Don't get between a Blitz player and his Dutch pile!

Our good friends Nick and Laura were in town and came over for dinner last night. They gave us Dutch Blitz, an Amish card game, for Christmas. I'd never heard of it until now. It's an awesome card game - quick moving and somewhat physical. I would have been a little better at it had I not been fighting the remnants of whatever plague attacked me last week, but I would like to mostly blame it on the fact that the rookies (Mike and I) were placed on the far ends of our table at the beginning. Accident? I think not!

I should back up a little and explain the game basics. Up to four people can play. Each person gets one of four decks of cards all color coded on the back. It's somewhat like playing solitaire - you build up as many piles up to ten as you can (the Dutch piles), pulling from a pile in your hand (the woodpile), from three cards that you can stack like a game of solitaire (the post piles) or a stack of ten cards called the blitz pile. The first person to clear out their blitz pile calls "Blitz!" to signal the end of the hand. It's fast moving and physical because you're going against three other people to fill up the piles that are created. You can get negative points and double points for various card locations when the hand is called, and when someone gets to 75 points the game is over.

It sounds complicated, but the only complicated thing about it is trying to keep pace of everything that is going on. My head was spinning by the time we were done - it really keeps the blood pumping. All four of us (the others more than me, I was on a slow mental roll) were slapping down cards, starting in intense silence which was gradually broken by various noises of frustration (increasing in volume).

The cards were brand new but by the end of the evening were showing definite signs of wear. Folded edges, curving cards from shuffling - I am really surprised that no blood was drawn. However, I should not be shocked that I was sitting with three rather ruthless, aggressive people.

Nick and Laura rapidly gained a lead, but once Mike and I switched places with them, the table--literally--was turned. Now the masters were stretching and reaching for cards an impossible distance away. While neither Mike and I didn't end up winning, I think we made a sufficient gain after that.

I think we need a card table. Come on, if we're going to be hosting Blitz nights, this is essential! After all, square is fair.