Games to Play with Cards

A regular deck of cards is great to have on hand when you’re in the mood to do something fun, social, and stimulating. There are plenty of games to play with cards.

If you’re playing solo, you can try Solitaire or Memory. If you’re looking for card games for a group, you can consider Spades, Cribbage, or Spoons. For some of these, you don’t even need a deck to play; for instance, you can play Spades online for free at Spades.co!

Card Games for Single Players

While card games are generally designed for multiple players, there are still plenty of plays that you can do solo. Here are two of the most popular card games for single players:

Solitaire

Solitaire is the best card game to play solo. There are more than 150 games devised, with varied objectives, setups, or gameplays each. Generally, however, the goal of the game is to release and play into position certain cards to build up a foundation from the Ace through the King–in sequence and suit. If you can build the whole pack onto the foundations, you win Solitaire. In addition, there are many cognitive benefits to playing solitaire.

Memory

Memory is a concentration game that involves pairing up cards to remove them. A deck is dealt face down in four rows of thirteen cards each. You start by choosing two cards to turn face up. If they’re the same rank, they’re considered a pair and can be removed from play. If they’re not, the cards are turned face down again and you choose another two to turn. The challenge is to remember where cards of particular ranks are located so that you can pair them and take them out. The game continues until you pick up the last pair.

Card Games for Multiple Players

Card games are best played with a group–and there are hundreds of multiplayer games that have been designed to prove it! Here are a few of the best ones to get you started:

Spoons

Spoons is a simple and fast game that even kids can play! Each player gets four cards and simultaneously passes a card to the left, trying to get a set of four matching cards. When a player completes a set, they take a spoon from the center and everyone has to follow suit. There’s one less spoon than the number of players, so whoever is the slowest to pick one up is out of the game.

Cribbage

Cribbage is a long-standing classic that has been entertaining players since the seventeenth century. The goal is to be the first to reach 121 points scored through card combinations, tallied by pegging on a cribbage board.

Players are dealt six cards, from which they set aside two to a ‘crib,’ leaving them with a hand of four. Cards are played in turns to reach a value of no more than thirty-one. Players score for combinations that add to fifteen, pairs or triples, etc.

Games like Cribbage require considerable skill, making it an interesting play.

Spades

Spades is a popular trick-taking game that challenges luck and strategy. At each round, players bid (predict) how many tricks (plays) they’ll win in advance. If they’re correct, they win a certain number of points. The goal is to win a predetermined score, usually set at 500.

Bidding and scoring in Spades can get a bit confusing at first, but sites like Spades.co make it easy for everyone to practice the game first-hand.

Play Cards on Spades.co

Spades.co lets you play Spades online for free, allowing you to learn the ropes for when you eventually play in-person with a group or hone your skills to ensure you win every game you play. Try it out today!