Catholic faith, kolaches, sausage, and cards are the hallmarks of Czech culture in our home. I’ll admit that I was slow at getting to the cards part of the culture. Let me explain. I’m not Czech, but my mixed European background and love for faith and family made marrying into a Czech family a perfect fit. That was nearly 30 years and 9 children ago! The kolaches and sausage entered the picture at the wedding, but learning to play Taroky, well, that took a world-wide lockdown before I would agree to learn.
My husband Patrick has played Taroky or “cards” since he was a little boy. His love for the game spilled over to the kids. As soon as they were able to learn, he taught them. The hitch was that it required 4 players. Let’s just say some kids burned out on the game faster than others, and Patrick was limited to playing at the Westfest Tournament and an occasional Ft. Worth tournament in between working and raising our gaggle of kids. Fast forward to 2020. Our two youngest children enjoyed playing with their dad, but needed a fourth player. I finally agreed to learn. After one evening of playing, I was hooked!
It didn’t take long before all the kids were burned out on the game. One night I was begging our 15 year old son Samuel to play. Knowing how good he was with computers and his love of programming, I quipped that he should program an on-line version for us. Well, he took that idea to his older sister Lauren, and they ran with it. MachTarok.com was created, and Patrick and I were the first Beta testers. But, the idea didn’t just stop with an on-line game. Lauren created a personalized deck of cards using family photos spanning six generations. She used photos of their grandparents, both sets of great grandparents and one set of great great grandparents as the Kings and Queens. She and Samuel are portrayed as the Skyz (the highest trump card in the deck often portrayed as a joker) demonstrating the art and computer side of the game. The various trump cards portray pictures of parents, siblings and extended family, all labeled with names of those in the photo. The design on the back of the cards is the endearing wallpaper pattern of their grandmother’s kitchen in the color scheme of her favorite colors. All of the children worked together to find and print decks of cards for the entire family—a gift for the heart, soul, and mind to bless us for generations to come.
Patrick and I enjoy playing on-line and with friends and family in person on a regular basis. We have been traveling around Texas to attend tournaments as often as possible. This has been a blessing as well. I have been privileged to meet other Czech families and connect with our roots during a time where so many have become disconnected. My hope is that on-line access to the game will appeal to the younger generations and a new bridge over the generation gap can be formed, helping us all to connect to a rich cultural heritage that centers us back on God and family. And that would be the greatest gift of all.
You Look Tired! 