Card Game Rules

All games · Collections

Games for three

Card games that work with three players.

  1. Mau-Mau Match suit or rank, dodge the sevens and be the first to shout "Mau-Mau!" Shedding game · 2–7 players · 15 min · 6+ · easy
  2. Crazy Eights Match suit or rank, play an 8 to change the suit – and make the others pay for every card they're stuck with. Shedding game · 2–7 players · 20 min · 6+ · easy
  3. Kings in the Corner Solitaire for the whole table – build down in alternating colours, put Kings in the corners and empty your hand first. Layout game · 2–4 players · 15 min · 6+ · easy
  4. Mao The only rule we can tell you is this one – the rest you'll learn one penalty card at a time. Shedding game · 3–8 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  5. Cambio Remember your hidden cards, swap away the high ones and call "Cambio!" when you think your total is lowest. Draw-and-swap game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  6. Golf Six hidden cards, nine holes – pair up your columns and play the lowest round of the day. Draw-and-swap game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  7. Casino Capture cards by pairing and adding, build clever combinations and snatch the Big Casino before your opponent does. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  8. Zwicker Schleswig-Holstein's wild casino cousin – capture by addition and subtraction, tame high-value jokers, and sweep the table for a zwick. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  9. President Beat the last play with higher cards, shed your hand first and rise from Beggar to President – and claim the Beggar's best cards next round. Climbing game · 3–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  10. Palace Play equal or higher, burn the pile with a 10 and flip your blind cards at the end – and make sure you're not the Palace's last guest. Beating game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 8+ · medium
  11. Tiến lên Vietnam's favourite card game – beat every play with something higher, and chop the mighty 2s with a bomb. Climbing game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  12. 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. Climbing game · 3–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  13. Swoop Play equal or lower, swoop the pile away with four of a kind, a 10 or a joker – and empty your hand before the penalty points pile up. Beating game · 3–8 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  14. Bura Lead up to three cards at once, keep count in your head and stop the game the moment you reach 31 – a fast Russian gambling game. Ace–Ten game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 12+ · medium
  15. Schwimmen (31) Swap with the middle, collect 31 in one suit and knock at the right moment – lose your last life and you have to swim. Swapping game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  16. Cheat Play face down, claim whatever you like and keep a straight face – but if someone calls "Cheat!" and you lied, the pile is yours. Shedding game · 3–10 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  17. 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. Beating game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 8+ · medium
  18. Sheepshead Wisconsin's tavern game – pick up the blind, call an Ace for a secret partner and take 61 of the 120 points. Ace–Ten game · 3–5 players · 45 min · 10+ · tricky
  19. Bavarian Tarock Bavaria's three-player pub classic – bid for the contract, take the pot, and capture 61 of 120 points under strict trick rules. Ace-Ten (point-trick) · 3–4 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  20. Wallachen Eastern Bavaria's lost tavern gem – bid tricks against two defenders under strict trick-taking rules. Trick-taking (plain-trick) · 3 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  21. Brandeln The historic Austrian pub game played by Mozart – bid exact tricks, unleash high Jacks and Sevens, and risk all on Bettel or Mord. Trick-taking (plain-trick) · 3–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  22. Skat Germany's national card game – bid for the right to play alone against the other two and bring home 61 points. Ace–Ten game · 3–4 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  23. Rummy (Rommé) Germany's family-table rummy – collect sets and runs, open with 40 points and be the first to get rid of every card. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 60 min · 8+ · medium
  24. Cribbage Count to fifteen, peg your way round the board and race your opponent to 121 – with an extra hand, the crib, for the dealer. Adding game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  25. Big Two Play singles, pairs and poker hands, beat every play with something higher and go out first – where the humble 2 rules. Climbing game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  26. Oh Hell! Say exactly how many tricks you'll take – no more, no fewer – and watch everyone else's plans go to hell. Trick-taking game (prediction) · 3–7 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  27. Orbit untested Win together or fail together – everyone has a tricky task, and nobody may say a word about their cards. Cooperative trick-taking game · 2–5 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  28. Regicide Storm the castle together