What should we play tonight?
Two different nights. At a table you need a pick, a one-pager, and a place to keep score. Alone, open a trainer and see every card.
4 players
| Game | Kit |
|---|---|
| Euchre | 24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10. |
| Hearts | Full 52, everyone for themselves, lowest to 100. |
| Five Hundred | 43-card pack plus a joker, widow, race to 500. Not a standard 52. |
| Spades | Full 52, partners, paper, 500. |
| Canasta | Two 52s + 4 jokers, partners, paper, 5000. |
| Hand and Foot | Five 52s including jokers, partners, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000. |
| Pinochle | 48-card pinochle deck (9–A doubled), partners, paper, 1000. |
| Pitch | One 52, 3–4 typical (up to 7), partners at 4, deal 6 each, paper for High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11. Not euchre hash marks to 10. |
| Golf | One 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes. |
| President | One 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad. |
| Palace | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Three face-down, three face-up on those, rest in hand. No score pad — last with cards loses; first out is Palace. |
| Crazy Eights | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3+. Match suit or rank; 8s wild. No score pad — first out wins. |
| 31 | One 52, 2–8, no partners. Three cards each. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No score pad race. |
| Rummy 500 | 2–4 people, one 52, no jokers. 5–8 people, two 52s shuffled together. Paper for the race to 500. No partners — everyone for themselves. |
| Egyptian Rat Screw | One 52, 2–6, no partners, no score pad. Deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. First to the whole pack wins. |
| Cheat | One 52, 3–8, no partners, no pad. Deal the whole pack. Claim the next rank face-down. Anyone may call Cheat. First to empty the hand wins. |
| Tonk | One 52, 2–4, no partners, no jokers. Five cards each. Rest is the stock, one discard up. No pad: win the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. |
| Bid Whist | One 52 plus 2 jokers (big and little), four people, partners across. Deal 12 each, 6 in the kitty face-down. Paper, first to 7. Bid books over 6, uptown or downtown. |
| Oh Hell | One 52, no jokers, 3–7, no partners. Paper with a column per person. Deal 7 each, then 6, then 5 … down to 1. Bid the exact number of tricks. Dealer cannot make the table total equal the hand. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. |
| Mao | One 52, no jokers, 3–6, no partners. Deal 7 each. Rest is the stock. Turn one starter face-up. Table hears three sentences; dealer keeps the rest. No pad — first out (and said Mao) wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands, winner deals next and may add one secret rule. |
| Sheepshead | 32-card pack — pull 2–6 from a 52, keep 7 through ace. Five is the usual table: 6 each, 2-card blind. Paper, first picker-made-or-set to 5. Picker + called ace vs three. Queens, jacks, and diamonds trump. 61 of 120 to make. Not euchre. Not Skat. |
| Bid Euchre | 24-card pack — pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace (same pack as euchre). Four people, no partners, everyone for themselves. Deal 6 each. Paper with a column per person. First to 21. Bid tricks, then name trump. Five: 32-card pack (7–A), 6 each, 2 leftover unused. Not partnership euchre. Not Sheepshead. |
| Nertz | One standard 52 per person, no jokers. 2–6, no partners. 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one: first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. |
| Buck Euchre | 24-card pack — pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace (same pack as euchre). Four people, no partners. Deal 5 each. Remaining 4 face-down = the buck. Paper with a column per person. First to 15. Stick the dealer: dealer takes the buck, discards 4, names trump. Take zero tricks: −5 (you got bucked). Not partnership euchre. Not Bid Euchre. |
| Kings in the Corner | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Remaining cards face-down in the center as the stock. Flip 4 cards face-up around the stock in a cross. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. |
| Liverpool | Two standard 52s shuffled together plus 4 jokers (the jokers from both packs). 3–5 people tonight (6–8 add a third 52, still 4 jokers). No partners. Paper with a column per person. Seven deals. Lowest leftover after deal 7 wins. |
| Durak | 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad: last player still holding cards is the fool. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times. |
| Scopa | 40-card pack — pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Turn 4 face-up in the middle. Rest is the stock, face-down. Paper, first to 11. |
| Briscola | Same 40-card pack as Scopa: pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. |
| Partnership Cribbage | Four people. Partners sit across. One standard 52, no jokers. A cribbage board — two colors, partners share one track (two pegs of one color). Paper is a poor substitute. Game is 121. |
| Pedro | Four people. Partners sit across. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 9 each. Remaining 16 unused, face-down — nobody looks. Paper, first to 51. |
| Sevens | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. Play up and down from the 7s. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. |
| Ninety-nine | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining cards face-down = the stock. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No pad race. |
| Michigan | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down (stops). Leftover cards sit face-down with the dummy (also dead). Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Four pay cards on paper: A♥, K♠, Q♦, J♣. Each person puts 1 penny on each before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. |
| Kemps | Even count only: 4, 6, 8, or 10. Partners in pairs. Four is typical first night (two pairs). Sit where you can see your partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal 4 each, 4 face-up in the window. Agree one silent signal out loud before the first deal. Paper optional — first pair to 5 hands. Not President. Not Nertz. |
| Texas Hold'em | Chips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper. |
CardPractice house
This site's house, not a survey. Count heads, then deal.
