest card on the table is not contested. That card's owner then leads the next round, playing a combination of cards that must be followed in this same manner. Hence, the player who plays the highest uncontested set of cards leads each round, until someone (or everyone) runs out their hand.
Combinations of sets include: Singles, Doubles (pairs), Triples, Four-of-a-Kind, Runs (of at least three; the number of cards in a straight had to be followed), and, depending on house rules, "Bombs" (the most common variation being a straight comprised of three pairs). Aces are high, but Twos are the highest cards in the game (a single one of which could be beaten by a bomb). Among face cards (or higher) the superior card was decided by suit, the order being: clubs, spades, diamonds, hearts. Thus, the Two of Hearts is the highest card in the game and the Three of Clubs the lowest (although suit is generally ignored in lower cards).
Strategy
Standard Strategem
The most common strategy when playing 13 is to try and discard your lowest non-combinable cards as quickly as possible, thereby avoiding being "stuck" with a few cards that can never capture play later in the game. This is the most conservative strategy, as it places priority on eliminating the weak points in one's hand, while foregoing a more risky maneuver that may increase the likelihood of taking first place. Also generally the best strategy for weak hands with lots of low cards.
Dealer's Gambit
A contrarian approach instead relied on keeping control of leads for as long as possible to try and thin one's hand immediately (exceptional hands occasionally allowed a player to retain control of play until he or she ran out of cards). However, this scenario is difficult to sustain, particularly if the attempting party is not sure where all the Twos in the deck have been dealt (and even then the possibility of a deleterious Bomb is omnipresent). Also, this requires an immediate usage of one's best plays, leaving for sometimes crippling vulnerability later in the game.
Marathon Run
A third strategy relied on a "trump"-like play in which a given hand was based entirely around one "Mega-Straight" ("Giga," "Super," and "Ultimate" were also employed as suffixes) which used up the majority of a player's cards, and was therefore usually unbeatable. Some combination of the remaining Singles (or low combos) was quickly played afterwards, requiring at least one high card to ensure not losing control and, quite possibly, the game. Thus, some risk accompanies this approach, but historically it was almost always taken when presented in someone's hand.
Popularity
The heyday of 13 was doubtless Middle School, when it was played en masse in large circles during Lunch A. Later, this tradition was extended into High School years during the 25 minutes of state-sanctioned idleness known as STAR, although popularity steadily declined for the now thoroughly exhausted activity. Sessions were known to take place in Mr. Kelly's room infrequently throughout Freshmen Year, and briefly into the Fall of Sophomore Year. Since then, the game has fallen into obscurity, and today is rarely even talked about—much less played.
Occurrences of 13 often attracted wandering Einstein students, usually Asians, who drifted in and out of games, so it is unclear exactly who was always in attendance for play. However, Jason, Jordan, Jeremy, Brett, Jamie (among lesser notables such as David Cho and John Chang), and, very occasionally, Lukas and Stuart, all played the game with some regularity. Jason, in particular, was known for his characteristic competitiveness, and the fact that he usually carried a deck around in his backpack.
Analysis
At the time it was played, 13 was one of the most universally recognized form of group activity, and frequently was the child of indecisiveness (see Circle of Indecision) during in-school hangouts. Of course, the game was not experienced in this way by everyone in the current extended group, owing to its pre-Junior Year popularity (roughly the time at which the high school group social connections took form).
It is perhaps one of the defining activities of what might be very tentatively called the "Jeremy Proto-Group" (the Sunset-Einstein social network that evolved around hangouts at Jeremy's house). In this way, it is similar to both Frisbee, the Drawing Game, and, perhaps, The Extended Group Wiki Project in its quality as a unifying social activity.
Trivia
- Briefly during the height of the Einstein run, a form of gambling was introduced to the game, in which the winning player would receive a quarter per card from the player in last place. Jordan's parents found out about this practice and made him stop, possibly because he was losing a substantial portion of his lunch money.