and defeat twelve corrupted Jacks, Queens and Kings – with nothing but a deck of cards and each suit's power. Cooperative card game · 1–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  29. Nova untested Launch a firework show together – you can see everybody's cards except your own. Cooperative card game · 2–5 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  30. Unisono untested Play all your cards in perfect order – without a single word, just by feeling the rhythm of the table. Cooperative card game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  31. Paternoster Two piles go up, two go down, and the whole team must squeeze all 104 cards onto them – without ever saying what you hold. Cooperative card game · 1–8 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  32. Pokerface untested Hold'em without betting and without opponents – guess where your hand ranks at the table and line up the whole team without a word. Cooperative card game · 3–6 players · 20 min · 12+ · medium
  33. Differenzler Swiss Jass for sharp minds – predict how many points you'll take, then hit your number exactly. Jack–Nine game · 3–5 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  34. Hearts Pass your dangerous cards on, dodge every heart and the Queen of Spades – or grab them all and shoot the moon. Trick-avoidance game · 3–6 players · 45 min · 8+ · easy
  35. Knockout Whist Seven cards, then six, then five – take at least one trick each hand or you're knocked out. Trick-taking game · 2–7 players · 20 min · 7+ · easy
  36. Black Maria Hearts with teeth – dodge the Queen of Spades, and watch out for her King and Ace too. Trick-avoidance game · 3–6 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  37. Hokm The Persian game of command – the Hakem picks trumps after five cards, and the first team to seven tricks takes the hand. Trick-taking game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  38. 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. Trick-taking game · 3 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  39. Three-Hand Pinochle Every player for themselves – win the auction, grab the three-card widow and take on the other two with your melds and trumps. Marriage game · 3 players · 45 min · 12+ · tricky
  40. 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. Marriage game · 3–4 players · 60 min · 10+ · tricky
  41. Binokel Pinochle's Swabian ancestor – win the Dabb, meld families and the Binokel, then fight for every Ace and 10. Marriage game · 3–4 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  42. Preference (Preferans) Bid for tricks, take the widow and watch your pool grow while the mountain stays low – Russia's great game for three. Trick-taking game (bidding) · 3–4 players · 120 min · 12+ · tricky
  43. Mariáš The Czech tavern classic – choose trumps from seven cards, call "flek" on a bluff and bring the trump 7 home in the last trick. Marriage game · 3 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  44. Ulti Hungary's national game – rob the two spare cards, outbid your friends and win the last trick with the humble 7 of trumps. Marriage game · 3–4 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  45. Gaigel Swabia's pub game with a double deck – race your partner to 101, open with a hidden Ace and call "Aus!" at exactly the right moment. Marriage game · 2–6 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  46. Briscola No need to follow suit – just collect the Aces and 3s and reach 61 of the 120 points in Italy's liveliest trick game. Ace–Ten game · 2–4 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  47. Forty-Fives Ireland's crazy card order – the 5 of trumps beats everything, the Ace of Hearts is always a trump, and red cards rank high, black ones low. Trick-taking game · 2–6 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  48. Nap (Napoleon) Five cards each, one brave bid – and the whole table ganging up to stop you going Nap. Trick-taking game (bidding) · 3–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  49. Toepen The Dutch pub game – only the last trick counts, the 10 ranks highest, and one knock on the table raises the stakes for everyone. Trick-taking game (bluffing) · 3–8 players · 30 min · 10+ · easy
  50. Agurk The Nordic "cucumber" game – beat the card on the table or give up your lowest, and don't be the one left holding the high card at the end. Trick-avoidance game · 2–7 players · 20 min · 7+ · easy
  51. All Fours (Seven Up) The 350-year-old ancestor of Pitch and Pedro – beg for a new trump, then fight for High, Low, Jack and Game. All Fours game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  52. Setback Bid how many of High, Low, Jack and Game your team can take, pitch the first card to set trumps – and get set back if you fall short. All Fours game · 2–6 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  53. Rummy The classic draw-and-discard game – collect sets and runs, lay them down and be the first to empty your hand. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 30 min · 7+ · easy
  54. Continental Fifteen cards, runs only, and no melding along the way – lay down your whole hand in one go and collect from everyone. Rummy game · 2–12 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  55. Canasta Uruguay's gift to the world – build seven-card canastas with your partner, freeze the pile, take it at the right moment and reach 5000. Canasta game · 2–4 players · 90 min · 10+ · tricky