4 players: Euchre first. 24-card pack 9–A, partners, first to 10. Mixed or easier four: Hearts — full 52, everyone for themselves, to 100.
3 players: Cutthroat euchre (5 each, 9-card kitty) or 3-hand 500 (33-card pack, not the 43-card partnership pack). Never fake 4-player partnership euchre for three.
2: Cribbage or gin. 5+: Hold'em or euchre at two tables.
Picks by how many people
2 players
| Game | Kit |
|---|---|
| Golf | One 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes. |
| Palace | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Three face-down, three face-up on those, rest in hand. No score pad — last with cards loses; first out is Palace. |
| Crazy Eights | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3+. Match suit or rank; 8s wild. No score pad — first out wins. |
| 31 | One 52, 2–8, no partners. Three cards each. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No score pad race. |
| Rummy 500 | 2–4 people, one 52, no jokers. 5–8 people, two 52s shuffled together. Paper for the race to 500. No partners — everyone for themselves. |
| Egyptian Rat Screw | One 52, 2–6, no partners, no score pad. Deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. First to the whole pack wins. |
| Tonk | One 52, 2–4, no partners, no jokers. Five cards each. Rest is the stock, one discard up. No pad: win the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. |
| Nertz | One standard 52 per person, no jokers. 2–6, no partners. 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one: first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. |
| Kings in the Corner | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Remaining cards face-down in the center as the stock. Flip 4 cards face-up around the stock in a cross. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. |
| Durak | 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad: last player still holding cards is the fool. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times. |
| Speed | Two people. One standard 52, no jokers. No partners. Deal 20 face-down each (stock), 5 as a hand, leftover 2 flip as the two play piles. No pad — first to empty hand and stock wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. |
| Scopa | 40-card pack — pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Turn 4 face-up in the middle. Rest is the stock, face-down. Paper, first to 11. |
| Briscola | Same 40-card pack as Scopa: pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. |
| Sevens | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. Play up and down from the 7s. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. |
| Ninety-nine | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining cards face-down = the stock. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No pad race. |
| Michigan | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down (stops). Leftover cards sit face-down with the dummy (also dead). Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Four pay cards on paper: A♥, K♠, Q♦, J♣. Each person puts 1 penny on each before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. |
| Cribbage | Two people and a cribbage board. Paper is a poor substitute. |
| Gin Rummy | Two people, paper, first to 100, knock at 10. |
| Texas Hold'em | Chips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper. |
3 players
| Game | Kit |
|---|---|
| Cutthroat euchre | 24-card pack (9–A), 5 each, 9-card kitty, first to 10 individually. The phone keeper is Us/Them, so paper is better for cutthroat. |
| 3-hand Hearts | Pull the 2♣, 17 each, pass 4, lowest to 100. |
| 3-hand Five Hundred | 33 cards (7–A + joker), 10 each, 3-card widow, race to 500. Not the 43-card partnership pack. |
| Hand and Foot | Four 52s including jokers, everyone for themselves, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000. No partners. |
| Cutthroat Pitch | One 52, everyone for themselves, deal 6 each, paper for High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11 individually. Not euchre. |
| Golf | One 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes. |
| President | One 52, deal the whole pack, no partners. Roles: President, Neutral, bottom. Paper optional — roles are the prize. |
| Palace | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Three face-down, three face-up on those, rest in hand. No score pad — last with cards loses; first out is Palace. |
| Crazy Eights | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3+. Match suit or rank; 8s wild. No score pad — first out wins. |
| 31 | One 52, 2–8, no partners. Three cards each. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No score pad race. |
| Rummy 500 | 2–4 people, one 52, no jokers. 5–8 people, two 52s shuffled together. Paper for the race to 500. No partners — everyone for themselves. |
| Egyptian Rat Screw | One 52, 2–6, no partners, no score pad. Deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. First to the whole pack wins. |
| Cheat | One 52, 3–8, no partners, no pad. Deal the whole pack. Claim the next rank face-down. Anyone may call Cheat. First to empty the hand wins. |
| Tonk | One 52, 2–4, no partners, no jokers. Five cards each. Rest is the stock, one discard up. No pad: win the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. |
