What to Play on Card Game Night
There are card games we're all familiar with and that we've played a thousand times over, like Go Fish or Old Maid. But what about some of the more unknown ones? Are you up to learn how to play those? On your next card game night, we've got you covered for variations to play. Here are 10 card games everyone knows—and 10 you've never played before.
1. Go Fish
One of the most well-known card games in the world, Go Fish is extremely easy and fun to play. The game starts with a shuffled and distributed deck (five to seven cards per player), with a "fishing pond" in the middle. You need to make pairs (or fours) to get rid of your cards, so take turns asking the circle if anyone has the ones you're looking for. If not, you'll have to "go fish!"
2. Big Two
Big Two is a popular card game in Asia, but has become widely known in the Western world as well. To play, shuffle and distribute cards evenly; for example, each person gets 13 cards in a four-player round. The lowest-ranked card is the three of diamonds and whoever holds this must go first. The ranking of cards, from lowest to highest goes: three to 10, jack, queen, king, ace, two. For suits (low to high): diamonds, clubs, hearts, spades. The objective of the game is to play your cards in combination to get rid of them.
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3. Crazy Eights
Crazy Eights is another fun and easy game to play. Start with a shuffled deck and hand out five cards to each player. The rest goes in the middle to form a discard pile, and the top card is flipped to begin the round. Each person must place a card that matches the number or suit of the card placed down; if they don't have a match, they draw five cards, or until a card matches the pile. Eights can be played whenever (hence, crazy eights). The first person to rid of all their cards wins.
4. Poker
A popular gambling card game, Poker is addictive once you've learned—and mastered—it. The most well-known variation is Texas Hold'Em. Traditionally played alongside betting chips, each player is dealt two cards and will have the choice to fold, check, call, or raise each round. The "flop," a three-card deck is then revealed by the dealer, followed by "the turn," the fourth card, and "river," the final card. The person with the best hand wins.
5. Cribbage
Cribbage is typically played with two players and a pegboard. The shuffled deck is cut, and six cards are distributed to each player. Each person discards two cards that they don't want to keep in their hand to form the crib pile. Then, take turns placing down cards to add to 15 or 31, using the pegboard to note your score. The goal is to be the first player to reach 121 points.
6. Spades
Best played with four people split into two groups, Spades consists of bidding "tricks," where each pair bets on how many rounds they'll win. The goal is to either reach 200 or 500 points, depending on which number everyone decides on. The shuffled deck is distributed evenly, and the rank from high to low goes ace to two, with spades trumping all. Take turns placing cards with the same suit (or spades) down; the player with the highest-ranked card of the round wins the "trick."
7. Hearts
Though similar to Spades, the goal of Hearts is to get the lowest score possible. In a traditional four-player round, each person gets 13 cards, with the two of clubs going first. Take turns placing same-suit cards down; the player with the highest-ranked card (hearts of queen of spades) wins the trick. Hearts are worth one point and queen of spades is worth 13. If you "shoot the moon" by collecting all 13 hearts and queen of spades, you can choose to subtract 26 points from your score or add 26 points to your opponent's.
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8. Old Maid
Another simple card game like Go Fish is Old Maid. If using a standard deck of cards, remove three queens—the remaining one is the Old Maid. Evenly distribute the shuffled deck to all players, then each person places down all their pairs (cards with the same rank). Take turns fanning out the rest of your cards face down in the circle until one person is left with the Old Maid—the one with no pair.
9. Euchre
Euchre (pronounced yoo-ker) is a popular game played in Australia, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, and the Midwest US. The rules and terminology for this card game can be difficult to grasp, so it's best to watch a video or read an in-depth how-to-play tutorial before you begin!
10. Cheat
Cheat is another extremely fun and simple game to play. A shuffled deck is distributed evenly to all players, then each person takes turns placing cards, face down, into a discard pile in the middle, calling out what they put down. Anyone can call out "cheat!" at any time; if the accuser is right, the offender takes all the cards in the pile. If the accuser is wrong, then they collect the cards.
Now that we've covered the 10 most well-known card games, let's jump into the 10 you've likely never heard of before.
1. Rummoli
A mix of Rummy and Poker, this Canadian card game is traditionally played with a Rummoli board and four to six players. The board is where players can place their chips; whoever has the highest hand wins all the pot. There are two main rounds to Rummoli: the Poker phase and Rummoli phase.
2. Durak
Durak is a Russian card game of attack and defense. Using 36 cards of a standard deck—six to ace in each suit—each player is dealt six cards, then the top card of the remaining deck is flipped up (the trump suit) with the rest of the cards placed on top of it. Players take turns attacking and defending; the last person with cards still left in their hand is called the "durak," meaning "fool" in Russian.
3. Skat
Germany's national card game, Skat is traditionally played with three (and sometimes four) players. Sevens to aces are used, meaning the deck should total 32 cards. Players are handed 10 cards, and dealing is as follows: three cards each, then Skat (two cards) is placed in the middle, then four cards each, then three again. Bidding is then done after dealing cards. The goal is to get at least 61 points collected from tricks.
4. Ninety-Nine
Ninety-nine is an addition card game. Five chips (beans or coins can be used, alternatively) are given to each player, as are three cards from a shuffled deck. The goal of the game is to not go over 99 when placing cards in the middle pile, and to be the last player remaining.
5. Spite and Malice
Traditionally played with two players, Spite and Malice utilizes two decks of cards. Each person gets five cards and a 20-card payoff pile. The objective is to play all of your cards from your payoff pile into the center stack. Since the top cards of each player's payoff pile are face-up, you can try to block each other from ridding that card.
6. Regicide
Though Regicide is a board game, it can also be played with a standard card deck. The jacks, queens, and kings form the castle deck. The remaining cards are dealt to each player. The goal is to work together to defeat the jacks, then the queens, then finally the kings.
7. Piquet
France's national game, Piquet (pronounced pee-kay) is played with 32 cards, from sevens to aces in each suit. In a two-player game, each person gets 12 cards, with the remaining 8 cards placed in the middle (called the "talon"). The goal is to score at least 100 points.
8. Fan Tan
Played with a standard 52-card deck and betting chips, the objective of Fan Tan is to be the first player to get rid of your cards. Sevens are played first, and then subsequent cards are "built" out from them. Players take turns placing cards down; if unable to play, they must give up one chip.
9. Pitch
Pitch is played with at least three people. Six cards are dealt to each player from a shuffled deck. Bidding starts the game, and then the goal is to win each round or "trick." Aces are the highest-ranked cards in this game, while twos are the lowest.
10. Whist
Whist is another trick-taking game and is typically played with four players, who are then split into two groups. Everyone is dealt 13 cards, except the last one for the dealer, which is flipped up and will be the trump suit. The goal is to win tricks by having the highest-ranked card each round, keeping in mind that the trump suit beats every other rank.