  56. Hand and Foot Canasta with two hands each – play out your hand, pick up your foot and fill the table with seven-card books over four rounds. Canasta game · 2–6 players · 120 min · 10+ · medium
  57. Samba Canasta with three decks and runs – draw two cards a turn, build seven-card sambas and take your partnership to 10,000. Canasta game · 2–6 players · 90 min · 12+ · tricky
  58. Indian Rummy India's 13-card rummy – build a pure sequence, use the cut joker as a wild card and declare before the others can. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  59. Rummy 500 Every card you lay down scores – dig deep into the discard pile for the one you need, and be first to 500. Rummy game · 2–8 players · 60 min · 8+ · medium
  60. Contract Rummy Seven deals, seven contracts that get harder every time – and when the discard you need goes by, just shout "May I?" Rummy game · 3–8 players · 75 min · 10+ · medium
  61. Kalooki Open with 40 points, build on everyone's melds and stay under 150 – or lay down all 13 cards at once for a kalookie. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  62. Tonk Five cards, fast hands – lay down spreads, hit everyone's melds and drop when you think your hand is lowest. Rummy game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · easy
  63. Burraco Canasta's Italian cousin – meld runs and sets, pick up your pozzetto as a second hand and close with a clean burraco. Canasta game · 2–4 players · 90 min · 10+ · tricky
  64. Conquian The Mexican grandfather of rummy – 40 cards, no hand-keeping from the pile, and the first to meld eleven cards wins. Rummy game · 2–3 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  65. Chinchón Spain's seven-card rummy – match your hand, close before the others and dream of the seven-card run that wins the whole game. Rummy game · 2–8 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  66. Panguingue The old gambling rummy of the American West – eight decks, melds that pay chips on the spot, and eleven cards down to win. Rummy game · 2–8 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  67. Five-Card Stud The original stud poker – one card hidden, four for all to see, and a bet after every card. Poker (stud) · 2–10 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  68. Texas Hold'em (No Limit) Two secret cards, five shared ones and a pile of chips – bet it all when you dare and make the best five-card hand of seven. Poker (community cards) · 2–10 players · 90 min · 16+ · medium
  69. Five-Card Draw Five secret cards, one chance to swap – the poker everyone learns first, all about nerve and reading your opponents. Poker (draw) · 2–6 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  70. Seven-Card Stud Three cards hidden, four for all to see – five betting rounds in which you read the table card by card. Poker (stud) · 2–8 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  71. Omaha (Pot Limit) Hold'em with four hole cards – use exactly two of them, bet up to the size of the pot, and watch the monster hands collide. Poker (community cards) · 2–10 players · 90 min · 16+ · tricky
  72. Chinese Poker Thirteen cards, three poker hands, no betting – sort your cards cleverly and beat every opponent row by row. Poker (arranging) · 2–4 players · 30 min · 12+ · medium
  73. Short Deck Hold'em Hold'em without the 2s to 5s – big hands every deal, a flush that beats a full house, and antes that make every pot worth a fight. Poker (community cards) · 2–8 players · 90 min · 16+ · medium
  74. Razz Seven-Card Stud turned upside down – the lowest hand wins, Aces are small and the dream hand is 5-4-3-2-A. Poker (stud) · 2–8 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  75. 2-7 Triple Draw Three chances to swap your way down to the lowest hand – where Aces are high, straights hurt and 7-5-4-3-2 is perfection. Poker (draw) · 2–6 players · 60 min · 16+ · tricky
  76. Badugi Four cards, three draws, and the lowest hand wins – but only cards of four different suits and ranks count. Poker (draw) · 2–8 players · 60 min · 16+ · tricky
  77. Indian Poker Hold your card to your forehead – everyone sees it except you. Read their faces and bet on a card you can't see. Vying game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  78. Teen Patti India's three-card poker – bet blind without even looking, or look and pay double, and call for a show when only two are left. Vying game · 3–7 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  79. Baseball Seven-Card Stud with 3s and 9s wild – a face-up 4 walks you to an extra card, a face-up 3 costs you the pot or you strike out. Poker (stud) · 3–6 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  80. No-Peek Baseball Nobody looks at their cards – flip them one by one until you beat the table, with 3s and 9s wild and a 4 bringing an extra card. Poker (stud) · 3–6 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  81. Follow the Queen Seven-Card Stud where Queens are wild – and so is whatever card follows the last face-up Queen, until the next Queen changes it. Poker (stud) · 3–7 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  82. Anaconda Pass your trash left – three cards, then two, then one – then roll out your hand card by card and split the pot high and low. Poker (stud) · 3–7 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  83. Diablo Five-Card Draw with deuces wild – but whoever opens the betting must win the pot, or pay for the next one. Poker (draw) · 3–7 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  84. Chicago (Chicago Poker) Sweden’s favourite pub game – trade cards for the best poker hand, play for the all-important last trick, or boldly call "Chicago!" for the sweep. Poker (point poker & trick-taking) · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  85. Spit in the Ocean Four cards each and one face-up card for everyone – it's wild, and so is every card of its rank. Poker (draw) · 3–8 players · 60 min · 16+ · medium
