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Card Games – Fun guide to the best card game rules

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.

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.

Our aim is to curate the worlds number one card game rules site, dedicated to teaching people how to play card games. There are so many card games to play and love our there and we intend to feature games that are played all over the world. Card games that are popular not just in the west but in the east and everywhere in between, from India to Africa to Japan to Fiji, because people all over the world like playing card games.

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, board games, and all games in between are great for society because it forces us to socialize with other people and spend quality time in the present moment with fellow human beings. 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 make the world a better place through our love of card games. You’re welcome.

Card Game Rules

Here on GameRules.com you will find the rules to almost any card game you can think of, or at least that’s the goal. There are a lot card game rules out there so it’s going to take us some time to get all the rules on the site and even more time to perfect them and make sure they are accurate. But guess what. That’s where you come in!

This is a community we are building here. A community for people who love card games and board games. This site isn’t for us, it for everyone. So if you come across a card game rule that is wrong in any way shape or form, tell us about it. If there is a card game rule that we haven’t post, tell us about. If you want to write a card game rule for us, let’s make it happen.

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.

There are so many card games to play and learn and we hope Game Rules will be the place for the world to learn those card games, spread them around, and keep them alive. 

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. See playing cards have evolved over hundreds of years. Its origins, however, cannot be pinpointed to a specific time in history, thus the history of playing cards is an uncertain one.

Scholars believe that the history of playing cards originated in Asia although it cannot be confirmed unequivocally. We can start to see playing cards appear in Europe around the late 14th century and early 15th century.

That means that playing cards in Asia had to have been around since the 1300s at the least. Can you grasp that? I mean human beings have been playing some form of cards for over 600 years. The history of playing cards must be a fascinating one, envision the royalty of the Ming dynasty playing cards late into the night over drinks!

The history of playing cards follows a long journey that presumably starts in Asia and travels through Italy, Spain, Germany, France, and England before making its way to the United States, with each country along the way altering and shaping the deck and the games that we’ve come to love today.

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-1900s when the Jokers then were called the “best bower”.

The history of playing cards is an adventurous one that circles the globe. There are many myths and legends of its history, some true and some false. How will we in this present time ultimately leave our mark on the overall history of the iconic deck and the centuries-old and new games we love to play.

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.

But Don’t skip ahead just yet. Although we won’t be handing over a list of the best card games, we will leave you with a list of popular card games from around the world, as well as a list of five card games to play that you should definitely try at least once before you die. Now, how’s that for compromise?

If you want to know what card games are popular around the world then look no further. We got a two-part post for you covering the most popular card games in various countries.

Check out Popular Card GameS From Around The World Part 1 to see what’s hot in Canada and Great Britain. And if you’re interested in knowing what games are popular in Mexico and China then check out Popular Games From Around The World Part 2.

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, I can’t imagine how one could, “not be into card games” — but hey I’ve heard crazier things. Back to my point, you may not be that into card games but you have to at least play these five card games before you die, otherwise, you didn’t really live — right?

  1. Spades – This game is capable of bringing out the worse in people so find out who your real friends are when you challenge them to a game of spades.Spades was first introduced in America in the 1930s and have 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.
  2. Bridge – We are all going to get old someday, and when you do Bridge is waiting for you.

    The objective of the game is to score points by making bids, or by defeating the opposing players’ bid. 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 a 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.
  4. Blind Squirrel This one get’s you drunk. That’s all you need to know.Blind Squirrel is a drinking card game that is not for the faint of heart. Must be 21 to play unless you live in Europe where the drinking age is like 12 or something. Drink Responsibly.
  5. Blackjack – Vegas baby! Or just at home with fake poker chips, cheap boxed wine and Ritz crackers with squeezable cheese.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 go over 21 points that are considered a bust and you automatically forfeit your bet.

Fun Card Games

Looking for a list of fun card games? We’ll look no further, the fun card games train is here, woot-woot! The answer you’re looking for is… all card games are fun, just pick one.

Although my prior statement is true, I made a list of card games for you anyways. Check out these five card games that are guaranteed to be fun, fun, fun. Can I get woot woot…?

  1. Spoons – Watch out now, this card game is hella fun yet hella dangerous. Only play if you have insurance or you don’t mind losing a hand.

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, there are one fewer spoons than there are players per round. Once a player has four cards of the same rank in hand they grab a spoon in the center of the table. 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 – A modern version of 10 card golf, it’s modern so therefore inherently fun — #logical.

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 avoid, but… trust me 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 (ERS) is a fast-paced game of 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. Speed – Keanu Reeves.

Simple Card Games

Looking for simple card games to play?  Well, you’re in luck we’ve made a list of card games that are simple, fun, and great for kids.

Some of them take hours and are great for when you need to keep kids occupied for long periods of time. A far better option than locking them in the closet I can assure you. The best thing about this list is that these card games are not only great for young kids but still fun enough to engage your adult mind too when you’re ready to join in on the fun.

1. Go Fish – This may be the simplest of simple card games. Ask yee shall receive… or otherwise, go fish.

2. War– The objective of the game is to win all cards.

3. Speed– The objective of Speed, simple, play all of your cards as fast as possible.

4. Skat Skat is a popular German trick-taking game that accommodates 3 players. It was created in 1840 in Altenburg, Germany

5. 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

Classic card games hold a special place in our hearts here at Game Rules. That’s because classic card games are the foundation of all card games and they must be respected. So let’s take a moment to pay homage to the O.G’s — (pours drink on ground). Word.

On another note if you are a part of the new school movement that thinks the classics have lived past their prime, take a look at the article we wrote titled Classics vs The New Age and then pick a side.

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.

Gin Rummy

Players 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.

Bridge

The objective of the game is to score points by making bids, or by defeating the opposing players’ bid. The team with the most points wins.

Euchre

The goal is to win more tricks than the opposing team. This game is special it even requires a special deck and everything. Learn about the game the introduced the Joker to the mainstream 52 card deck that we know today.

Hearts

The objective of this game is to have the lowest score. 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. Fact. But one drawback to card games is that often playing card games requires other people unless of course, you’re playing single player card games like Solitaire and the like.

Finding other people to play with can be a hassle at times. But lucky for you, we were born during the most opportune time. The time age of the internet. I present you the concept of “Online Card Games.” That’s right, online card games can be played online at any time with real people or computers, how sweet is that?

There are so many websites these days that offer online card games, and even better is that many of them offer free online card games. You can probably find a way to play the majority of card games you love online, for free. Games like Poker, Heart, Bridge and yes Cribbage, all available for free play online.

Be wary though of new online casino sites in the UK. There are many online gambling sites that look appetizing and can be loads of fun but you can lose some serious money on there so make sure you feel comfortable with what you’re signing up for. If you don’t care about betting then steer clear of online poker sites altogether. There are plenty of free online card game sites where you can play as much as you want… for free! Two claps for that.

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!