What's normal : How do you arrange your playing cards? (1 Viewer)

[Dr_Zaius]

I was playing Pinochle with the wife and her parents and the subject of hand arrangement came up. My mother-in-law and I were surprised to learn that my wife puts her highest ranking cards to the right while sorting them, which seemed backwards to us. My father-in-law then chimed in that he doesn't sort his cards at all, which seems even crazier and a good way to lose track of what you actually have.

So now I'm very curious to see what the commentariat here does.

 

[-OZ-]

Depends on the game and hand. I keep usable cards to the left. If it’s a game where all cards are used instead of discarded, highest to the left.

 

[the moops]

Mostly just keep them as dealt

 

[-fish-]

I play cards with a few friends on a regular basis. They arrange their cards lowest to highest. I can pretty much tell what cards they have by where they are pulling from in their hand. I don't arrange my cards, but I can remember what I have after looking at them, so I don't hunt through my hand each turn.

 

[Dr_Zaius]

I play cards with a few friends on a regular basis. They arrange their cards lowest to highest. I can pretty much tell what cards they have by where they are pulling from in their hand. I don't arrange my cards, but I can remember what I have after looking at them, so I don't hunt through my hand each turn.

I've heard other people mention this aspect as an argument against sorting. I guess I've never really watch that closely, but I can see it.

I will say that in games like Euchre where the trump suit ranks are different than the offsuit ranks, it is a huge tell if you're suddenly shuffling a bunch of cards around right after trump is called. I try not to do that.

 

[JAA]

When I started playing cribbage I was directed by my zealot teacher to keep them in the order dealt, otherwise people can figure out your hand.

 

[Psychopav]

I voted lowest to highest left to right but if I'm playing bridge, spades, euchre, etc. of course I also sort by suit. I'm assuming that your question is independent of ranking by suit, especially as that can vary by game.

 

[Psychopav]

When I started playing cribbage I was directed by my zealot teacher to keep them in the order dealt, otherwise people can figure out your hand.

I was thinking about that, and I do also pay attention to the people I'm playing with. If I think they may be paying too much attention I will intentionally mix things up. But I am rarely playing anything other than friendly games, so typically this isn't a concern to me.

 

[TheAristocrat]

Usually by suit and maybe rank, depends on the game. Different ways for different games.

 

[dutch]

When teaching my then wife to play spades she would sort all her cards in whatever order and then pull certain cards aside an reorder those. I waited about a year to let her know I knew how many spades she had each hand. Good times, got out of a lot of chores for a year thanks to winning all those hands.

 

[Gatorade]

I noticed one vote for "other". I wonder what that is .

 

[Schmeabs]

I was playing Pinochle with the wife and her parents and the subject of hand arrangement came up. My mother-in-law and I were surprised to learn that my wife puts her highest ranking cards to the right while sorting them, which seemed backwards to us. My father-in-law then chimed in that he doesn't sort his cards at all, which seems even crazier and a good way to lose track of what you actually have.

So now I'm very curious to see what the commentariat here does.

Always sorted by suit with lowest on left, highest om right. If you play spades online this is how the computer sorts it as well. Your wife is normal.

 

[Gatorade]

I was playing Pinochle with the wife and her parents and the subject of hand arrangement came up. My mother-in-law and I were surprised to learn that my wife puts her highest ranking cards to the right while sorting them, which seemed backwards to us. My father-in-law then chimed in that he doesn't sort his cards at all, which seems even crazier and a good way to lose track of what you actually have.

So now I'm very curious to see what the commentariat here does.

Always sorted by suit with lowest on left, highest om right. If you play spades online this is how the computer sorts it as well. Your wife is normal.

Stepford Wife ?

 

[IvanKaramazov]

Lowest to highest, sorted by suit. Trumps go on the right, with alternating colors otherwise.

 

[SWC]

my big thing is that i try to make sure that the numbers are colors are facing me instead of the other way again take that to the bank brochachos

 

[AAABatteries]

Depends on the game and whether I'm playing for fun or for money.

 

[TheAristocrat]

I noticed one vote for "other". I wonder what that is .

I voted "other" because of suits before ranks.

 

[Zow]

Mostly just keep them as dealt

Same.

Lone exception is rummy. I will sometimes organize them playing that game.

 

[Gally]

For Pinochle I arrange in order from highest to lowest starting from the left and alternate suits. I don't care what suit is where (even trump suit) hand to hand but they alternate red/black (or black/red) to help keep it more organized.

ETA: I voted "other" because of the added alternating suit aspect.

 

[B Maverick]

Really depends on the game.

Poker is different than gin which is different than hearts or spades which is different than A-Hole, etc.

 

[Mrs. Rannous]

I play cards with a few friends on a regular basis. They arrange their cards lowest to highest. I can pretty much tell what cards they have by where they are pulling from in their hand. I don't arrange my cards, but I can remember what I have after looking at them, so I don't hunt through my hand each turn.

I sort very quickly and not by putting each card in one at a time. It's more of a muddle huddle. Pretty hard to tell what i have. I picked "other' because I'm not consistent about it at all. I do all the choices listed above.

 

[Terminalxylem]

I play cards with a few friends on a regular basis. They arrange their cards lowest to highest. I can pretty much tell what cards they have by where they are pulling from in their hand. I don't arrange my cards, but I can remember what I have after looking at them, so I don't hunt through my hand each turn.

I've heard other people mention this aspect as an argument against sorting. I guess I've never really watch that closely, but I can see it.

I will say that in games like Euchre where the trump suit ranks are different than the offsuit ranks, it is a huge tell if you're suddenly shuffling a bunch of cards around right after trump is called. I try not to do that.

I bluff sort, and delay playing sometimes (when I have only one card that I can play) in trick-winning games, just to confuse my opponents.

As for the OP, when sorted, low-to-high, left to right.

 

[Oracle]

I sort low too high, left to right by suit.

My daughter does not sort by suit at all…just numerically (low to high, left to right). I only found this out this past year (she’s 25). My brain could not process how to help her play based upon her card arrangement. It was crazy to look at…

 

[belljr]

Lowest to highest, sorted by suit. Trumps go on the right, with alternating colors otherwise.

Always one guy that has to bring politics into everything...........

 

[ChiefD]

I mix it up.

 

[the moops]

I sort low too high, left to right by suit.

My daughter does not sort by suit at all…just numerically (low to high, left to right). I only found this out this past year (she’s 25). My brain could not process how to help her play based upon her card arrangement. It was crazy to look at…

What are you playing?

 

[waiver wire]

it really depends on the game
but usually low to high

 

[Leroy Hoard]

I noticed one vote for "other". I wonder what that is .

Alphabetical order.

 

[Sand]

I arrange them in the deck beforehand so I don't have to once they are dealt out.

 

[Raging weasel]

By suit so voted other

 

[wlwiles]

I noticed one vote for "other". I wonder what that is .

I voted "other" because of suits before ranks.

same. i sort them by suit (or color - we play a lot of Uno) but rank is just random within the suit/color groups.

 

[Lomez]

By thickness. I have very sensitive thumbs.

 

[ChiefD]

I store them in my bra

 

[Snoopy]

I store them in my bra

Is Peg living there?

 

[Bossman]

These people saying "by suit" ... do they just leave them in any order so long as the suits match up?
... or are they low to high of the same suit, ... then low to high of the next suit?

 

[Bossman]

I typically go low to high and usable cards on the right.
If I'm playing poker and lower my hand, then the top cards are the ones that I'm discarding.

 

[Sand]

I store them in my bra

Don't you mean bro?