  86. Home Poker Variants (Dealer's Choice) Chicago, Heinz, Mexican Stud, Iron Cross and more – each dealer picks the game, the wilder the better. Poker (mixed) · 3–8 players · 90 min · 16+ · medium
  87. Big Three Bid to take on the other two alone, dig up four hidden cards and empty your hand first – and beware the 3s, the strongest cards in play. Climbing game · 3–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  88. Pişti Match the top card or slap down a Jack to take the whole pile – and snap up a lone card for a 10-point pişti. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 7+ · easy
  89. Scopa Sweep the table clean – capture by matching and adding, and fight for the precious 7♦, the settebello. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 7+ · easy
  90. Escoba Spain's adding game – play a card that makes 15 with the table, sweep it clean for an escoba and grab the 7♦. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 7+ · easy
  91. Fan Tan Start each suit with its seven, build out towards Ace and 2, and hold back the cards your neighbours are waiting for. Layout game · 3–8 players · 15 min · 6+ · easy
  92. Ninety-Nine Add up the pile, call out the total – and don't be the one who can't keep it under 99. Adding game · 2–8 players · 20 min · 7+ · easy
  93. Boodle Run the suits up in sequence, pocket the chips on the four boodle cards and be first to empty your hand. Stops game · 3–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  94. Pig Pass cards round the circle as fast as you can, collect four of a kind – and don't be the last to touch your nose. Card-passing game · 3–13 players · 10 min · 5+ · easy
  95. Donkey Pass cards to the beat, sneak a token when you've got four of a kind – and don't be the one left without. Card-passing game · 3–8 players · 20 min · 5+ · easy
  96. Spoons Pass cards round the table until someone grabs a spoon – then everyone dives for the rest, and one hand comes up empty. Card-passing game · 3–13 players · 15 min · 5+ · easy
  97. War Flip your top card – the higher one takes both, and when two cards match, it's war! Children's game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 4+ · easy
  98. Beggar-My-Neighbour Turn up an Ace or a face card and your neighbour has to pay – with luck, you'll beggar them of every card. Children's game · 2–6 players · 20 min · 5+ · easy
  99. Chase the Ace One card each – keep it or swap it with your neighbour, and don't be caught holding the lowest. Swapping game · 3–20 players · 15 min · 5+ · easy
  100. Blackjack (Twenty-One) Get closer to 21 than the dealer without going over – hit, or stand? Banking game · 2–7 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  101. Old Maid Pair up your cards, draw blind from your neighbour – and pray you're not the one left holding the odd Queen. Pairing game · 2–8 players · 10 min · 4+ · easy
  102. Go Fish "Got any sevens?" – ask the others for cards, collect all four of a rank, and when they say "Go fish!", try your luck in the pond. Quartet game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 5+ · easy
  103. Concentration (Memory) All cards face down, two turned up at a time – remember where everything is and collect the most pairs. Memory game · 1–6 players · 20 min · 4+ · easy
  104. Snap Turn your cards one by one – and when two match, shout "Snap!" faster than anyone else. Reaction game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 4+ · easy
  105. Slapjack Cards go down one by one – when a Jack appears, slap it first and the whole pile is yours. Reaction game · 2–8 players · 15 min · 4+ · easy
  106. Egyptian Ratscrew Beggar-My-Neighbour with a slap – spot a double or a sandwich first and the whole pile is yours. Reaction game · 2–6 players · 20 min · 7+ · medium
  107. Goofspiel (GOPS) Both players hold the same thirteen cards – outguess your opponent and win the diamonds with a bid just one higher. Bidding game · 2–5 players · 10 min · 6+ · easy
  108. Nertz Everyone plays their own patience at once – onto the same foundations. Empty your Nertz pile and shout "Nertz!" Competitive patience · 2–6 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  109. Busfahrer (Ride the Bus) Red or black, higher or lower – guess right, survive the pyramid, or you're the one who has to drive the bus. Guessing game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 18+ · easy
  110. In-Between (Acey-Deucey) Two cards face up – will the third land in between? Bet as much of the pot as you dare. Banking game · 2–10 players · 20 min · 16+ · easy
  111. Red Dog (High Card Pool) A card is turned up – do you hold a higher one of the same suit? Bet on it, up to the whole pot. Banking game · 3–8 players · 20 min · 16+ · easy
