A Room With a View

Someone once told me this game is called Peanuts, but when the Eerkes clan gets together we definitely play Grouch.

Need:  3+ players, a deck of cards per person with a different back (good excuse to stop by several casinos), a table that is pretty equal on all sides (everyone needs to be able to reach center area), focus, score pad, math skills, dexterity, the ability to say “Grouch!”, the know-how to let what happens during the game go away when the game is over (unless you win–the gloat).

Play:

1) Shuffle your deck of cards
2) Place 12 cards face down in a pile, add lucky 13 face up on the pile.  Object of the game is to get rid of these cards during play.
3) Next to that pile, put four cards face up side by side
4) Hold remaining cards in hand.  Like Solitaire, you’ll take three cards at a time from top of pile, turn face up to see if they are playable.
5) Winner of last game says “Go!”
6) Place Ace’s in center of table, all players can build on any stack from Ace to King.  Remove completed pile center when King is reached.  The person who plays the King must remove the pile.  “Pick ‘em up!” is often heard when that person forgets.
7) Also like Solitaire, the four face up cards can be added to alternating red and black; if it’s a red 6, you can put a black 5, then a red 4.  These cards can be used to play in the middle. 
Focus on moving the face up card from your pile of 13.  It can be moved onto one of the four columns; it can fill the spot of one of those cards if they are played in the center; it can be played in the middle.  Flip over new card in stack of 13 when top one is played. 
9) The stack in your hand, flip over 3 at a time.  These can be played in the center: they can be put on your four columns.  When you get to the end of the stack, flip it back over and start again.
10) When all cards in pile of 13 are played, yell “Grouch!”  All other players must stop.
11) Other players count face down cards in pile of 13.  Remember that member.
12) Cards played in the middle are sorted back to individual players who played them (thus the need for different backs).  Subtract remaining cards from pile of 13 from the number of cards played in the middle. These are your points for the round.  The person who yells Grouch adds 10 points to their total. 

Tips:
1) Be aware of what cards other players have face up that they can play
    a) They might beat you to the pile when you need to play a card
    b) They might have a card to play that will help you play one of yours.  Tapping at the card or saying something like, “Three of diamonds!” with much urgency usually does the trick.
2) Play as many cards in the center as possible.  Playing cards on your four columns has strategic benefit, but no point value.
3) Be bold and aggressive.
4) Don’t be afraid to bend a card fighting for a play on a center pile.
5) You want to be good?  Learn from an Eerkes (even though my last name is Posthumus, I’m an Eerkes).

Here are pictures from my cousin’s wedding where we played Grouch: