Guest Author - Lynn Little

Card games can be so much fun to play and fun to win. Our competitive side creeps out during games and sometimes is hard to control. Winning at all costs in a card game especially the collectible card games can leave opponents will feelings of ill will towards their fellow player.

When playing a card game, it's important to keep in mind that it is a game of skill and of luck. Sometimes you will win and sometimes you will lose. Do not get too discouraged when you lose as there is no one who wins 100% of the time. Babe Ruth was one of the most well known and beloved baseball players of all time. Through his career he hit an impressive 714 homeruns, but he also struck out 1330 times. There would be few, if any, people who would say that Babe Ruth was a bad baseball player because of his strikeouts.

You win some and you lose some. Don't focus so much on the losses but think of it as a learning experience and be happy for your opponent. If an opponent wins a game, then she is more likely to want to play again, which is good for both of you to be able to enjoy a favorite game together.

It's hard not to get really involved in a card game that we really enjoy. If the game is a close one, it just adds to the intensity. Winning is fun but it's always good to keep in mind the feelings of other players. There are sore winners just like sore losers. A sore winner will brag and gloat about their win long after the game. This can just make the losing player feel bad for a longer time. Winning gracefully by praising your opponent's efforts and then dropping the win from conversation is a great way to ensure that people will want to play more games with you.

When you lose a card game, don't worry about it and play it again. If it's a collectible card game, examine what worked in the deck and take out what seemed to be no use at all. With other card games, evaluate your strategy to see what different game decisions might have yielded a different outcome.

The best part of playing card games is the learning experience. You can learn a lot by playing different people. They will have a different style and strategy than you, which makes a great way to learn more about a card game. Whatever happens during the game, stays in the game. Moves made in a game should never be taking personally. Don't let the competitive side of card games ruin existing or blooming friendships.