Card Games – Your Definitive guide

Welcome to GameRules.com, we are excited to have you here. This site is a love project created by a small team of three devotees. We are passionate about card games, playing card games, and just games in general.

This site is a love project created by a small team of gaming enthusiasts and devotees. We are passionate about board games, online games, card games, parlor games, and, honestly, just about any game you can think of!

Our goal is to become the #1 resource on the internet for all of your gaming desires, especially when it comes to in-depth card game rules.

The truth is that many people out there are playing card games incorrectly. So, our team is fully dedicated to teaching people the proper rules for every single card game out there!

You might wonder why we are so driven to create such a site and the truth is, it’s because we love games. When you are passionate about something you want to make that passion your work, and that’s what we’re doing.

Card games are great for society because they force us to socialize with other people and to be present in the moment with the people around us. We think more time spent in the present and less time spent on our devices and thinking about the future could really add some benefit to society as a whole.

So, I guess you could say that we are doing our small part to improve the world through our love of card games. You’re welcome.

Card Game Rules

500 card game - example of an excellent hand!

Spend some time on Game Rules, and you’ll quickly learn that you can find the rules for almost any card game you can think of. That said, with an infinite number of card games out there, we definitely don’t have all the games on our site. But that’s where you come in!

Can’t find the rules to one of your favorite card games? Did we write the rules incorrectly for a game? Let us know!

We are more than happy to receive feedback, and as the goal is to eventually have every single game rule on our site, any suggestions are very welcome.

Are you a gaming connoisseur yourself and interested in contributing some of your expertise to our community? Reach out to us through our job openings page! We are always looking for more superstar game writers to join the family.

Teamwork makes the dream work and our sole aim is to create a site that is accurate, user-friendly, and community oriented. So if you are down to be a part of helping create the number one card game rule site in the world, welcome to the fam.

History of Playing Cards

The standard 52 card deck that we are familiar with today provides us with fun and memorable moments, but how did it get here?

The answer is… we don’t really know. Standard playing cards have evolved over hundreds of years. And unfortunately, we cannot pinpoint a specific time in history when the 52-card deck was first created.

That said, many scholars believe that playing cards originated in Asia around 1,000 AD. A few hundred years later, cards started to appear in Europe around the late 14th and early 15th centuries. It was in Europe, possibly France, that the standard 52-card deck was born in the 1500s. Before this, the number of cards in a deck varied, but generally, decks had around 78 cards due to the game tarot.

This means that humans have been playing some form of cards for over 1,000 years!

One of the most noticeable additions to the beloved card deck that can be attributed to the USA is the addition of the Joker. Its invention was derived from the game Euchre in the mid-1800s when the Jokers then were called the “best bower”.

Best Card Games

We could make a list of the best card games to play, but… we’re not. That’s because it all depends on what kinds of card games you like to play. Who are we to determine the best card games? I mean, aren’t all card games created equally? Probably not, but still.

Instead, we will give you some curated lists of the best card games for different categories:

Top 5 Card Games You Have To Play At Least Once In Life

Ok, let’s say you’re not really into card games. First off, we can’t imagine how one could, “not be into card games” — but hey, we’ve heard crazier things. All that said, here are five card games that you should absolutely try before you die!

1. SPADES

A game capable of bringing out the best and the worst in people, spades is a classic for a reason. First introduced in America in the 1930s, the card game has maintained its popularity throughout the decades. Spades remained popular only in America for many decades until the 1990s, when the game began to gain international fame and appreciation via the help of online spades play and tournaments. This game is easy to play, even for first-timers, and is an excellent introduction to trick-taking games.

2. BRIDGE

We are all going to get old someday, and when you do, bridge will be waiting for you. This timeless classic has been around since the 1800s and is still a very popular game despite its age. The objective of the game is to score points by making bids or by defeating the opposing players’ bids. The team with the most points wins.

3. SOLITAIRE

Because sometimes, you just need to be alone and reflect and talk to yourself when there is no one else around like a crazy person. Solitaire is the quintessential single-player card game that can leave the player with a special feeling of achievement once they’ve finally won. The objective is to move all cards from the tableau and from the stockpile into four build piles.

Be careful! This one gets you drunk. As you might expect, Blind Squirrel is a drinking card game that is not for the faint of heart. This drinking card game is simple, easy to play, and loads of fun!

5. BLACKJACK

Vegas baby! Or, alternatively, just play at home with fake poker chips and cheap boxed wine! Blackjack is one of the most popular casino games out there. The game is played against the dealer, and the object is to get as close a score to 21 as possible without exceeding that number. In order to win, you must beat the dealers’ total; however, if you “bust” (g over 21 points), you automatically forfeit your bet.

