Different Types of Card Games

There are limitless types of card games to be played. People think that because the two games use the same deck of 52 cards, they are similar, but nothing could be more different from Barbu and Speed or Pai Gow and Pinochle.

Here’s a list of twenty kinds of card games and some facts about them.

1. Bridge

The Bridge is a popular contract bidding game. The Bridge has a culture — websites, newspaper columns, and even radio shows devoted to bridge strategy. There is a worldwide obsession with Bridge, even though it has been called the hardest card game in the world. With a complicated process and steep learning curve, too many bridges are not just a game. It is a lifestyle. I wish I were exaggerating.

2. Whist

Whist could be called “Bridge, Jr.,” though it is not as big a game as it once was and is dwarfed in popularity by big-brother Bridge. Whist has never really died out. Card gamers love trick-taking games — beating out your opponent in such a visual way is one of the more exciting parts of any card game. Whist has some of the complexity of Bridge without any bidding.

3. Texas Hold’em

Texas Hold’em is a legend — a poker variation with a story as rich as a spaghetti Western. This version of poker, a drawing and betting game, was invented and then made popular by old-time poker sharks in Texas, hence the name. This is easily the most popular poker variant and brings more new people to card gaming than any other game.

4. Hearts

It is said that most of the professional poker tour players are hardcore Hearts players and that they bet big money on cutthroat games of Hearts in dark, mysterious rooms during tournaments. Romantic as that may sound, it would make sense for these card sharks to love the game of Hearts – an otherwise childlike game of matching cards (and no bidding) usually turns into a competitive nightmare. Because of the gameplay, there are many ways to screw your opponents in Hearts. Trick-winning and passing cards are big elements of Hearts.

5. Spades

People don’t realize it, but a spade is a variation of Bridge that simplifies the game even more than Whist and changes its outcome. Spades are popular in large groups, on college campuses, and in tournaments worldwide. There may be as many variations of Spades as groups are playing it — thanks to “jailhouse rules,” which penalize tactics like point sandbagging and the existence of multiple versions of “house rules.” It’s a strategic game you can play without paying much attention.

6. Go-fish

This is the simple children’s card-matching game we all remember from childhood. You can play Go-fish with as many players as you have cards. Some people claim Go-Fish is a variation of Rummy, but the simplicity of the game and the children’s game gimmick make it likely just some toy company’s creation. Strangely enough, Go-fish is known as Literature in some parts of the world. Write in if you understand that one.

7. War

Another children’s game (or time-killing), War, is straight luck-based. Depending on the card flop, you either win or lose a war—most people under 30 learned War before they learned any other card game. You’ll see War played a lot in lines at airports.

8. Oh Hell!

Substitute your dirty word for “Hell!” and you know this party game. Most of the fun is that you get to cuss a lot, and people laugh at you. What keeps this game popular is that it is a strict betting game. The object of Oh Hell! is to bid the precise number of tricks you will win. You have to take only the number you bid, no more or less. Play is accurate, and because of the game’s structure, one player always blows it big time. There. That’s what’s fun. Screwing your opponent.

9. Blackjack

A skill game in some casinos is the best bet you can make to play a perfect hand. This is one of the most popular casino card games, with a popular culture as THE “Vegas” game. The point is to build a hand that adds up to 21 points without going over and ending up with a higher number than the dealer. Players compete against the House directly, adding to the fun. Little known fact — there exists somewhere in this world a blackjack player’s hall of fame. It is safe to say that this game has a cult following.

10. Baccarat

James Bond’s favorite game (don’t believe the hype — it wasn’t poker or blackjack — read the books), Baccarat is a basic betting game. Players bet on who will win a hand – the player, the banker, or if there will be a tie. Sure, it looks easy, but Baccarat is a skill game. A small sidenote about Baccarat — the name comes from the name of the worst possible hand. This would be like calling your video poker machine “High Card Poker.” It just doesn’t have the same ring as “Royal Flush.”

11. Solitaire

The most varied card game in the world. They call this game Patience in England and for a good reason. Solitaire requires little setup beyond putting cards in specific places and is usually played by yourself. Solitaire is another popular airport line waiting game.

12. Rummy and variations

There are many different kinds of Rummy, more than are probably written down on any list. I’ve written for a website that had me list 500 variations or other names for Rummy, so I’ll spare you the reading and say there are lots of kinds of Rummy. The popular versions are Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and Contract Rummy. The feature that makes a Rummy game is a player matching identical cards into pairs and other groups. Some experts believe the Chinese game of Mahjong is part of the Rummy family, though I’d bet the Chinese are just fine with Mahjong as it is.

13. Pai Gow

This old Chinese domino game has been passed down through the years as a poker variation. You’ll see Pai Gow at casinos in both poker and a domino game — it is probably the casino game that the least number of people understand. This is a game of fast bets, player versus dealer. Pai Gow’s strategy is just as rich as any other poker betting game, and the culture of Pai Gow is similar to the Blackjack culture — super-fast bets and edgy behavior at the margins.

14. Spoons

A silly card game probably invented to keep kids out of trouble, Spoons is a bluffing game (with some matching elements) that uses simple kitchen utensils as an added play element. The first player in the group to draw a poker-style four-of-a-kind reaches a pile of spoons in the middle of the table, signaling the other players to grab one. One player will be left out every time since there’s one less spoon than players. So it’s a social interaction game, not a chock-full of card strategies. It’s still fun. It’s a great date night game.

15. Speed

Speed (sometimes called Spit) is a unique matching game because both players play simultaneously and as fast as possible. In Speed, players try to ‘get rid’ of their cards by matching them to cards placed face-up on the table. This is a face-to-face game, though there’s little interaction between the opponents. The last few moments of any game of Speed remind me of solitaire on fast-forward, with hands and cards flying around and rows forming and draining like water pipes: strange game, Speed.

16. Crazy 8s

This is another children’s matching game, a cousin to Uno’s popular game. The 8s in the deck of standard cards are considered “crazy” not because they need to be medicated but to indicate they are wild cards. In some Crazy 8s, Wild Cards and other “rule cards” exist, making the game more complex for older players.

17. Slapjack

Slapjack is the perfect vehicle if you want to teach younger kids more complex card games. The object of Slapjack is to acquire the whole deck of cards by matching and slapping pairs. Kids like to hit stuff, and the game can be played repeatedly.

18. Old Maid

You don’t need an “Old Maid” deck to play this kid’s card game — any standard 52-card deck will do. Just remove one of the Queens. Old Maid is a matching game where players find pairs. Then, you trade cards with your opponent until that player is left with the unmatched Queen. Matching games are popular, and the novelty “Old Maid” packs are fun for kids.

19. Cribbage

This hybrid board and card game has complicated rules that intimidate people, even hardcore card gamers. You play cribbage by forming groups of cards worth different point values and moving a peg on a board representing your progress accordingly. Requiring a specific board (or a quick hand with a pen and paper), cribbage isn’t the best travel game, but as fans of cribbage tell you, no two games are alike. There are solitaire versions of cribbage and other varieties of cribbage gameplay to choose from if you’re bored with the standard version.

20. Pinochle

Pinochle is popular because it is a trick-taking game with a 48-card deck. In Pinochle, you try to make melds or tricks like in Gin, but a complex scoring system makes the game fun to learn and master. Unfortunately, to be good at Pinochle, you must play for several years and lose plenty of hands. Though it is less popular year after year, Pinochle is one of those “heritage games.”