In A Crewroom, Long, Long Ago!
 

Oh Yes;) Good effort!

I was only telling a few friends about uckers the other day.
Not having served in the Forces they couldn't understand the passion with which it was played.

Introduced to it in 360 Sqn crew room 45 years ago - by the Navy - never did come to terms with the wretched game!

As V-Force QRA was a 5-man crew we needed a special uckers board. Someone made a superb 5-leg board. It was hugely different from the 4-man game. While a 4-man game could last 20-30 minutes a 5-man game typically lasted 2 1/2 hours.

One night we had two guest crew members from another crew until our own crew members returned. One came back at 9pm and the other gone 10.

The 2 stand-ins from another crew remained to battle out the game while we all repaired to the mess and to bed. The game held more attracations that than a comfy bed and a hot body :p

The 2 stand-ins from another crew remained to battle out the game while we all repaired to the mess and to bed. The game held more attractions that than a comfy bed and a hot body

Whatever turns you on PN - presumably it depends on whose bed and whose body!

Jack

A test of character...
 

...In the all-ranks club at Comnavsouth at a games night some SOB paired me with the ADMIRAL against a couple of killicks. They were wiping the floor with us and there was lots of smirking as I failed even to "Chesty-chest" to get started. His admiralship was getting grumpier by the minute and questioning whether I'd ever played "this bloody game before". The honour of the RAF was at stake. And then my luck changed; I threw an unbroken run of sixes, blew both killicks back to the start, rolled up the admiral's counters with mine and had a clean run home. Phew!!

Sometimes on 210 at Ballykelly one had to queue to get a seat at the board in the crew-room, and sometimes most of the squadron stood around to barrack. There would be a collective intake of breath as a hand reached for a piece - "Fuzzy thinking" was the cry. Broke the confidence of many a strong man. Psychological warfare it was, I tell 'ee.

They wouldn't believe you nowadays.

The Ancient Mariner

At the 'Slipit Inn'(GRSF's fantastic bar) at MPA, we played to lose as the losers had to down Applecorn or Whisky. As us mortals were'nt allow to buy spirits it was worth losing !!!!!!
:ok:

ludo is still ludo no matter how much jolly jack tries to convince you otherwise:p

Seem to remember a card game called Kirky (spelling?) which reigned jointly in the crewroom with uckers. Sort of whist with different hands such as mizaire, hunt the c**t etc, but its all a bit vague now. Occupied many happy standby hours.

Ah! Yes! Brings back memories - the yell 'syph on his donk' rang throughout the Squadron and you knew someone was in trouble!

I was uckers champ of the Med 97-98:ok:

Great. "Official" rules of uckers! Whose rules? Commendable trying to bring it on line, but it's going to create some serious arguments

"Up table!"
"Timber-shifting &^****!":ok:

The problem with sitting in a crewroom these days is that some senior will walk in and instantly give you a job - regardless of what you are doing. Playing Uckers became an invitation to some long arduous and usually boring task that led to no gratification whatsoever. The result is that few crewrooms are now used as everyone rushes in, grabs a coffee and then departs to shut themselves ointo their office to show how busy they all are.

I would be interested to see if the card games and uckers return, but I am afraid that, like a busy Officers' Mess bar in mid-week, they are a thing of the past.

Tankertrash.
You are probably thinking of Euchre, which is a pub card game favoured particularly in the west country and adopted by the services ? try wiki/google for rules. Top card is the benny (adapted from german 'Bauer'), with left and right etc.

Oh the shame of being caught up in a mixy blob!:{

Handysnacks - that is as sensible as saying sex is all handysnacks and nothing more..........................:)

Suckback double three..............

Ah now Euchre, a really skillful game.................:ok:

Happy memories of the crewroom in Guetersloh waiting for an 'Alma Cogan' or a 'one at one on'. And also remember ' Kirky' and another card game called 'Clag' but don't ask me how to play now 30 odd yrs dulls the memory!!!!!!!!!

I'm with TankerTrash.

First came across kerky in the Hastings crew room at Lindholme. The kerchy school would open the moment the crew room filled up from morning prayers. As aircraft came up and people left, others would take over. 6 hours or so later the game would still be running, different people but still running. People like Merv Parry and Dolly Grey.

At 5 the school would relocate to the bar where the old salts, or whatever you called old truckie drivers, would continue with the odd phone call from one of the wives "your dinner will be in the dog if you don't get home NOW."

It's Kierke which is apparently Polish for 'Hearts'
Six 'deficit' hands - All the Hearts,King of Hearts,Kings and Jacks,7th and last, Misere,can't remember the last one -was it 'all the Queens'?
Four benefit hands.
We put the winnings and losses in the Bridge Book

Clag - most difficult hand to play was 'resting on arms reversed' either 'blind' or 'rolling' or even 'rolling blind' or even 'misere'