25 Most Popular Card Games
After reviewing the ever expanding world of card games we compiled this list. These are what we consider the 25 most popular card games.
- Bridge – A contract bidding game popular in every country in the world, bridge has many spinoffs which appear on this same list, proving its popularity. Books and newspapers and websites are packed with bridge strategy and bridge trivia – call-in radio shows and write-in articles appear all over the world. Wherever cards are played there is bound to be a bridge fan or two, and this game (known as the most difficult card game in the world) is still growing in popularity.
- Texas Hold’em – Recent fanaticism notwithstanding, Texas Hold’em is one of the most unique stories in card gaming. Invented and popularized by the early poker sharks in Texas, hence the name. The most popular poker variant (and since poker is one of the most popular card games to begin with, perhaps the most popular single game) is also the flagship game of the World Series of Poker and the game most new poker players are interested in.
- Hearts – I have heard anecdotally that most of the professional poker tour players are Hearts players in a secretive kind of way, and that they bet large amounts of money on very cutthroat games of Hearts in dark smoky rooms between tournaments. It is easy to see why they love this game – what seems like an innocent game of matching (without the bidding features present in most of the games on this list) can quickly turn into a series of personal vendettas. There are many ways to “screw” other players when playing Hearts, and that adds to the game’s social nature.
- Whist – Considered by many to be “Bridge light”, Whist has never really gone out of popularity. Players unfamiliar with the game may think of older players as the main audience for this game, but most games of bidding and trick-taking will always have a big following. Card players love competition and engaging play, and since the only thing known at the opening of a game of whist is your own thirteen cards, intrigue abounds.
- Spades – The perfect game for a group of friends and a six pack of beer, spades is another variant of bridge that simplifies and cements the game’s eventual outcome. Game variations abound, including the popular “jailhouse rules” which penalize sandbagging and variations to incorporate the more engaging aspects of “strip poker”.
- Bingo – Only technically a “card game”, Bingo sits in this spot mainly because of its pervasive popularity. A matching game where players match their card with a series of numbers called out by a host, Bingo is most popular because of the prize winnings possible. Similar to Keno, Bingo promises large payouts on small winning opportunities. Hugely popular on cruises, at retirement homes, played after church, or for fundraising, a form of Bingo is historically known to be responsible for the funds to build the Great Wall of China.
- Blackjack – A game that mixes skill with chance, and probably the most popular casino card game, Blackjack challenges players to get as close to a total of 21 points (based on a card-point value system) without going over. Players compete by themselves, usually against each other and the dealer, or the House, at the same time. In a casino setting, blackjack is usually the most profitable bet for a skilled player. There is a blackjack player’s hall of fame, making this game one of just two or three in the top 25 game to have a hall of fame.
- Baccarat – James Bond fans will recognize this as 007’s favorite game, even though the most recent remake of Casino Royale replaced Baccarat with Texas Hold’em to keep up with current trends. Baccarat is a simple game of betting who will win a given hand – player, banker, or tie. Seemingly a simple game, baccarat does depend as much on skill as it does on luck. The worst hand possible, scored a 0, is known as a “baccarat” – interesting because most games aren’t named after the worst hand possible.
- Solitaire – The game with the most variants on this list, solitaire (known as Patience outside of America) has been played as long as playing cards have existed. The presence of Klondike solitaire on most people’s home computers has further popularized the game, and landed plenty of employees in hot water with their bosses. This game is fun, requires little or no setup, and can be played on those lonely summer nights. You don’t even have to put on pants.
- Rummy and Variants – Having just concluded that solitaire is the card game with the most variations, I must admit Rummy is high up on that list as well. One website listed almost 500 variations or names for Rummy, the most popular of which are probably Gin Rummy, Liverpool Rummy, and Contract Rummy. The feature that binds all these games together is the matching of similar or identical cards into pairs and other groups. The Chinese game of Mahjong is often considered part of the Rummy family, as is the ancient Mexican card game Conquain.
- Go-Fish – A simple children’s card game, playable by up to ten players or more. This is a basic card-matching game, similar to a Rummy variant but even simpler and involving the gimmick of asking a player “Do you have any 4s?” Another game big in popular culture, Go Fish is also known as Literature or just Fish.
- War – This is a children’s game played in many parts of the world. No strategy is really involved – just using the ability to recognize which of two cards is higher in rank, and to follow the procedure of the game. A simple game, this is likely the first game that many people ever learned.
- Crazy 8s – A matching game popular among children, Crazy 8s is cousin to the popular young-adult game Uno. The 8s in the deck are considered “crazy” not because of an emotional imbalance but because it is usually a wild card, or in some variations can determine the suit of the card other players must play.
- Slapjack – Also known as “slaps”, this is a great way to introduce the concept of card games to younger audiences. The object is to hold the entirety of a 52-card deck by acquiring piles of cards. Players lay their cards faceup until a Jack is revealed, at which point the first player to slap the Jack gets to keep the entire pile underneath the Jack. Whoever obtains the entire deck is the winner. Endlessly repeatable, and fun for young children, Slapjack will always be popular.
