Get That Diwali Card Game Rocking
Diwali card parties are becoming increasingly popular all over India. Read on for tips to organize a cracker of a party
For those who love playing cards, this is a time when you can earn some greenbacks the fun way and wrangle some money from your friends and family.
If you’re hosting a card party, we give you some tips.
- Teen Patti is the fad today. You can think of radical variations of teen patti and also have poker and flash for traditionalists.
- Add zing and bling generously with ghazals or instrumental classical Indian music in the background and an ethnic décor.
- Send out digital, video-based e-invites well in advance, mentioning the format of play, your theme for the day and the dress code.
- Arrange round tables for different card games with decks of cards on each table and create a casino like ambience. If you can, you can have dealers at each table to sort and distribute cards and keep score.
- You can decorate on a shoestring budget with ethnic décor. Throw around dhurries or small carpets and fluffed up bolsters and cushions in eye-catching hues.
- Engage children and youngsters in fun activities. Get them to sing, dance or even set up a card table for them.
- It’s a good idea to ensure everyone gets a prize when they win a game. Simple gifts like a new deck of cards, chocolates, papier mâché gifts, etc, would do the trick.
- Get extra staff to serve eats and drinks. Or you may involve enthusiastic youngsters (keep them away from the bar!) to do that bit.
- Not everybody is interested in card games. Entertain them with traditional games such as a game of dice, mancala game, Chinese checkers, board games like chess, Ludo, snakes and ladders, trade or monopoly for the seniors and children. Games like Housie or Taboo will generate lots of excitement.
- Have a themed décor. You can make your own décor using old deck of cards, making festoons with them or using them as danglers.
- Organizing money counters and chips is a smart idea to keep track of the games. You can also keep currency notes of different denominations ready if your guests want to play with hard cash instead of counters.
- A card party is not an occasion to have a seven-course meal or a fully stocked bar. Plenty of free-flowing soft drinks or fruit juice, and a few tasty mini snacks and appetizers, wine and beer as well as a one main course meal such as biryani, or puri and channa will keep the guests happy.
- Finger foods like mini tacos, homemade pizza slices, kebabs, cheese and paneer, bhel, etc, make great snacks.
