Playing Card Games Legally Blind

Recently, I went on a vacation with five incredible women and our children. It was so enjoyable and relaxing that it felt more like a retreat!

Taking a break with fun and games

During the day we went to the beach and did other outdoor activities with the kids; at night the ladies and I would have adult game night.

The rules of Pokeno

The second night we played a game called Pokeno. Now in order for you to understand the context of the article I have to school you on how to play Pokeno. Below are the (summarized) instructions. I am still a beginner and unable to explain as clearly as I would like, so feel free to look the game up online.

Rule #1

Label four different colored containers, or pots. The labels include Corners, Centers, Five in a Row, & Four of a Kind.

• Centers is when the center card on the game board is covered.
• Corners is when the four corners of their game board are covered.
• Five in a Row is when five cards in a row are covered on the game board. The cards can be diagonal, horizontal, or vertical.
• Four of a kind is when four of the same value is covered, such as 4 Queens.

Using colors as my visual cue

For me, I couldn’t see the labels in this step. Luckily, each pot had a different color. Therefore, instead of me being able to see the label I would remember the color whenever it was time for me to add or take away from the pot.

Rule #2

As with most card games, there is a dealer, who shuffles and deals. Each round the dealer changes.

It's okay to opt out

For this step, I opted out of being the dealer because it was difficult for me to read each card aloud and manage my personal Pokeno card. To be honest, I can become self-conscious about people looking at me when I had to read items aloud because, more often than not, I have to look really close at the item. This action often draws unwanted attention to my visual impairment.

Rule #3

Select a game board card, which is made up of 5 by 5 playing cards. The cards should be facing up.

Making it a memory game, too

The game card that stood out the most to me was the one that had the four’s as the four of a kind because four is my favorite number.

I decided to keep the same board throughout the entire game for two reasons: Firstly, as I previously mentioned, four is my favorite number, and naturally, I saw that as my lucky card and also because after the first few rounds of the game I was able to memorize the board. Secondly, by keeping the same board the entire time it made it easier for me to memorize the layout in order to locate the numbers as they were being called.

We played Pokeno for at least five rounds and I did not win. Some of the other players decided to switch their card, but I decided to keep mine because of the aforementioned. The sixth game we played I won three out the four pots. I was so happy! I said to the other players, “see, look at my perseverance!”.

Rule #5

Determine how much money to put in each pot. The pots can have the same values or different values. A pot is won when a player achieves one of the four hands: Centers, Corners, Five in a Row, or Four of a Kind

Counting coins (legally) blind?

When the ladies and I played we decided each pot would be five cents. As you can imagine, at times it is sometimes difficult to properly identify specific coins. Luckily for me, one of the ladies on the trip has been my friend since I was 14-years-old. She is well aware of all the accommodations that I need.

Friends can make the best accommodations when you're vision impaired

My friend, Renee, is the epitome of the quote: “Fix another woman’s crown without telling everyone it’s crooked”.

Since high school, she has discreetly helped me identify things that were difficult for me to see and this game night was no different. She interceded on my behalf when she saw me struggling to identify the coins and even stepped in when it was my turn to be the dealer and read off the cards. I gave her the “look” and right away she knew I was uncomfortable. Without hesitation or making a big scene, she volunteered to read the cards. To some people, these might seem like minor feats, but to me it meant the world.

Types of accomodations for vision loss

For me, accommodations come in two different forms: technology and people. You just have to access the ones that make the most sense at any given time. I truly believe that you can do anything you set your mind to as long as you have the proper accommodations… at least that’s the way eye see it.