- Old Maid – Requiring a special deck of cards, this is yet another game aimed at children. Also known as “Spinster”, if a specialty deck is not available, a standard 52 card deck can be altered by removing one of the Queens and used for play. This is a game of matching pairs, and in between the matching of cards players offer their cards to other players – once one player is left with an odd “Queen” (the Queen with no match), the game is over, and the Old Maid has been found out. This game picks up on children’s desire to single out and make fun of the weaker of their group – and as such a game, it will not fall out of favor any time soon.
- Tarot – Not traditionally considered a “card game”, Tarot is an ancient fortune-telling technique that has been embraced by contemporary game and card lovers as an interesting distraction. Part of the appeal is the artistry of the cards – most cards feature a standard set of “types” with a huge variety of ways to represent these types artistically. In fact, the cards are now valued for their collectible value far more than the card’s ability to “predict” the future. Admittedly, many still believe in the power of the cards, and take the ‘game’ of Tarot quite seriously.
- 52 Card Pick-Up – If you haven’t fallen for this trick yet, I won’t ruin the experience for you.
- Cribbage – A complicated hybrid board-and-card game, cribbage is played by making groups of cards that are worth different point values, and moving a peg that represents your progress accordingly. The game does require a bit of setup – the board is notoriously complex – but the possibilities for play ensure that no two games are the same. Variations of the game include solitaire versions as well as an endless number of cribbage board varieties.
- Poker Variants – We talked about Texas Hold’em and its popularity earlier – but this is hardly the only popular poker variety. From Omaha to Stud to various versions of the game that combine other versions into a HORSE-like game, casinos and poker players seem to be coming up with new combinations every day. Some poker games alter the number of cards, from 3 to 7 and more, while others add or take away bidding rounds, combine players into pairs, or absorb other games into a poker-style interface.
- Pai Gow – Though technically an ancient Chinese domino game and not a card game, Pai Gow has been showing up at casinos in America both in its Poker form and the original domino game. It is a quick betting game, where the player is against the dealer, and can be bet on with ease and strategy.
- Video Poker – There are as many variations in video poker as there are in traditional poker and then some. Video poker consists of one person playing against a random number generator, and the strategy varies depending on which video poker machine you’re playing. There are enough strategy aides for video poker plays to choke several acres worth of horses, so if this is your game you have plenty of ways to learn to win.
- Strip Poker – Admittedly this is just a variant of poker, and can be played using any rules for any game of poker – the difference being that a losing hand means the removal of an article of clothing. Quite popular among young people and in party situations, this game should probably be even higher on the list than it already is. Socks count, by the way.
- Spoons – A popular game for parties and family reunions, or any group of rowdy people – Spoons is a game of bluffing and matching made spicy with the addition of several plain kitchen spoons. The first in the group to draw a four of a kind under traditional poker rules must grab for a spoon from the middle of the table, and the last person to grab for a spoon is the loser. The real fun of the game is the interaction between players, making this a great game for group dates.
- Speed – Ah, Speed. Card game I spent a large portion of my juvenile years perfecting. A matching game, where a player tries to ‘get rid’ of his or her cards by matching them to cards placed face-up on the playing surface, speed usually features two players face-to-face. The intriguing part of the game is the fact that neither player really depends on the other for game play – in other words, players are playing against themselves alongside one another. The game is true to its name, often ending in a riotous explosion of cards and hands.
- Pinochle – A trick-taking game played with a 48 card deck where players try to win combinations of “melds” or “tricks”. With a complex scoring and playing system, Pinochle has a high learning curve and must be learned over time to be played with expertise. Less and less popular in the world of Texas Hold’em and blackjack, Pinochle is seen as a heritage game, and many people have it passed on to them as part of family tradition.
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The information here on tarot badly needs correcting. Tarot cards are not really ancient. Tarot cards were not originally made for predicting the future. They were made for game playing. Yes I’m speaking of a trick taking card game similar to spades or pinochle. Most English speakers are only aware of tarot fortune telling but in countries like France, there is a real tarot card game which is hugely popular. It would be a good thing if the media in countries like the US would expose people to tarot game playing instead of always focusing on fortune telling.
Actually even the most experienced blackjack players will not win money in the long run. The statistical odds are in favor of the casino. You may have a lucky streak, but if you play long enough you will be back down to $0.
Don’t forget “Oh Hell!”, supposedly Bill Clinton’s favorite card game (widely reported in the press over the years). It’s a variation of the trick-taking card games and is similar to Whist, Bridge, etc.
Hi, You have some really Great articles on your blog. I also like the theme and the layout as well. Nice work!
My favorite is spades. We generally play without counting the bags. The 100 point penalty for scoring ten bags means that you end up helping your opponents to make their bid. I think it is more cut-throat without it.
I’ve never heard of the strip poker version. Probably just as well.