This page will gradually be updated with important information about the London Cards Bonanza 2024, happening Saturday 20th July 2024 to Tuesday 23rd July 2024.
The London Cards Bonanza (or LoCaBo) is a joint endeavour between the London Cards Games Meetup and the Traditional Cards Games Discord channel. The aim is to have multiple tables to play and learn traditional card games from around the world.
01/07/2024: Monday venue information updated.
18/06/2024: British Skat Association Tournament information updated.
17/06/2024: Venue information for Saturday and Sunday updated, more detail added to the Snapszer tournament.
30/05/2024: Information about Snapszer tournament added.
02/01/2024: Site launched! There is a form that attendees can fill in HERE to give an idea of what days they are attending and what games they might like to play.
Please note this schedule is a rough draft, and timings are to be used as a guide for now! These show the main sessions that hopefully all attendees will be able to join. Outside of these sessions, there is of course still time for more card playing for those who want it!
11:30 - 17:00, Meet and Greet, Lunch plus afternoon cards session in The King's Arms, Borough.
Break for food.
18:00 - 22:00, Evening cards session in the same pub in central London.
10:00 - 13:00, Morning cards session in The William Webb Ellis pub, Twickenham.
Break for food and travel.
14:00 - 17:00, Afternoon cards session in the Eel Pie pub in Twickenham.
Break for food.
18:00 - 21:00, Evening cards session in the same pub in Twickenham.
Arrive by 11.15 for tournament registration
11:30 - 14:00, First and Second session
14:00 - 15:00, Break
15:00 - 17:30, Third and Fourth session
17:30 - 18:00, Results and prize-giving
Note that the tournament costs £10 to enter. You can pay £5 to play just the first two sessions, and still compete for the best diff prize.
If you only play the first two sessions, it would then be definitely possible to travel to Twickenham for food and the other card sessions in Option 1.
18:00 - 22:00, Evening cards session in The Antelope, near Sloane Square in central London, upstairs room.
18:00 - 21:30, Evening cards session in The Cabbage Patch pub in Twickenham, back room.
Of course, the above schedule has gaps in it, which you might like to use for sightseeing, sleeping, or you might just want to play more cards!! Extra informal card sessions are likely to happen at the following rough times. Exact times and locations will be worked out nearer the time.
Friday 19th July, in the evening, for anyone arriving early.
Monday 22nd July, in the afternoon, for anyone not wanting to sightsee.
Tuesday 23rd July, in the afternoon, for anyone not wanting to sightsee.
Snapszer, or Snapszli, is the Hungarian form of Schnapsen. Róbert Kovács is planning to host a Snapszer tournament on either the Saturday or Sunday afternoon or evening sessions. It should take a maximum of 2 hours. Players will play a minimum of two matches, with the aim of 4-player tables, but later rounds will involve 3- and 2-player matches also. The tournament will be free to enter and there will be some small prizes in the form of Hungarian pálinka, some Hungarian sweets and a special pack of 56 card Hungarian/Seasons pattern pack: Tell56. You can find information about the game rules at this link: Snapszer Rules Sheet
It is hard to give recommendations for places to stay in Central London as there are so many options and public transport is good so it doesn't really matter too much where you stay. Cheap hotel chains which are usually decent, functional places to stay are Travelodge and Premier Inn.
There is a Travelodge located very closely to the railway station and well as the Twickenham venues for card sessions.
Staines is a bit further out but it is close to Heathrow airport. Hotel recommendations in Staines include The Boleyn and The Swan. There is both a Travelodge and a Premier Inn in Staines.
Address: 65 Newcomen St, London SE1 1YT
This is a traditional Victorian pub in Central London, 5 minutes walk from Borough tube station (Northern line). The upstairs function room has been booked for the Saturday event. This is the pub's website:
https://kingsarmsborough.co.uk/
Address: 22 Eaton Terrace, London SW1W 8EZ
This traditional pub in Belgravia, not far from Sloane Square tube station which is on the District and Circle Lines. This is the pub's website:
https://www.antelope-eaton-terrace.co.uk/
Address: 35 Craven Terrace, London, W2 3EL
This is a hotel run by the German YMCA which regularly hosts British Skat Association tournaments. This is the hotel's website: https://www.lancaster-hall-hotel.co.uk/
Address: 67 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3SZ
This is a Rugby-themed pub located very close to Twickenham railway station. They serve food 12-8 on a Sunday and 12-9 on a Tuesday. The London Card Games Meetup regularly holds events here. This is the pub's website: https://www.cabbagepatch.co.uk/
Address: 9-11 Church Street, Twickenham, TW1 3NJ
This pub is also not far from Twickenham railway station. They serve food 12-6 on a Sunday and 12-3, 5-9 on a Tuesday. The London Card Games Meetup regularly holds events here. This is the pub's website: https://www.theeelpie.co.uk/
Address: 24 London Road, Twickenham, TW1 3RR
This is a Wetherspoons pub in Twickenham. Wetherspoons is a cheap pub chain in the United Kingdom. It is open early so we can use it for a morning session. They serve cheap breakfast options. This is the pub's website: https://www.jdwetherspoon.com/pubs/all-pubs/england/london/the-william-webb-ellis-twickenham
The London Underground (or tube) is fast and frequent for travel around Central London (and lots of the outskirts too!). You can travel using a contactless payment card, or buy tickets from machines in stations. You can find the tube map here: https://tfl.gov.uk/maps/track/tube
Trains travel to Twickenham from Waterloo station in London. The fastest trains take around 25 minutes. You can buy tickets at the train station. Usually the quickest option is to use a machine at the station to buy your ticket. You can either buy the tickets singularly each way, or it is slightly cheaper to buy a Return ticket which gets you to your destination and back. You can also search for journeys and buy tickets online on various websites, e.g. the National Rail website: https://www.nationalrail.co.uk/
If you take part in the first two sessions of the Skat tournament and then travel to Twickenham, it will take roughly one hour from the tournament venue to get to Twickenham railway station. You need to take the Underground to Waterloo station (e.g. taking the Bakerloo line from Paddington to Waterloo), and then catch the train from there to Twickenham.
Which location should I stay at?
This is a difficult one to answer, as it depends on your budget and what days you are here for. Take a look at the schedule to see which days are in which location as this may influence whether Central London or Twickenham is better for you. If you want to do any sightseeing, it is almost certainly likely that staying somewhere in Central London is best.
Are we only playing cards at the times in the schedule?
The times in the schedule are just a guide for organised sessions, so informal gatherings can of course take place outside of these times, or games may continue past the various end times.
Does the event cost anything?
No, there is no charge for the event itself. Of course you will need to pay for your own accommodation, travel, meals, drinks, etc.