Board and card games are often tied to the local culture where they’re played. In fact, some of the most popular card games in the world have evolved slowly over time, spreading across the globe with unique iterations in specific areas.
Poker is the most recognizable example. In the US, Hold’em is the most popular variation of the game. But there are a few other alternatives that have gained steam in recent years, including video poker, Let It Ride, and Caribbean Stud. Meanwhile, in Canada, poker fans are more likely to play Canadian stud or sökö.
In fact, Canada has a wide range of unique card games. Some, like sökö are played nationwide, while others like mille are more popular in Quebec. Influences and origins run the gambit, especially as card games become more localized. One example is Hola, which is played mostly in Western Canada by people of Eastern European descent.
Let’s dive into some of Canada’s most unique card games, from mille to kaiser.
Mille
Mille has its origins in both rummy and, more specifically, canasta. The game is a two-player version that, through its origin from Uruguay’s canasta, is similar to 500 rum. Two players pick up cards from a discarded pile to pair together three or more cards with the same rank.
Unlike the other card games on this list, mille evolved recently in Quebec alongside other local specialties. The exact date the game emerged is unknown, but most believe it was first played in Montreal in the 1990s. From there, the game spread throughout Quebec and, more recently, spread to Toronto.
Canadian Stud (aka Sökö)
Worldwide, this poker variation is known as Canadian stud, Scandinavian stud, or sökö, which is derived from the Finnish word for ‘check’ (sökötän). The game, which closely mirrors five-card stud, got its start as a variation on three-card stud during the American Civil War, but quickly became a Canadian staple.
Canadian Stud, though almost identical to its five-card counterpart, incorporates two additional cards. Four-card straights and four-card flushes are also accepted in addition to five-card groupings.
National Specialties: Kaiser & Euchre
Kaiser and euchre are both incredibly popular trick-taking card games throughout Canada. In fact, the genre of trick-taking games continues to evolve. Kaiser, in particular, is a Canadian creation with no date of origin. The game likely got its start in Saskatchewan and nearby provinces, where Ukrainian-Canadian communities likely brought the game over.
Kaiser is played with 32 cards and with four players divided into teams of two—but rules from there vary by region. Minimum bids vary, along with allowing passing between players and playing hands either high or low.
Euchre is similar—though it’s also quite popular beyond Canada in Australia, Great Britain, and New Zealand. Teams vary in terms of size, as do the number of cards in play; players range from two to nine total, while total cards might be 24, 28, or 32. The game has its earliest origins in French games such as Écarté and Loo.
Local Specialties: Tarabish, Canadian Salad, & Hockey
As mentioned above, many of Canada’s original card games have stemmed from certain regions before becoming more popular; mille started in Montreal and kaiser in Saskatchewan. Games like Tarabish and Canadian Salad are even more granular.
Tarabish (pronounced tar-bish) is another trick-taking game with international influence—some even pinpoint the game’s origin in Canada to a single immigrant who arrived in 1901 in Nova Scotia. The game closely resembles Jass’s trick-taking games, with a close cousin in Belote. The game is highly complex and nuanced, including a vocabulary sheet with dozens of terms.
Canadian Salad is yet another trick-taking game, but the goal of the game shifts with each hand played, including a complex penalty points system. The game’s origin is considered North American, as the US has its own version called Wisconsin Scramble. However, the game is mostly played in Canada.
Lastly is hockey. As the title suggests, the game is an indirect simulation of the real sport. The game has four players divided into teams of two, who must match cards before their opponents—there are even breakaways and goals.
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