| Oh Hell | One 52, no jokers, 3–7, no partners. Paper with a column per person. Deal 7 each, then 6, then 5 … down to 1. Bid the exact number of tricks. Dealer cannot make the table total equal the hand. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. |
| Mao | One 52, no jokers, 3–6, no partners. Deal 7 each. Rest is the stock. Turn one starter face-up. Table hears three sentences; dealer keeps the rest. No pad — first out (and said Mao) wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands, winner deals next and may add one secret rule. |
| 3-hand Sheepshead | 32-card pack (7–A). 10 each, 2-card blind. Picker vs the other two. No called partner. Same trump, same 61. Paper, first to 5. |
| Bid Euchre | 24-card pack (9–A), 8 each, no partners. Bid 1–8. A bid of 8 is Pepper. Same bowers, paper, first to 21. Not partnership euchre. Not Sheepshead. |
| Nertz | One standard 52 per person, no jokers. 2–6, no partners. 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one: first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. |
| Kings in the Corner | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Remaining cards face-down in the center as the stock. Flip 4 cards face-up around the stock in a cross. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. |
| Liverpool | Two standard 52s shuffled together plus 4 jokers (the jokers from both packs). 3–5 people tonight (6–8 add a third 52, still 4 jokers). No partners. Paper with a column per person. Seven deals. Lowest leftover after deal 7 wins. |
| Durak | 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad: last player still holding cards is the fool. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times. |
| Scopa | 40-card pack — pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Turn 4 face-up in the middle. Rest is the stock, face-down. Paper, first to 11. |
| Briscola | Same 40-card pack as Scopa: pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. |
| Sergeant Major | Three people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 16 each. Remaining 4 face-down = the kitty. Paper with a column per person. |
| Sevens | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. Play up and down from the 7s. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. |
| Ninety-nine | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining cards face-down = the stock. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No pad race. |
| Michigan | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down (stops). Leftover cards sit face-down with the dummy (also dead). Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Four pay cards on paper: A♥, K♠, Q♦, J♣. Each person puts 1 penny on each before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. |
| 3-hand Cribbage | 5 cards each, 1 discard each plus the dealer adds 1 so the crib stays 4. Race to 121. Three peg colors. |
| Texas Hold'em | Chips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper. |
4 players
| Game | Kit |
|---|---|
| Euchre | 24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10. |
| Hearts | Full 52, everyone for themselves, lowest to 100. |
| Five Hundred | 43-card pack plus a joker, widow, race to 500. Not a standard 52. |
| Spades | Full 52, partners, paper, 500. |
| Canasta | Two 52s + 4 jokers, partners, paper, 5000. |
| Hand and Foot | Five 52s including jokers, partners, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000. |
| Pinochle | 48-card pinochle deck (9–A doubled), partners, paper, 1000. |
| Pitch | One 52, 3–4 typical (up to 7), partners at 4, deal 6 each, paper for High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11. Not euchre hash marks to 10. |
| Golf | One 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes. |
| President | One 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad. |
| Palace | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Three face-down, three face-up on those, rest in hand. No score pad — last with cards loses; first out is Palace. |
| Crazy Eights | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3+. Match suit or rank; 8s wild. No score pad — first out wins. |
| 31 | One 52, 2–8, no partners. Three cards each. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No score pad race. |
| Rummy 500 | 2–4 people, one 52, no jokers. 5–8 people, two 52s shuffled together. Paper for the race to 500. No partners — everyone for themselves. |
| Egyptian Rat Screw | One 52, 2–6, no partners, no score pad. Deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. First to the whole pack wins. |
| Cheat | One 52, 3–8, no partners, no pad. Deal the whole pack. Claim the next rank face-down. Anyone may call Cheat. First to empty the hand wins. |
| Tonk | One 52, 2–4, no partners, no jokers. Five cards each. Rest is the stock, one discard up. No pad: win the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. |
| Bid Whist | One 52 plus 2 jokers (big and little), four people, partners across. Deal 12 each, 6 in the kitty face-down. Paper, first to 7. Bid books over 6, uptown or downtown. |
