Do you want to learn the rules of the most popular card games? You are in the right place! Below, we list the most played card games and go through the rules for each game.
A list of card games
- 17+ Simple Card Games with Rules and How to Play (the list grows regularly) It takes
- up to 5 minutes to learn.
- It is possible to play it at home with friends and close by card games.
of the best card games
Card games were the most popular form of leisure entertainment before the development of technology and mobile phones.
Unfortunately, with the advent of smartphones and other ways to have fun online, playing cards in your spare time has dwindled.
Anyway, in this article, we have compiled a list of the best card games that you can play online or with a real card game.
We’ve compiled a list of the most popular card games for two, three, four, or even a single player.
of the most played card games!
1. Go fishing with 2–5 other people.
Everything you need for a fun card gameGo Fish is a deck of cards. The Go Fish game is played when each player is dealt five cards while the remaining cards are placed face down on the pile.
A player chooses to start and asks a player for a specific card rank that he already has. For example, “John, give me all your sevens.”
The player must give all the requested rank cards. When there are no more cards to give, they say, “Go Fish.”
Next, the player must draw a card from the deck. If the card has the same value, you continue your turn.
Otherwise, it’s the turn of the players who said, “Go Fish.” The object of the game is to collect four cards of the same rank and make “matches”. The game continues until there are no more cards in the hand or deck.
Go Fish is an exciting learning card game about patterns, pairs, and numbers. Not only is it designed to be a lot of fun, but it also allows your kids to learn while they play.
Instructions Go Fish
2. Apples to Apples (for 4 to 10 players)
The Apples to Apples card game requires four or more players and an Apple-to-Apples card set. Start placing the red apple cards while the green ones are in the drawer and pick a judge.
The moderator deals seven red apple cards to players, takes a green apple card from the top of the deck, and reads it aloud.
Players must choose a red card that is most suitable for the adjective of the green apple card. It doesn’t have to be an obvious answer, but one that appeals to the judge.
This is where the fun lies. You can be as creative as you want with your choices. Once all the cards are submitted, the judge shuffles them, reminds everyone what the green apple card says, and reads out the entries.
Ultimately, he/she will judge which is the best match, and the winner will receive the Green Apple Card.
Apples to Apples is a game that is meant to be played with a large group, as it has many twists and variations. To speed things up, you can even disqualify someone who takes too long to select a red card.
How to play “apple to apple”
3. No thanks (three to seven players)
To have fun and play the No Thanks card game, you need a No Thanks card set, chips, and three to seven players. Each card has a value equal to its face value.
The rule of the game is to have the lowest score at the end. Once the cards and chips are dealt and a card is dealt face up in the middle, players have two options each turn:
- Avoid picking up the face-up card and playing one of their chips.
- Pick up the face-up card (plus the chips if others have played that card)
Each chip has a negative value but may actually have a higher value, as this will help you avoid drawing an unwanted card.
No Thanks is a card game designed to be highly engaging and test the player’s will and determination. It can be very rewarding if you play with seven people at once.
How to play “No thanks”
4th. Skip Bo (3–7 players)
Skip-Bo is a fun card game for 2 to 6 players. The goal is to get rid of your cards while blocking other people from doing so. Skip-Bo is played in such a way that each player is dealt 10–30 cards (stockpile).
There are three other stacks to know about. The cards remaining after being dealt are placed in a draw pile, and players draw cards from this pile and place them on their building pile, which must start with a 1 or a Skip-Bo card.
At the end of the turn, the players must discard a card that forms the discard pile.
There can be a total of four discard piles for each player, and the cards must be face up. These can be used in subsequent turns to build piles.
This allows players to play cards that prevent others from playing their desired cards from the discard pile.
When playing Skip Bo, make sure to play cards from your stock pile before playing from your discard pile to get rid of your cards faster.
Instructions Skip Bo ‘
5. Uno (for 2 to 10 people)
Uno can be played with 2 to 10 players. Deal 7 cards to each player and place the rest face down in the middle. This is the pile from which players will draw in the game.
Turn over the first card to start the game. Now players can match the drawn card with the color, number, or, if they wish, the symbol. The next player then matches his card with the previous player’s card, and so on.
If players cannot play a card, they must draw from the draw pile.
Use action and wild cards wisely, as they can prevent others from winning and get you rid of your cards faster.
Say “Uno” if you have one card left. If they are drawn, they must take 2 cards from the draw pile and continue. The object of the game is to get rid of the cards dealt.
Uno is truly one of the easiest and most exciting games to play with friends and family. There are also many variations available on the net that can increase the fun manifold.
How to play UNO
Nacho Loco (for 2–6 players)
This card game can be played with up to six players and requires Loco cards that are different from regular cards. When you get rid of your cards, you get one point for every card in your opponent’s hand. The goal is to be the first to get 20 points.
Each player is dealt six cards, and the remaining cards form the draw pile.
The first card forms the playing field as the players match their segments with their cards.
If segments cannot be combined, the player must draw a card from the deck.