  112. Baccarat (Punto Banco) Bet on Player or Banker – whose two or three cards come closest to 9? Banking game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  113. Faro Bet on a rank and let each pair of cards from the box decide – the banking game of the Wild West's saloons. Banking game · 2–10 players · 30 min · 16+ · medium
  114. Kings Cup A circle of cards around a cup, a rule for every rank – and whoever draws the fourth King faces the cup. Drinking game · 3–10 players · 30 min · 18+ · easy
  115. Horse Race Four Aces, one track, a flip of the deck at a time – back your horse with sips and cheer it over the finish line. Betting game · 3–10 players · 10 min · 18+ · easy
  116. Beat the Dealer Guess the top card, get a "higher" or "lower", guess again – every hit makes the dealer drink, every miss costs you. Guessing game · 3–8 players · 30 min · 18+ · easy
  117. Irish Snap Count "Ace, two, three …" as you play – when the card matches the word, everyone slaps, and the slowest hand takes the pile. Reaction game · 3–8 players · 15 min · 6+ · easy
  118. Secret Letter untested Sixteen cards, one card in your hand – guess, peek and duel your way to the end of the round, and never let go of the letter. Deduction game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · easy
  119. Intrigue untested Two hidden cards, a handful of coins and a straight face – claim any role you like, but if someone calls your bluff, it costs you dearly. Bluffing game · 2–8 players · 15 min · 12+ · medium
  120. Roses and Thorns untested Three roses and one thorn each – bid how many cards you can turn up without getting pricked, and keep a poker face while others try. Bluffing game · 3–10 players · 30 min · 10+ · easy
  121. Liar's Post untested Slide a card across the table, tell everyone what it is – and hope they don't believe you, or that they do. Bluffing game · 2–6 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  122. Sixth Card untested Everybody plays at once, the cards line up by themselves – and whoever lays the sixth card in a row swallows the other five. Simultaneous card-laying game · 2–10 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  123. Take or Pass untested Nobody wants the cards – so you pay a chip to pass them on, until someone decides the pile of chips is worth the pain. Push-your-luck game · 3–7 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  124. Wizards and Jesters untested Four Aces that always win, four 2s that always lose – and one more card every round to get your prediction exactly right. Trick-taking game (prediction) · 3–6 players · 45 min · 10+ · easy
  125. Ten Phases untested Ten tasks, one after another – collect sets, runs and suits, wave your wild Kings and make your rivals skip a turn. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 60 min · 8+ · easy
  126. On the Scale untested Somewhere between freezing and boiling sits a cup of tea – but where exactly? Read your friend's mind and find the spot. Cooperative guessing game · 2–12 players · 30 min · 10+ · easy
  127. Team Klondike untested One Klondike layout, two or three secret hands and no talking – sort the whole deck together before time runs out. Cooperative patience · 2–3 players · 25 min · 10+ · medium
  128. Tricks Together untested Everybody names their number of tricks, and the whole team wins only if everybody hits it exactly – without a word about the cards. Cooperative trick-taking game · 3–5 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  129. Defuse! untested One of you knows the code, the rest hold the pliers – and the expert may not say a single word. Cooperative deduction game · 2–5 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  130. Island Escape untested The island is sinking under your feet – grab the four treasures and run for the helicopter. Cooperative adventure game · 1–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  131. Summit Rush untested TriPeaks for two, both at once – grab, shout and clear all three peaks before the sand runs out. Cooperative patience (real time) · 2–3 players · 10 min · 7+ · easy
  132. Pot Luck untested Everyone brings a card to the pot – land three shared pots on exactly 21 as a team, never on your own card and without a word. Cooperative adding game · 2–5 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  133. Euler's Officers untested A 300-year-old card puzzle for a silent team – square the 16 officers so that no row or column repeats a rank or a suit. Cooperative puzzle · 1–4 players · 15 min · 10+ · easy
  134. Mind the Gap untested Build a pyramid in which every card is the difference of the two below it – from secret hands, without a word, up to the target at the top. Cooperative puzzle · 1–3 players · 15 min · 10+ · medium
  135. Spot On untested Plus, minus, times or divided by – one card each in turn, until the total lands exactly on a target from 100 to 999. Five times, without a word. Cooperative arithmetic game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  136. Balancing Act untested Two pans, one shaky scale and not a word about your cards – add weights in turn and bring the scale to rest with the last card of every round. Cooperative adding game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  137. Marriage Nepal's festival rummy with three decks and 21 cards – lay down three pure melds to see the hidden joker, then finish with wild cards. Rummy game · 2–5 players · 60 min · 12+ · tricky