| Oh Hell | One 52, no jokers, 3–7, no partners. Paper with a column per person. Deal 7 each, then 6, then 5 … down to 1. Bid the exact number of tricks. Dealer cannot make the table total equal the hand. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. |
| Mao | One 52, no jokers, 3–6, no partners. Deal 7 each. Rest is the stock. Turn one starter face-up. Table hears three sentences; dealer keeps the rest. No pad — first out (and said Mao) wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands, winner deals next and may add one secret rule. |
| Sheepshead | 32-card pack — pull 2–6 from a 52, keep 7 through ace. Five is the usual table: 6 each, 2-card blind. Paper, first picker-made-or-set to 5. Picker + called ace vs three. Queens, jacks, and diamonds trump. 61 of 120 to make. Not euchre. Not Skat. |
| Bid Euchre | 24-card pack — pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace (same pack as euchre). Four people, no partners, everyone for themselves. Deal 6 each. Paper with a column per person. First to 21. Bid tricks, then name trump. Five: 32-card pack (7–A), 6 each, 2 leftover unused. Not partnership euchre. Not Sheepshead. |
| Nertz | One standard 52 per person, no jokers. 2–6, no partners. 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one: first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. |
| Buck Euchre | 24-card pack — pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace (same pack as euchre). Four people, no partners. Deal 5 each. Remaining 4 face-down = the buck. Paper with a column per person. First to 15. Stick the dealer: dealer takes the buck, discards 4, names trump. Take zero tricks: −5 (you got bucked). Not partnership euchre. Not Bid Euchre. |
| Kings in the Corner | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Remaining cards face-down in the center as the stock. Flip 4 cards face-up around the stock in a cross. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. |
| Liverpool | Two standard 52s shuffled together plus 4 jokers (the jokers from both packs). 3–5 people tonight (6–8 add a third 52, still 4 jokers). No partners. Paper with a column per person. Seven deals. Lowest leftover after deal 7 wins. |
| Durak | 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad: last player still holding cards is the fool. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times. |
| Scopa | 40-card pack — pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Turn 4 face-up in the middle. Rest is the stock, face-down. Paper, first to 11. |
| Briscola | Same 40-card pack as Scopa: pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings. No jokers. 2–4 people, no partners. 3 is a real table. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. |
| Partnership Cribbage | Four people. Partners sit across. One standard 52, no jokers. A cribbage board — two colors, partners share one track (two pegs of one color). Paper is a poor substitute. Game is 121. |
| Pedro | Four people. Partners sit across. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 9 each. Remaining 16 unused, face-down — nobody looks. Paper, first to 51. |
| Sevens | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. Play up and down from the 7s. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. |
| Ninety-nine | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining cards face-down = the stock. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No pad race. |
| Michigan | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down (stops). Leftover cards sit face-down with the dummy (also dead). Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Four pay cards on paper: A♥, K♠, Q♦, J♣. Each person puts 1 penny on each before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. |
| Kemps | Even count only: 4, 6, 8, or 10. Partners in pairs. Four is typical first night (two pairs). Sit where you can see your partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal 4 each, 4 face-up in the window. Agree one silent signal out loud before the first deal. Paper optional — first pair to 5 hands. Not President. Not Nertz. |
| Texas Hold'em | Chips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper. |
5+
| Game | Kit |
|---|---|
| Euchre | 24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10. |
| Pitch | One 52, 3–4 typical (up to 7), partners at 4, deal 6 each, paper for High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11. Not euchre hash marks to 10. |
| Golf | One 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes. |
| President | One 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad. |
| Palace | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Three face-down, three face-up on those, rest in hand. No score pad — last with cards loses; first out is Palace. |
| Crazy Eights | One 52, 2–6, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2, 5 each at 3+. Match suit or rank; 8s wild. No score pad — first out wins. |
| 31 | One 52, 2–8, no partners. Three cards each. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No score pad race. |
| Rummy 500 | 2–4 people, one 52, no jokers. 5–8 people, two 52s shuffled together. Paper for the race to 500. No partners — everyone for themselves. |
| Egyptian Rat Screw | One 52, 2–6, no partners, no score pad. Deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. First to the whole pack wins. |
