What gets played
Five hundred, canasta, euchre and friendly hold'em — for points.
Play
Eight benches, no stakes, no umpire
Social card games under a dimmed growing rig, with chips that count points and a host who exists to be asked questions.
The layout
How a session works
Six benches run open. Two are reserved by phone for groups of four to six, and released at seven if nobody arrives.
Each bench gets a lamp of its own, a fresh pack and a score card. The score card is torn up at close, every night, without exception.
The host does not run the game. They deal if you want dealing, explain if you want explaining and otherwise leave the bench alone.
Quiet benches
Two kept slow on Wednesday and Sunday for anyone who wants to talk.
Score cards
Torn up at close. Nothing carries over to the next session.
At the bench
Six things that apply at every table
Six players to a bench, four at the starters bench.
Chips stay in the room and are worth nothing when you leave with them by accident.
Personal packs are not dealt from — the house supplies every card in the building.
The host can move players to even out the benches, usually with a drink as an apology.
Any money offered across a bench ends that game immediately.
If a bench gets loud, the host will ask once and mean it.