Although gaming has increasingly moved online in recent years, card games played with a standard deck have remained popular. They’ve evolved with technology, allowing people to take their favorite games with them on the go.
Whether you prefer playing cards in a digital format or with a paper deck, they’re a great way to pass time. That’s not all; they’re also inexpensive, portable, and social. With that in mind, we’ve compiled this list of some of the best card games you can play with a standard deck.
Blackjack
Blackjack, also known as 21, is one of the most popular card games in the world, and it’s also among the easiest to learn. You need between two and six players to play this game, and it’s one of those games that’s hard to put down once you get going.
It’s also one of the rare games where you compete against the dealer instead of the player. Your goal is to get a score as close to 21 as possible without going over. Using a bit of strategy and statistics can work to your advantage, helping improve your outcome.
For those who want to branch out, an entertaining variant like 21+3 blackjack is an excellent way to change the routine. Whatever a player chooses, most can agree blackjack is among the best card games.
Hearts
While playing open-world video games that take hours to complete is a favorite hobby of many, Hearts is a great card game to play when you’re short on time. The player’s goal in this trick-taking card game is to end up with the lowest score. You’ll have to keep up with how much each card is worth if you want to succeed.
Hearts are worth one point, making them the card you want to keep your score as low as possible. On the other hand, a Queen of Spades is worth a whopping 13 points, which will drive your score up quickly. When someone reaches 100 points, the game ends.
Spades
This card game was invented almost 100 years ago and reached the peak of its popularity in the 1990s. You’ll need four players and a 52-card deck to play this game. Each player is dealt 13 cards at the beginning of the game, and tricks can be placed throughout the game for added entertainment.
As with all the games on this list, you can play spades at home with a group of friends or online. The first person to reach 500 points wins the game.
500 Rummy
If you’re short on time and want to play a card game that’ll be over quickly, 500 Rummy is the game for you. The rules are easy to learn, and it’s one of the few games where mounting a comeback is possible, even when you start out with everything against you.
You score points by playing sets with a minimum of three cards of the same rank or a sequence of the same suit. The game is played in several rounds, with each round ending when one player runs out of cards. However, if you’re holding cards when the round ends, the points are subtracted from your score.
Cribbage
Only two players are required to play this classic card game that dates back to the 1600s. The game is centered around scoring specific combinations and earning points to move pegs around the board until you get to 121.
While you’ll need to spend some time studying the rules, the game is easy to pick up. However, learning the terminology, which includes works like nobs, nibs, and double skunks, may prove challenging.
Although the game is usually played with only two people, a three-person version of it is available. If you don’t have a board on hand, you could even keep track of each person’s score with a pen and paper. However, if you like the game, it’s worth investing in a cribbage board.
