Last month's blackout and the first Santa Ana of the year got me thinking about how to pass the time while you're (literally) waiting for the smoke to clear. What's everybody’s favorite card, domino, or board game?

I'll go first:
Card: Gin Rummy, 5 card draw, or Fluxx(works best with irreverent players).
Domino: Mexican Train or Draw
Board: Backgammon

I never cared much for Fluxx but the Blast clan are big fans of Munchkin. Uno and Math War are other card games we also play a lot. Math War is like regular War but each player turns up two cards and then has to add or multiple them in their head, it's a learning tool.

Board games: the Herocia series and Wildcraft are our favorites.

Dominos: chickenfoot

-Blast

Card... I guess Munchkin, Chez Greek/Geek/Grunt/Et al, SPANC and Ninja Burger. (Yes, Steve Jackson knows my credit card number.)

Domino... does Mahjang count?

Board, Settlers of Catan, Ticket to Ride, Agricola and Carcassonne

Dice, anything that uses GURPS (3d6 > D20!)

Life

Bulls@it (card game)

Poker

I like adult learning "games," particularly those you make up as you go. Each participant teaches something they know well to the others; everyone helps improvise whatever is needed.

If your significant other is so inclined, the downtime created in otherwise bad situations can afford the kind of open-ended discussion and intimate exploration that flourishes in privacy.

Cribbage
Chess
Trondune was a big card game for us in our teen years...can't remember how to play it anymore

War. Gin. Scrabble.

Cards (Adults) Poker, Canasta, Hearts, Cribbage
Cards (Kids) - Fuxx, Memory, Old Maid, Go Fish, BlackJack (good for adults too), 52 pickup

Dice: Backgammon / Acey-Duecey, LCR

Board games: Pente, Monopoly, Trouble, Sorry, Chess, Checkers

-Eric

I like Cribbage, but I don't know anybody else who knows the game, so I just play against my computer.

I like Bridge, but I don't know anybody else who knows the game, so I just play against my computer.

I like Euchre, and I have some friends that know that game, so I get to play it occassionally.

I really like Scrabble, and everybody knows that game, or can learn it instantly.

It certainly helps to have a copy or two of "Hoyles Rules of Games" laying around the house.

I remember liking Gin Rummy and Hearts in the past, but I'd have to pull out that Hoyle book to refresh my brain on how to play those. I'm sure my chess game has gone to heck, having not played that for a few decades. But I enjoyed it once upon a time. Pente is good too.

Wizwar!

Farkle, poker, board games from the Klutz book of games...