Best for three
Three is an awkward number for many card games. These are built for it – most of them pit one player against the other two.
- #1 Skat Germany's national card game – bid for the right to play alone against the other two and bring home 61 points. The benchmark for three: the auction, the skat and one declarer against two – decades of depth in 32 cards.
- #2 Dou Dizhu (Fight the Landlord) One landlord against two peasants – bid for the three hidden cards, blast your way out with bombs and rockets and play out first. One landlord against two peasants: bid for the three hidden cards, then blast out with bombs and the rocket.
- #3 Preference (Preferans) Bid for tricks, take the widow and watch your pool grow while the mountain stays low – Russia's great game for three. Russia's great game for three: bid for tricks, take the widow and keep your mountain low over a long evening.
- #4 9-5-2 (Sergeant Major) Nine tricks for the dealer, five and two for the others – and whoever falls short must hand over their best cards next time. Dealer needs nine tricks, the others five and two – and whoever falls short hands over their best cards next deal.
- #5 Oh Hell! Say exactly how many tricks you'll take – no more, no fewer – and watch everyone else's plans go to hell. Ten cards each and exact bids – at three every trick you steal wrecks somebody's plan.
- #6 Ulti Hungary's national game – rob the two spare cards, outbid your friends and win the last trick with the humble 7 of trumps. Hungary's national game: rob the two spare cards, outbid your friends and win the last trick with the 7 of trumps.
- #7 Thousand (1000) Eastern Europe's cut-throat game for three – bid, take the widow and let your marriages switch trumps mid-hand on the way to 1000. Cut-throat bidding for three, where every marriage you declare switches trumps mid-hand on the way to 1000.
- #8 Black Maria Hearts with teeth – dodge the Queen of Spades, and watch out for her King and Ace too. The British cousin of Hearts works perfectly with three: take out the 2♣, deal 17 each and dodge the Queen of Spades – her King and Ace hurt too.
- #9 Cambio Remember your hidden cards, swap away the high ones and call "Cambio!" when you think your total is lowest. Memory and nerve for mixed tables: peek, swap away high cards and call "Cambio!" when you think you're lowest.
- #10 Durak Russia's favourite card game – attack, fight off, throw in more cards, and whatever you do, don't be the last one holding cards. Attack, fight off, throw in – with three it's fast and merciless, and nobody wants to be the fool.