Dog Poker (Import)

The A-through-G card collecting feels a lot like mahjong, but my husband picked it up in one round, which never happens with heavier games. The English rules sheet is short and clear, no flipping back and forth mid-game. We played four rounds straight on a rainy Sunday.

I love the mahjong-style mechanic—it’s way more strategic than it looks, and the English rules are actually clear so we could jump right in. The discard-to-your-pile twist keeps everyone engaged even when it’s not your turn.

The A-through-G hand-building is way more addictive than I expected, and once everyone grasps the discard-to-your-pile rule it moves fast. We ended up playing four rounds in a row, which never happens with my group.