
But it has the perfect mix of decision making and luck, which ensures it is rewarding and yet casual. It is a little quirky, and you'll probably need the help of an app or some "how to play" videos to learn the rules. In fact, in another article I suggested twenty reasons why Cribbage is a great game. What's good about it : Cribbage, let me count the ways that I love thee. The goal is to be the first player to score 121. After you've both played your hand, a random "cut card" is added to your hand and you each score points for similar combinations, and one player also earns the points in the "crib". During this process, you score points for things like bringing the count to 15 or 31, as well as combinations of cards like pairs and triples of the same value, or runs with three or more cards of consecutive values. You play cards in turn, keeping a running total of what their combined value is, until you can't play more cards without going over 31, at which point the cumulative count starts over. How it works : You each get a starting hand of six cards, from which you both select two cards that are put face-down into a "crib" that will be revealed at the end of the hand. It's a classic card game that goes back to the 1600s, and despite some quirky rules, is easily my most played two player game of all time. So find yourself a friend or companion, grab a deck of cards, and see what fun can be had playing one of these fantastic two-player card games!Ĭribbage Cribbage is instantly recognizable due to the iconic board used for scoring. To keep things simple, games are listed in alphabetical order. But it is a subjective choice, so I've included a longer list of "Honorable Mentions" at the end, as well as a "What next" section following each game, to point to other strong contenders that are worth looking at. I've consulted a lot of sources in making this list, and have also drawn on my own extensive experience in playing card games. Although there are some contemporary two-player card games that are very good, these still need to stand the test of time.

I have focused on traditional games that have already proven themselves, and focused especially on games that are most loved and well-known. Here is a carefully curated list of popular two-player games played with standard playing cards. Fortunately there are a lot of fantastic card games that are terrific with exactly two players. But in many instances the game experience is inferior to the same game played with more people at the table. A lot of card games can be played with two players, like Canasta.

Suddenly the options become more limited. The choices are many: classic trick-taking games like Pinochle or Whist, modern trick-taking games like Hearts or Spades, partnership games like Canasta or 500, social games like President or Palace, and children's games like Slap Jack or Go Fish.īut what about if you only have two players? In reality, most of us find ourselves with exactly two players, especially if you are looking to play a game with your significant other, or with a friend. While classic card games like Bridge may be waning in popularity, at least as far as the everyday person is concerned, over the last century many wonderful new card games have emerged and added to the diverse options for playing a game with a traditional deck of cards. Casual poker tournaments are found around the world, and the game is even played professionally, receiving television coverage.

But card games continue to be as popular as ever. Over the centuries that have elapsed since then, we've learned a lot of secondary uses for playing cards, like card magic and cardistry.

Add gambling to the mix, and you get a winning catalyst. This primary usage explains why playing cards spread rapidly throughout Europe after they first arrived there in the late 14th century. Top Traditional Card Games For Just Two Players One of the best uses for playing cards is.
