Games
Discover facts about games. Small discoveries that change the way you see familiar things.
Games
A kabaddi raid comes with an audible breath timer
Under the traditional cant rule, a raider chants 'kabaddi' without a break in breath while entering the opponents' half. They must tag defenders and get back…
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Briscola demands the removal of eights, nines, and tens
Briscola uses a 40-card deck, with the eights, nines, and tens removed from a standard deck. Its card rankings also differ from those many players expect:…
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A major-league baseball still gets 108 stitches by hand
Two leather pieces wrap around the ball and are joined with red thread, creating the familiar raised seams. Those seams aren't merely decorative: they're the…
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Durak literally translates to the fool in Russian
The last player still holding cards loses and is called the fool; that player often has to deal the next hand.
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Squash grew from a game played against prison walls
The older game of rackets was played in places including London’s Fleet Prison. At Harrow School, a softer ball that squashed against the wall helped produce…
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Volleyball was almost called Mintonette
William G. Morgan coined the name Mintonette in 1895 for his new sport, a gentler alternative to basketball.
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Why pinochle decks start at nine
A pinochle deck omits cards below nine and doubles the higher ranks, giving players two copies of each high card.
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Hacky Sack is actually called footbag
The woven-bag game is generically called footbag; Hacky Sack is a brand name.
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The sport where swimming strokes are banned
In bog snorkeling, competitors race through a cold, muddy peat trench wearing flippers and snorkels; conventional swimming strokes are banned.
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Playing cards can pierce watermelons
Illusionists such as Ricky Jay could throw cards fast enough to embed them in watermelons.
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Pickleball began with a family improvising a game
In 1965, the game's founders adapted play on a badminton court with paddles and a perforated ball. The low-bouncing ball and altered rules turned an…
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Rummy evolved from a traditional Mexican pastime
Conquian, a meld-making game popular in 19th-century Mexico, is considered the ancestor of nearly all modern rummy variants.
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Why the Joker was added to card decks
American Euchre players wanted an extra trump card, so a dedicated card was added to decks in the 1860s. That card became the Joker.
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King of the hill relies entirely on pushing people down
The winner is whoever can stay on top of the mound while fending off everyone trying to climb up.
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Capture the flag became a corporate icebreaker
It was originally played in open woods to simulate field drills; now, it can be a team-building exercise for office workers.
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The card game War can feel endless for a reason
Captured cards go back into a player's deck, so the game keeps recycling its own material. Depending on the rules and the order cards return, play can last a…
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Why cornhole bags have a strict weight limit
The American Cornhole Organization limits bags to 14–16 ounces to keep competition consistent.
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Ultimate makes players responsible for their own fouls
Under the sport's Spirit of the Game, players are expected to know the rules, make calls honestly, and resolve disagreements. Competition depends on opponents…
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Skat requires exactly three extremely attentive players
After bidding, the winner plays alone against the other two, and the bidding helps determine the game’s multiplier.
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The floor-is-lava game turns a room into an obstacle course
Nothing about the furniture has to change: players agree the floor is forbidden, and suddenly a chair becomes a safe landing. One imaginary rule changes which…
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Jai alai pelotas are thrown at terrifying speeds
Jai alai players use a curved wicker basket to hurl a hard goat-skin ball at nearly 190 miles per hour, making a miscalculation dangerous for players and…
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Bocce is arguably the most popular sport globally
Its reach goes beyond the stereotype: people play bocce around the world, often as a relaxed game of tossing a heavy ball.
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James Bond switched card games for Casino Royale
The 2006 film uses Texas hold'em for the high-stakes contest, while Ian Fleming's novel centered on baccarat. Poker makes bluffing and revealing a hand…
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The miners who put live ferrets down their trousers
Some English coal miners made a pub challenge of tying their trouser legs and putting two live ferrets inside, to see who could endure the bites longest. The…
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