Fire is back.
First ten years throughout
then five years without.Battling invisible guys
or while looking them in the eyes.I thought the fire is gone
but I see itβs only just begun.
The game is tarok. It can be played in threes and fours. My game is tarok in three. Some liken it to bridge or chess.
I played it at national championships in Slovenia for ten years. I won a couple of these and even more smaller ones. After moving to Italy five years ago I stopped going and didn’t play online either.
We still hold our annual garden tournament for family and friends. This yearβs happy winner is here:
This August I went to a series of three local tournaments in Ljubljana, organised by Tarok Club Emona, to see how it would feel. It felt pretty good and I came second at one of them and third overall.
While fighting mostly men for ten years, I had to deal with all kinds of gender remarks and worked hard to make them see that there was no gender in cards: if you get beaten, you get beaten. π Still, I was especially glad to see more women take part and that the overall winner wasΒ a woman too, Bojana JeriΔ from Celje. Here are some photos from the last tournament:
The fire is clearly back.
If you are curious, you can play tarok with Facebook free, without any downloads, and even on your (Android) phone here: https://valat.si/tarok. There is also an English version.
You can first play against the computer to learn the basics. Then join my table (Iβm Manja Mexi Movie over there too) and we can play together and I can help you get better. π Much fun!
In response to Patrick JenningsβΒ Pic and a Word Challenge #152: Fire
Mexi Movie the Third (closed) 
I might have to check that out (after things settle down over here).
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Great, Dan! Something tells me you’d be great at it. I’ve got the entire August to catch up with you. By things you mean weather? Or something else up?
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Weather, work and projects – all seem to be keeping me busy.
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Good to see your fireππ
I haven’t heard of tarok though, but you make it sound interesting. Will surely check it out.
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Thank you, Aditya! Oh, it’s a very geographically limited game to central Europe, especially Slovenia. Also, in every country they have their own rules. I’m glad you will!
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I’ll check out the game, thanks!
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Oh, thank you, Jan, good to hear! It might be a bit hard at first. If you wish you can play with me and the computer together, we must just set a date. π
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I love card games and used to play poker with men in my old corporate life. You are impressive!
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Ahh, Lexi, when I read this, I thought at first that you meant you played poker as in not really the game but that you managed the men at work in a similar way. π But I guess you really played the game with them. I never play poker, I’ve got the tail-wagging effect of good cards. π π (You know that cartoon where three dogs play poker and one’s tail starts to wag so the other two fold. :D) So I’d say you are more impressive! π But thanks!
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Congrats π What a fun invitation, to be taught by a Master-ess, too bad I’m not on Facebook! π
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π I’ve seen some play from their email account, so I think no FB is no excuse. But thank you, SMSW, I’d love to teach you. I really have the official title of Master, by the way. π
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Well done! I could see that the concentration in the room was intense!
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Right, Emma? You can almost see the trophies melt in heat. π Thank you!
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Its nice to warm the ego by the fire of success, eh? Not being a game-player, I’ll cheer you on from afar.
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π Thank you, Susanne. This is quite an interesting topic for me. I was not playing at all over my last five years in Tuscany, not even online. I guess my ego was set, or thought it was set. This summer I relearned how it likes to be tickled, but not by success as such, rather by deploying my skills to good use. I’m afraid I haven’t been doing much of that lately, if you don’t count my blogging. I wonder how you warm your ego…
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I think we all like our egos tickled and being good at games – and having your skill rewarded – is one way. I suppose having my writing published is my favourite ego tickler. Being loved by my husband is another.
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Ahh. β€ Seems just right. Now I wonder if I should better try to get published instead of playing silly online games, now isn't that so. :p Oh well… just in time.
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Very π. You go!! (BTW, your current Gravatar is super.) Cheers!
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Hhhihi, thanks for the support, RX. π And for liking my photo. Cin cin right back!
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Clever use of the prompt! =)
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Thank you, Patrick. π I always find a good response to your challenge. Or at least what it feels right for me. Thank you for that!
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Congratulations! I’ve never heard of that game. I’ll check it out!
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Oh, Deborah, no wonder you haven’t heard of it, it’s very much geographically limited to central Europe. It might not be so easy to learn in this online way, I’d need to be there with you and explain. Thank you very much!
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To be where you are learning a new card game…I’d take that day before any bad day of the week in a nano second!
Fingers crossed I get one day for a doorscurion with you…learning your card game on another day would be the icing on the cake or the gravy on my mashed potatoes. I’ll hope and pray for such a day.
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Although I fear you’d find me too shallow, and dumb for you intellectually. I never achieved a grasp on chess or checkers. Which disappointed my Dad a whole lot. I’d still love to hang out with you and learn amazing things and how to see with the camera. I’m not sure you’d find anything at all worth hanging out with me for though.
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Ahh! We are hanging out here already, why wouldn’t we do it for real too? As for chess, I’ve tried but cannot do it. I cannot remember the current position and plan for the future at the same time. π Goes for life as well.
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Ah, that’s a nice thought. π Thank you!
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