  138. Hand Rummy A rummy hit from Jordan to the Gulf – open with 51 points, win wild Aces back from the table, or meld all 14 cards at once for a "hand". Rummy game · 2–4 players · 60 min · 10+ · tricky
  139. Andar Bahar One card in the middle, two piles growing beside it – bet on inside or outside and watch where its twin turns up. Banking game · 2–10 players · 20 min · 16+ · easy
  140. Kozel The Seven of Clubs beats everything, Queens and Jacks are always trumps – and the team that loses six times ends up as the goats. Ace–Ten game · 3–4 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  141. Seka Three cards, count one suit as in 31, bet until only two are left – and hope the Seven of Clubs is in your hand. Vying game · 2–8 players · 45 min · 16+ · easy
  142. Blef Is there a full house somewhere among everyone's cards? Bid higher or call the bluff – and every mistake costs you another card. Bluffing game · 2–8 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  143. Bonjour Monsieur Greet the King, greet the Queen, hail the Ace – one slip and the whole pile is yours. And every round's winner adds a new rule. Reaction game · 3–10 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  144. Ellibir (51) Turkey's two-deck rummy – open with 51 points or with five pairs, lay off everywhere and go out to score minus 100. Rummy game · 2–4 players · 90 min · 10+ · medium
  145. Koum Kan Greece's family rummy – ten cards, two decks, jokers you can steal back, and a second life when you go over 100. Rummy game · 2–10 players · 45 min · 8+ · medium
  146. Calabresella Tressette for three – one player bids to take on the other two, calls for the card they need and fights for 6 of the 11 points. Trick-taking game · 3–4 players · 45 min · 12+ · tricky
  147. Bestia Three cards, one trump and a growing pot – knock if you can win a trick, and pay the whole pot if you can't. Loo game · 3–10 players · 45 min · 16+ · easy
  148. Loo (Lanterloo) Stand, pass or take the miss – Jane Austen's gambling game, where one trick saves you and none gets you looed. Loo game · 3–10 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  149. Mouche Five cards, a basket of chips and a poker face – hold five of a suit and you take the lot before a card is played. Loo game · 3–7 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  150. Pife (Pif-Paf, Cacheta) Brazil's quick rummy – nine cards, two decks, and all your sets stay hidden until you slam them down at once. Rummy game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  151. Burro Follow suit or dig through the stock until you can – everyone races to empty their hand, and the last one holding cards is the donkey. Shedding game · 2–8 players · 15 min · 7+ · easy
  152. Dummy (Thai Rummy) Thailand's rummy – dig into the discard pile for the head card, guard the 50-point Queen of Spades and 2 of Clubs, and knock to finish. Rummy game · 2–4 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  153. Pok Deng Thailand's two-card banking game – show a Pok 8 or 9 at once, take a third card or stand, and hope for a flush that pays double. Banking game · 2–17 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  154. Phỏm (Tá lả) North Vietnam's rummy – snap up your neighbour's discard, meld in four quick rounds and keep your leftover points lower than everyone else's. Rummy game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  155. Rikken Name trumps, call an Ace and find out during play who your secret partner is – or take on all three alone. Trick-taking game (bidding) · 3–5 players · 60 min · 10+ · tricky
  156. Bismarck A whist game for exactly three – pick up four extra cards, choose your contract and beat your trick quota. Compendium game · 3 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  157. King (Kierki, Rentz) Ten deals, ten rules – dodge tricks, hearts, Queens and the King of Hearts, then win your points back with trumps. Compendium game · 3–6 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  158. Slobberhannes Don't win the first trick, don't win the last one and never take the Queen of Clubs – a five-minute rule for a whole evening. Trick-avoidance game · 3–7 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  159. Polignac Keep your hands off the Jacks – above all the Jack of Spades, named after a hated French minister of 1830. Trick-avoidance game · 3–8 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  160. Wippen A first card game for children from Belgium – match a card from the pot, empty it for a wip and hunt the 10♦ and the spades. Fishing game · 2–6 players · 45 min · 6+ · easy
  161. Paskahousu The popular Finnish beating game – play equal or higher, clear the pile with a 10 or an Ace, save your 2s and don't be the last one holding cards. Beating game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 8+ · medium
  162. Katko (Last Trick) Four or five cards, no trumps and only one trick that matters – the last one. A quick Finnish game for learning tricks. Trick-taking game · 2–20 players · 10 min · 7+ · easy
