Mom’s Bluff – A New Card Game for All Ages
By Krista Martinelli
It’s not everyday that someone invents a new card game. It’s even more unusual to find a local young person who’s developed a new card game and is selling it at Mom & Pop stores. But that’s exactly the story of Mom’s Bluff, a fun, easy-to-learn card game, invented by David Lewis of Boynton Beach.
With all of the video game options available today, I wondered what makes a card game stand apart from the rest of all of the entertainment. “It brings the family together, brings the competitiveness out with the players at the table. You need to be strategic with interactions between the other players, because you can see the effect of a bluff, can turn players against each other, or even against themselves. Additionally, you need to filter what you say when your opponent is within arms reach of you,” says Lewis.
My friend Jeannine and I did just that with David Lewis and his brother Michael. We sat around his coffee table, played Mom’s Bluff and enjoyed each other’s company. We played several rounds of the game, while drinking some beer and having some popcorn, and truly enjoyed it. The game is fast-paced and not difficult to learn. And yes, there was some smack talking involved.
“I created Mom’s Bluff, so it would bring people together. You enjoy each other’s company while giving light jibs and jests to bring out the fun” says Lewis. He categorizes the game as a family game that can also be transformed into a drinking game.
I asked how he got the game produced. While he was teaching English in China for a year, he secured a place to get the game manufactured. He enlisted the help of a young Chinese artist for the artwork on each playing card. The cards are not so different from a regular deck of cards. However, the cards go only from 0 to 10 – no Jacks, Queens, Kings or Aces. Tip: For a family of four, it’s highly recommended that you use two decks of cards.
“It was challenging to produce this game because I came into the industry as an unknown,” explains Lewis. “I had no background knowledge of running a game business. After a lot of trial & error, frustration and exuberance, I walked away about a half a dozen times.But something kept drawing me back to it.”
He says it was quite an experience developing the game, and he felt like a juggler. There was a lot to learn about import and export laws, tax laws and marketing. “It’s been one heck of a ride as far as the learning process goes.”
Where can you purchase Mom’s Bluff, the card game? It’s sold at: Past, Present, Future Comics in West Palm Beach, The Girls’ Strawberry Patch in Delray, Medication Station in Boynton Beach, Hans Office and Art Supply in Delray and Postal Suites in Boca Raton. In the stores, it’s $5 per deck. He adds, “The best deal is from me directly. Special for AroundWellington.com patrons – $2 OFF on a single deck.” His contact information is at the bottom of this article.
When Lewis created the game, he was playing cards and drinking. His friends liked the new game, so he took it around his neighborhood and had families try it out. He determined that it worked both as a family game and as a drinking game. Some of the comments he’s received are that the game is “engaging, enraging, fantastic, easy to learn and fun ”
What’s the most challenging part of the game? “Staying in your turn order,” says Lewis. “You have to be patient and conceal your card.” On each round, you decide if you’re playing or folding. It’s tempting to put your card down right away, if you have a good card.
I asked why he named the game “Mom’s Bluff.” It’s in the spirit of his own mother, Lewis says. “She’s a character. Sometimes she’s bluffing and sometimes she’s not…read into that what you may, but I don’t challenger her often” Also, he thought Mom’s Bluff would indicate that it’s a family type of game.
As stated on the back of the box of cards, 50% of the profit gained by Mom’s Bluff goes to charity. The organizations include SETI, Mars One and Xprize, all space exploration organizations. Here’s a short video with David Lewis, explaining what each organization does.
Try playing Mom’s Bluff. You will find that it’s fast-paced and quite addictive. In a world infiltrated with videos games, you’ll find that it’s worth gathering your family & friends around a table again.
For more information, contact:
David Lewis
(561) 460-7766 (Accepts text messages)
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David Lewis loves to be creative, to teach and to learn. He loves to develop both card games and board games. He truly enjoys hiking, snorkeling and biking and seems to engage in these activities more often than your typical Florida resident. His interests are outer space and dinosaurs. As a professor for most of his career so far, Lewis has taught at Lynn University and the Digital Media Arts College.
David Lewis has other board games that he is in the process of developing. Currently, he has a Lord of the Rings Adventure game that is completed and needs a few polishing aspects before production. This might be an opportunity to those Lord of the Rings fans out there; he is looking for investors. In addition to that is a fantasy chess video game that is different than your typical game of chess, with a new piece, different terrain and maps to defeat your opponents. He’s also working on a game called Strength in Sorcery, a turn based strategy game that involves fantasy, magic and heroes.