If the player matches two segments with one card, the other players must each draw one card from the draw pile; when three segments match, take two cards.
The segments with a black X cannot be matched. When action segments match, the next player must do what the action dictates.
When a player matches his/her last card, the round is over. The game becomes much more interesting as players make up for several rounds and have to outsmart their opponents to win.
Instructions Nacho Loco
7. Coloretto (2-5 players) It is played
with 2 to 5 players and requires players to either draw a card to play in a row or take the entire row of cards and add to their collection.
There can only be three cards in a row, which ensures that everyone gets a row at some point. A new round begins when all rows are claimed.
The goal is to collect no more than three colour sets. Each additional colour costs you points.
The jokers are easy to match and with +2 you will definitely get points, which will come in handy if you don’t go well with collecting colors.
The round ends when there are only a few cards left in the deck. The stacks of three colours give you points, while other colours reduce them.
The first card of a suit gives you +1 point; the second card, +2 points, and so on. The player with the highest score wins.
The Coloretto card game has many variations that can be taken advantage of when there are only two players and can spice things up for them.
Learn to play Coloretto
Slide 5 (for 2–10 players)
Deal ten cards to each player and take the top four from the remaining pile and place them face up to form the playing rows.
At the start of each round, players must choose a card and place it face down.
Everyone reveals the card at the same time. The player with the lowest card places his card in the rows, followed by the one with the second lowest value.
A card can only be lined up if it is higher than the farthest card to the right. If the card is added to a row that is one-fifth of the row, the player takes all four cards and discards them to start a new row.
If the player’s card is lower than the farthest card to the right in the row, he/she will be forced to take one of the rows and replace it with their playing card.
The game ends when all the cards dealt have been played. For each card with a skier symbol, they get a point. The one with the highest score wins.
How to play Slide 5
Crazy Eights (for 2–7 players)
The Crazy Eights card game requires a standard pack of 52 cards, and the object of this game is to get rid of the dealt cards. The one who finishes first adds up the value of the remaining cards in his/her opponent’s hands as follows:
Eight = 50 points.
Any ten, J, Q, or K equals ten points.
1 point for an ace.
Each player is dealt five cards, and one card forms the playing field (which cannot be eight). Each player must match the card on the playing field by color, number, or eight (which is a joker). Players can draw cards from the deck if they are unable to play.
Card game Crazy Eights is one of the more exciting games on our list that allows you to have a lot of fun in a group.
How to Play Crazy Eights
10. Slapjack (2–8 players The card
game, Slap Jack, is a game that can be quite loud and raw at the same time when people get competitive. The deck is divided equally among the players, each with a card. No one can see his cards, and everyone can only see the card on the playing field.
Players begin to place their top cards from their respective piles on the playing field clockwise.
When a jack comes up, the first player to hit or put their hand on it gets to take the entire pile and add it to their cards face down. When two players hit the jack, the player whose hand is under (or in contact with the jack) wins.
The Slap Jack card game continues until one player has the entire deck and may need an umpire as it can get out of hand while hitting.
How to play Slapjack
eleven (3–8 players)
Distribute the cards evenly among the players. Players can arrange their cards according to suit and number order to keep things organized.
Each round starts with a seven, with the first round starting with a seven of hearts.
When the seven of a suit are played, a “layout” begins, which can be 4 in total.
One can only place cards of the same suit in a layout.
In addition, players can only place cards before or after the cards in a suit.
For example, if the sequence is 4–8, you cannot place a K.You have to wait for it to reach a Q.
Once a player runs out of cards, he is declared the winner.
There are several variations of the card game Seven that can change the game and add some excitement.
How to play Seven
12. Card Game 500 (2–5 players)
500 is a trick-taking card game and uses a standard 52-card deck.
In this game, each player is dealt ten cards and later bids 6 to 10 tricks with his cards.
With four or more players, teams will play.
If you’re playing with 2 or 3 players, use a 33-card deck with all cards between 2 and 6 removed and a joker added.
With four players, use a 43-card deck and remove all 2’s, 3’s, and black 4’s, with a joker added.
With five players, use a 53-card deck with an extra joker. A special deck of 63 cards is required for six players.
This is accomplished by adding 11’s and 12’s to each suite, a 13 from Diamond and Hearts, and a Joker.
When a team reaches 500 points by taking their tricks, the team wins and the game is over.
How to play the card game 500
13? Klondike (1 player)
Klondike is synonymous with Solitaire. Deal one face-down card to the left of the playing area and six cards face-down from left to right.
On the face-down cards, face-down cards are dealt to the pile on the left. Likewise, face-down cards on the other piles have upside-down cards.
The goal is to build piles of cards that start with a 2 and end with a king of the same suit.
When this is done, the cards can be transferred to the foundation, where an ace is placed in the same suit.
This is what a “finished” set looks like. The same should be done for all four foundations or colors.
The cards can be turned over one at a time, although there is no limit to how many times they can be passed through the deck.
How to play Klondike (
14. James Bond (2-4 players)
This game is mainly played with four players, and each of them is dealt 12 cards while the last four cards are turned over in the middle.