  163. Schnellen Tyrol's count-down game – every trick takes a point off, but play and miss them all and you shoot back up by five. Trick-taking game · 3–5 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  164. Chratze Swiss four-card game for a pot – promise two tricks, or just one, or bow out, and don't be the Susi who lets the pot go without a fight. Trick-taking game · 2–7 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  165. Night Parade untested Sixteen spirits lie face down in a jumble – peek, slide and give silent hints until every family walks together. Cooperative memory game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  166. Man the Boats untested The ship is sinking – sort the passengers into orderly queues and get them into the lifeboats before the last compartment floods. Cooperative patience · 1–5 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  167. Royal Rescue Raise armies from your hand, beat Ugly Umbar and his servants with the dice – then crack the dungeon's locks before your last card is gone. Cooperative dice-and-card game · 1–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · tricky
  168. Side by Side untested A band of friends in a long war – get rid of your cards together, but never let three of the same threat meet in No Man's Land. Cooperative hand-management game · 2–5 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  169. Dungeon Rush untested No turns, no mercy, five minutes on the clock – slap down the right suits together and fight your way through the dungeon to the boss. Real-time cooperative game · 2–4 players · 15 min · 8+ · medium
  170. One Up untested Play the same number or one higher – or bail out before your hand costs you dearly. Kings are worth ten, and they come round again. Shedding game · 2–6 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  171. Pinch untested Lay your cards out in front of you – and whenever you top another player's cards, you pinch them, straight into your own hand if you like. Shedding game · 2–5 players · 20 min · 10+ · medium
  172. Big Number untested Line up cards of one suit or one rank into the biggest number you can – 9, 7 and 2 make 972 – and take one beaten card back into your hand. Climbing game · 2–6 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  173. Unsorted untested You may never sort your hand – so play the cards that happen to sit side by side, and beat the table before your spare cards run out. Climbing game · 3–5 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  174. Waterhole untested Eight kinds of animal crowd round the waterhole – three of a kind chase off the next weaker ones, and only the tiny Aces dare to chase the 8s. Collecting game · 2–4 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  175. Sore Spot untested No suit to follow, every other suit trumps the lead – and everyone secretly has one suit that hurts. Trick-taking game · 3–6 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  176. Boil Over untested Three pots on the stove, spades as poison in any of them – and whoever makes a pot boil over past 20 has to take it. Adding game · 3–6 players · 20 min · 8+ · easy
  177. Headcount untested Everyone can see your card except you. Bid on the total of all the cards – and call it when someone bids too high. Bluffing game · 3–6 players · 20 min · 10+ · easy
  178. Underdog untested One card each, one chip to fight – and the lowest card in the fight adds the underdog card, so the weakest card can win. Vying game · 3–6 players · 15 min · 10+ · easy
  179. Cursed Bottle untested Low cards buy the cursed bottle and every sale lowers its price – win good tricks, but don't be the one left holding it. Trick-taking game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  180. Secret Trumps untested Only one player knows the trumps while everyone picks their hand from open rows – then fulfil your secret goals, one per round. Trick-taking game (goals) · 3–4 players · 45 min · 12+ · medium
  181. Jewel Vault untested Every trick you win and every suit you can't follow moves a jewel – into your vault, into your showroom, or out of someone else's. Trick-taking game (suit actions) · 2–6 players · 45 min · 8+ · easy
  182. Flock Together untested Lay your cards at the end of a row, catch everything between two of a kind – and fly a flock home until you hold seven species or two threes. Set-collecting game · 2–5 players · 20 min · 8+ · medium
  183. Horse Trading untested Bid for animals, pay in hidden money cards and challenge rivals to blind trades – a bluff with two zeros can win you a whole herd. Auction game · 3–5 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  184. Shared Air untested Several divers, one tank of air – every treasure you carry slows you down and uses up everybody's oxygen. Turn back in time or lose it all. Push-your-luck game · 2–6 players · 30 min · 8+ · medium
  185. Four Fields untested Sow, harvest and stockpile on four fields around the table – and turn the seasons so the harvest you want is never frozen in winter. Fishing game · 2–4 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  186. Power Struggle untested Sixteen cards each, poker hands to climb with and coups that beat everything – and the loser has to hand the winner their best card. Climbing game · 3–4 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  187. Powder Keg untested Draw a card at the end of every turn and hope it isn't a King – the Kings are powder kegs, and only a bucket of water saves you. Elimination game · 2–5 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  188. Temple Gold untested Everyone swears they're an honest adventurer – but somebody wants you to open the chamber with the fire trap. Social deduction game · 3–10 players · 15 min · 8+ · easy
