Uno Dos Tres

I can't learn card games. It's that simple. While others are breaking out the 52s to play poker and whist and 500 Rummy and Bridge and I don't know what-all else, I sit and wonder why I can't. It's not that I haven't tried to learn, but my mind wanders all over the rules and I start thinking about everything else.

Except for Crazy Eights! I love Crazy Eights! That and pinochle were always going on at the fire house, and I figured I should learn one of them to avoid being the station pariah, and Eights is easier. Been playing it for years. One night during a really bad November storm, Peggy and I played for a couple of hours by candlelight and listened to Casey Kasem's American Top 40 on a transistor radio.

Ah, the memories.

And then came the day that people started touting a whole new game called Uno. After about ten seconds of hearing about the Wonders Of Uno, I realized it was just Crazy Eights with a nice new suit of clothes. I played a time or two, but I prefer the real thing, just like when they came out with New Coke.

BUT! If you are an Uno wizard, it might pay off in Las Vegas! You can actually win big bucks with your mastery of the game over at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. They are putting up a luxury suite based on the game as they launch UNO Social Clubs all across the US of A.

Palms Casino says the plan is to start a nationwide campaign that turns "casual game nights into full-blown entertainment events." They're going to have "vibrant card-game-inspired decor with gaming tables, private dealers, various UNO games and expansions, and multiple other amenities," according to the casino.

“We created UNO Social Clubs to reimagine what game night can be — bringing people together for real-world fun, connection, and a bit of friendly competition,” said Ray Adler, vice president and global head of games at Mattel, according to Business Wire. “The UNO Social Club in Las Vegas is just the beginning, and we’re excited to see how these new experiences inspire players to show up, play hard and make unforgettable memories.”

Cool, Ray.  You're in Las Vegas doing all this glitz and here I am in Baltimore, wondering what it's like when someone asks what you do for a living and you get to say, "Why, I am vice president and global head of games at Mattel. Nice to meet you!"