What games, besides chess, are played in Italian coffee bars?

belvedere · Jul 17, 2011

Hi,

What games would two male Italian characters, aged 55+, play in a typical Italian coffee bar to spend some time? (The setting is 1970s Italy, Campania region, if it matters.) I know chess is popular, but for me it's overused to the point of being a cliché so I'd rather use something else. Cards are also out, as they're considered something that only old women would play. Would checkers or craps be plausible?
Thanks.

Lauretta · Jul 17, 2011

Hi Belvedere,

I'm from Italy, Sicily to be more precise. I've never heard of cards being played by women only, in fact, usually men meet in bars and play cards. Italian women, in Campania, would never play on their own in a bar, especially in the '70s. You need to re-evaluate that.

As for other games I am not sure, I've never seen a 55+ year old man playing checkers or craps in a bar in Italy.

I hope that helps a bit.

belvedere · Jul 17, 2011

Thanks Lauretta, much appreciated. Regarding the women and card playing thing, well, it was something someone in another similar forum claimed to be true, however, I'm not entirely sure that person was Italian.

Chris P · Jul 17, 2011

Dominoes is pretty popular throughout the world, although I can't say about Italy specifically.

dolores haze · Jul 17, 2011

I've seen a lot of old men in various Mediterranean countries sitting in coffee shops playing backgammon. Haven't been to Italy, though, so I can't promise that the same is true there.

NinaK · Jul 17, 2011

Don’t know if this helps but my father’s people come from Tuscany and on that side of the family they like to play checkers.

With regard to my mother’s side of the family who come from Ponte Gorvo, (located in the Lazio region, just below Rome) the big card game was Briscola. Male relatives played this game for hours. My grandfather taught me to play when I was five and it is very competitive. It is played with a deck of forty cards, (no 10, 9 or 8 cards.). We played three card deal and no partners but there are many ways to play and it is documented on the web.

gadget · Jul 18, 2011

With no authority to do so whatsoever, I will toss cribbage out there as a possibility. Good luck!

Noirblanche · Jul 19, 2011

I am Italian. As said above, chess is not that widely played actually. More cards, and yes, by men especially, if it is a bar.
Backgammon isn't really an Italian game, and I would guess that it was even less known 40 years ago in some little village in the countryside.
So go for cards or if needed checkers if you really want, but not much else. Cards are easy to carry, can be used for a solitary or a plethora of different games to suite time, mood, number of players and location.

belvedere · Jul 19, 2011

Excellent. Thanks, you've all been very helpful.

What games, besides chess, are played in Italian coffee bars?

belvedere

onwards

Lauretta

In the fantasy word.

belvedere

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Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

dolores haze

international guttersnipe

NinaK

On the Beach

gadget

Noirblanche

belvedere

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