  189. Bugami Like Hearts, but everyone picks their own poison – choose the suit you must not take, then dump the others' bugs on them. Trick-taking game · 3–7 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  190. Trigami Bugami for three, sharper – pick your bug suit, or bet on the hidden card or on a spotless hand for double points. Trick-taking game · 3 players · 60 min · 10+ · medium
  191. Monte Bank Two cards from the bottom, two from the top – then the gate shows its suit. The Mexican banking game of the California gold fields. Banking game · 2–10 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  192. Lansquenet Two cards on the table, then turn until one of them is matched – the mercenaries' banking game that Rabelais and Dumas knew. Banking game · 2–10 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  193. Farmer Bid for the farm, then hope nobody draws exactly 16 – the old French banking game of drawing to a number, a century before Twenty-One. Banking game · 3–10 players · 30 min · 16+ · medium
  194. Speculation Nobody looks at their cards – you buy and sell them instead. The noisy round game from Jane Austen's Mansfield Park. Trading game · 3–9 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  195. Commerce Trade with the banker or barter with your neighbour until someone knocks – the old game of tricons and points, probably the ancestor of Schwimmen. Swapping game · 3–12 players · 30 min · 16+ · medium
  196. Primero (Primiera) Shakespeare's gambling game – four cards, sevens worth 21, and one card of each suit to win the pot. Vying game · 2–6 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  197. Bouillotte (Brelan) The salon game of revolutionary Paris – three cards, one turned card, and your opponents' cards can win the pot for you. Vying game · 2–5 players · 60 min · 16+ · tricky
  198. Ambigu Four cards, two draws and a price on every combination – Louis XIV's "mixed" game, the old French cousin of draw poker. Vying game · 2–6 players · 45 min · 16+ · medium
  199. Gleek Tudor England's game for three – buy the stock, vie for the ruff, show your gleeks, then fight for Tib and Tiddy in the tricks. Trick-taking game · 3 players · 30 min · 16+ · tricky
  200. Imperial (Impériale) Piquet with a trump suit – declare your point and your imperials, then fight for the honours, and wipe out your rival's score. Trick-taking game · 2–3 players · 30 min · 12+ · tricky
  201. Losing Lodam The 17th-century ancestor of Hearts – dodge the Aces and Tens, and hope your neighbours forget which suit is trumps. Trick-avoidance game · 3–9 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  202. Catch the Ten (Scotch Whist) Edinburgh's old favourite – the Jack of trumps is top dog, and the whole table hunts the Ten of trumps. Ace–Ten game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  203. Laugh and Lie Down Pair your cards with those on the table until you can't – then lie down while the others laugh. A Tudor game for five. Fishing game · 3–6 players · 30 min · 10+ · easy
  204. Comet Run the cards up to the King in one long tail, call "without" when you're stuck – and keep the wild Comet for the moment it counts. Stops game · 2–5 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium
  205. Hoc (Hoc Mazarin) Bid and bluff for point, sequence and three of a kind, then race to shed your cards – Cardinal Mazarin's game, with six hocs that stop everything. Stops game · 2–3 players · 45 min · 16+ · tricky
  206. Yaniv Throw sets and runs, draw one card, and call "Yaniv!" the moment your hand is nearly empty – but only if nobody has less. Draw-and-discard game · 2–5 players · 30 min · 8+ · easy
  207. Sette e mezzo (Seven and a Half) Italy's Christmas card game – draw towards 7½ without going over, and beat the banker's hand. Banking game · 2–8 players · 30 min · 16+ · easy
  208. Mauscheln Four cards, one trump, and a pot of chips – say "I'll play!" if you dare to win two tricks, and hope nobody joins you. Trick-taking game · 3–7 players · 20 min · 16+ · easy
  209. Prší The Czech cousin of Mau-Mau – match suit or rank, stack sevens and Aces, and let a Queen change the suit. Shedding game · 2–5 players · 15 min · 6+ · easy
  210. Machiavelli Italy's rearranging rummy – every card on the table is up for grabs, so break up sets and runs to find room for your hand. Rummy game · 2–5 players · 40 min · 9+ · medium
  211. Scala 40 Italy's classic rummy – open with 40 points, add to anyone's melds and go out before the penalty reaches 101. Rummy game · 2–6 players · 45 min · 10+ · medium
  212. Skitgubbe Sweden's classic for three – first hoard good cards by winning tricks, then beat or pick up until only one player is stuck with cards. Beating game · 2–4 players · 25 min · 8+ · medium
  213. Eleusis The dealer invents a secret rule for which card may follow which – everyone else plays cards, gets told yes or no and works out the rule. Guessing game · 3–8 players · 45 min · 12+ · medium
  214. Pusoy Dos The Philippine cousin of Big Two – beat every play with a higher card or poker hand, with diamonds as the top suit and the 3♣ to start. Climbing game · 2–4 players · 30 min · 10+ · medium