Fun Card Games

Looking for a list of fun and casual card games? We have got you covered! While we certainly believe that all games are “fun”, some definitely fall into this category more than others. Here are some of our top picks for the most fun card games

1. SPOONS

Spoons is a fast-paced matching game also referred to as Pig or Tongue. It is a multi-round game that involves matching, grabbing, and sometimes bluffing. Similar to musical chairs, you place one fewer spoon than players on the table each round. Once a player has four cards of the same rank in hand, they grab a spoon in the center of the table, all other players then follow suit. One player will be left without a spoon at the end of the round and they are out. The game continues until there is one player left who is declared the winner.

2. HANG TEN

Hang Ten is a modern variation on 10 card Golf where, rather than discarding everything into a single pile, players have their own discard piles. Players can also draw the top card from an opponent’s discard pile.

The goal of Hang Ten is to make a layout with the lowest possible score, ideally a negative score.

3. SLAP JACK

If you have a low threshold for being slapped repeatedly, then it is probably best to avoid Slap Jack, but… trust us, this game is worth the stinging slaps on the wrist!

If you see a jack, slap it! Whoever slaps the jack first gets all the cards, and you want to get all the cards because that’s how you win!

4. EGYPTIAN RAT SCREW

The name of this game is so intriguing; how could this not be on our list of fun card games? Egyptian Rat Screw is a fast-paced game with many names, such as Egyptian Rat Slap, Egyptian Ratkiller, and Egyptian War. The game has similarities to the British game Beggar My Neighbour, as well as Slapjack, Speed, and Spit, with its slapping mechanism.

5. SPIT

Spit is an extremely fast and hectic game that can get very competitive and equally fun! In this two person card game, there are no turns. Instead, players will try to get rid of their cards as fast as possible

Simple and Easy Card Games

Complex card games have their time and place, but sometimes you’ll just want something simple. So, if you are playing with kids or just want an easy casual card game to play we have you covered! Here are a few of the easiest card games that anyone can learn.

Go Fish: This may be the simplest of simple card games. Ask, and you shall receive… or otherwise, go fish.
War– The objective of the game is to win all cards.
Skat: A popular German trick-taking game that accommodates 3 players. It was created in 1840 in Altenburg, Germany.
Cheat – The object of the game is to get rid of all your cards as fast as you can and before all the other players.

Classic Card Games

As you already know, some card games date back hundreds and hundreds of years. While games have adapted and evolved over time, the classics are still the foundation of many modern games. Here are some of the oldest classic card games that are still popular today.

1. CRIBBAGE

Cribbage is a 400-year-old game that descended from an English card game known as “Noddy.” The creator of the game was Sir John Suckling, who was an English poet. The most interesting facet of cribbage is its use of a cribbage board to keep score, rather than a pen and paper. This also makes scoring more efficient which in turns makes the game more fast-paced and engaging.

This game is tailored for 2 or 3 players, however, players can form teams of two in a four player game.

The goal of the game is to accumulate points to the target 121 points (or 61 points). Points are earned by making card combinations.

2. GIN RUMMY

A classic rummy-style card game for 2 players, Gin Rummy is strategic and extremely fun despite being more than 100 years old! must set the number of points needed to win prior to the start of the game. The goal is to create runs and sets with your cards in order to score the most points and win the game.

3. EUCHRE

As we mentioned earlier, Euchre is thought to have been the first game to use jokers in a standard deck of cards. The goal of the game is to win more tricks than the opposing team. As a trick-taking game, in each round, players will place bids and attempt to win tricks for their team. An interesting fact about the game is that it uses a 24-card deck instead of 52!

4. HEARTS

The objective of hearts is to have the lowest possible score at the end of the round. When a player hits the pre-determined score, the player with the lowest score at that time wins the game. If you can’t get a group together in real life, this game is a really fun one to play online and is usually listed as a free card game.

Free Online card games

As we’ve already established, playing card games are fun. But, one drawback to card games is that you generally need to be physically with other people to play unless you’re playing single-player card games like Solitaire.

This is where online card games come in. Online card games allow you to virtually play with other players from your phone or computer screen. You can find everything from classic card games to casino games like poker, Texas hold ’em, blackjack, or 5-card draw.

Some of these online card game sites even allow you to play games for real money. If you are interested in signing up for an online casino, check out some of our top casino recommendations.

Last but not least, remember, if you come across a card game and don’t know the rules, GameRules.com has always got your back. Not only can you find all the card game rules you need, but you can also find fun and engaging articles about what’s new, what’s changed, what’s coming, and how to get better at what you already know.

Now go forth and play some games!