When the dealer says “Go,” all players choose a card to discard and take one from the middle.
No player can have more than four cards at a time and cannot draw a card until they have discarded one.
For example, if you have three 2s and there is a 2 in the middle, discard the last card and take the two.
If a player has four cards of the same rank, he must shout “James Bond” and win the game.
There are also other variations of the game that can add extra elements to this exciting James Bond card game.
How to play the James Bond card game
15. Gin Rummy (2-6 players)
Gin Rummy is a slight variation of the popular game Rummy where players form “melds” of 3 or 4 cards of the same suit.
Players draw a card from the draw pile and place one from their hand.
Players can “go out” when they have enough unmelted cards that are essentially “deadwood” (cards with a total value of less than 10).
The player who did not “go out” has the chance to set up his melds and “discard” his cards, which can be added to his opponent’s melds.
In general, Gin Rummy differs from Rummy in that it is a “knock” game in which the formed “melds” are kept with the player until the end of the deal. It is also possible in Gin Rummy to “go out” without emptying the hand.
How to Play Gin Rummy
16. Spades (2-6 players)
This is another trick-taking game that uses a standard 52-card deck.
Each player is dealt 13 cards with a partner on the other side of the table.
A player bids the number of tricks he/she can take, and the partner tries to make as many bids as possible.
The standard tricks apply, which follow suit, if any, and the spades act as the trump suit.
How to play spades
17. Last card (2–5 players)
Last Card is a card game played with a standard 52-card deck.
Each player receives the five cards and must match a card number or colour on the discard pile.
To make a game more exciting and interesting, there are a few special cards.
The winner of the game is the player who is the first to get rid of all the cards in his hand.
This game is similar to the card games Uno and Crazy Eights, with a few different rules and card values.
How to play the last card
Popular 2-Player Card Games
Most of the games we listed above are actually 2-player card games, but they can also be played with three and four players. There are also single-player card games such as solitaire, hearts, and so on.
But for those looking for two-player card games here, we’ve excluded a few from the list above and come up with a few more card games worth mentioning.
The best two-player card games that we highly recommend you play are: No
thanks
SlapjackstringsrummyheartsrobberyASkip Bo
Popular casino card games
We have to mention some popular card games that you can play at home with your friends or online in a casino. These games can be played online for free or for real money.
Card games in casinos are a big attraction. Some of the popular card games are Blackjack, Baccarat, and Texas Holdem.
Blackjack: The object of the card game blackjack is to beat the dealer by drawing a hand with a higher value than the dealer, or by drawing a value over 21, or by drawing 21 in the first two cards to see what the dealer is doing.
Baccarat: In this card game, the player is dealt 2 to 3 cards. The game can end with a winning player or banker or in a draw. Participants in the game can bet on the banker’s hand or the player’s hand. Face cards and tens carry 0 points. With a total of more than 10, the second digit is the hand value. To win, you should be dealt a hand that totals nine.
Texas Holdem: A community poker card game, the focus here is more on betting. There are two types, namely, tournaments and cash games. The tournament is similar to the basic Hold’em game, while the cash game has two to ten players with the goal of winning the maximum chips by 1 point in a given amount of time. You can win the pot with the best card hand, or other players can fold, making you the winner. The history
of card games
The origins of playing cards date back to the 14th century, when they were part of popular culture and played in all shapes and sizes.
The card games were first played in China and later spread to India, Persia, Egypt, and Europe in the 14th century.
The card games served as games of skill and for gambling and were considered an alternative to games such as dice, checkers, and chess.
The cards also served as an art medium in the second half of the 14th century, being hand painted or illuminated and used for display rather than playing.
Fun facts about card games
Many players don’t pay much attention to the origin of the card or the meaning behind it.
Here are some fun facts:
Twelve royals in a deck of cards represent 12 months.
Of the four suits, hearts indicate the church, spades for soldiers, clubs for agriculture and diamonds for merchants.
Just like there are 52 weeks in a year, you have 52 cards in a deck, and if you add the symbols in a deck, you get the total number of days in a year, which is 365.
The four different colours referred to different amounts of money as played by the Chinese in the 15th century.
However, the version of the colours we are playing now is derived from the French version and has been played that way for the past 2 centuries.
Frequently asked questions about card games
What is the correct way to shuffle cards?
Based on the number of ordering options in a 52-card deck, it’s entirely possible that a shuffled deck will never yield the same card order in the entire history of card usage. Any method of shuffling ensures that the cards are always in random order.
What are the best card games?
Some of the funniest decks are those with 52 cards and some special decks. The best 52 card games are Gin Rummy, Slap Jack, Five Hundred, Spades, and Seven. There are also some fun card games like Uno, Skip Bo, Go Fish, and Coloretto. Here you can learn how to play these games in just two minutes.
How do you play card games online?
Card games can be played online for free or for real money. There are many websites that offer free card games to play, and there are many online casino sites where you can play real card games for free without creating an account.
Can I play scratch cards online?
Yes, you can read more about scratch cards and where to play them here.