| Cheat | One 52, 3–8, no partners, no pad. Deal the whole pack. Claim the next rank face-down. Anyone may call Cheat. First to empty the hand wins. |
| Oh Hell | One 52, no jokers, 3–7, no partners. Paper with a column per person. Deal 7 each, then 6, then 5 … down to 1. Bid the exact number of tricks. Dealer cannot make the table total equal the hand. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. |
| Mao | One 52, no jokers, 3–6, no partners. Deal 7 each. Rest is the stock. Turn one starter face-up. Table hears three sentences; dealer keeps the rest. No pad — first out (and said Mao) wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands, winner deals next and may add one secret rule. |
| Sheepshead | 32-card pack — pull 2–6 from a 52, keep 7 through ace. Five is the usual table: 6 each, 2-card blind. Paper, first picker-made-or-set to 5. Picker + called ace vs three. Queens, jacks, and diamonds trump. 61 of 120 to make. Not euchre. Not Skat. |
| Bid Euchre | 24-card pack — pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace (same pack as euchre). Four people, no partners, everyone for themselves. Deal 6 each. Paper with a column per person. First to 21. Bid tricks, then name trump. Five: 32-card pack (7–A), 6 each, 2 leftover unused. Not partnership euchre. Not Sheepshead. |
| Nertz | One standard 52 per person, no jokers. 2–6, no partners. 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one: first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. |
| Kings in the Corner | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Remaining cards face-down in the center as the stock. Flip 4 cards face-up around the stock in a cross. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. |
| Liverpool | Two standard 52s shuffled together plus 4 jokers (the jokers from both packs). 3–5 people tonight (6–8 add a third 52, still 4 jokers). No partners. Paper with a column per person. Seven deals. Lowest leftover after deal 7 wins. |
| Durak | 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad: last player still holding cards is the fool. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times. |
| 5-hand Five Hundred | Same 43-card American pack as 4-hand (joker, red A–4, black A–5; pull 2s, 3s, and both black 4s). Five people, no partners. Deal 8 each. Remaining 3 face-down = the widow. Paper with a column per person. First to 500. Bidder alone vs four. |
| Sevens | One standard 52, no jokers. 2–6 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. Play up and down from the 7s. No pad: first to empty the hand wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. |
| Ninety-nine | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining cards face-down = the stock. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. No pad race. |
| Michigan | 2–6 people. Nobody has a partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down (stops). Leftover cards sit face-down with the dummy (also dead). Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Four pay cards on paper: A♥, K♠, Q♦, J♣. Each person puts 1 penny on each before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. |
| Kemps | Even count only: 4, 6, 8, or 10. Partners in pairs. Four is typical first night (two pairs). Sit where you can see your partner. One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal 4 each, 4 face-up in the window. Agree one silent signal out loud before the first deal. Paper optional — first pair to 5 hands. Not President. Not Nertz. |
| Texas Hold'em | Chips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper. |
Before you deal
What if it is just me?
Tap Just me. Games with a trainer show Practice first, then How to play. Spades, Canasta, Hand and Foot, Pinochle, Pitch, Golf, President, Palace, Crazy Eights, 31, Rummy 500, Egyptian Rat Screw, Cheat, Tonk, Bid Whist, Oh Hell, Mao, Sheepshead, Bid Euchre, Nertz, Buck Euchre, Kings in the Corner, Liverpool, Durak, 5-hand Five Hundred, Speed, Scopa, Briscola, Partnership Cribbage, Pedro, Sergeant Major, Sevens, Ninety-nine, Michigan, 6-hand Five Hundred, and Kemps are table how-tos — no trainer yet. Nertz needs at least two people to race — the how-to still shows on Just me. Kings in the Corner needs at least two — one shared 52, turns, not a race — the how-to still shows on Just me. Liverpool is a table how-to, needs at least three — two 52s plus jokers, seven deals — the how-to still shows on Just me. Durak is a table how-to, 36-card pack 6–A, 6 each, beat the attack or pick it up — two is this game — the how-to still shows on Just me. 5-hand Five Hundred is a table how-to, needs five — 43-card pack, 8 each, 3-card widow, bidder alone vs four — the how-to still shows on Just me. Speed is a 2-player race how-to — one 52, play at once, first to empty wins — the how-to still shows on Just me. Scopa is a 2–4 capture how-to (40-card, 3 each, 4 on the table) — two is this game, three is a real table — the how-to still shows on Just me. Briscola is a 2–4 Italian trump how-to (same 40-card pack as Scopa, 3 each, trump under the stock, 3 is high) — two is this game, three is a real table — the how-to still shows on Just me. Partnership Cribbage is a 4-player how-to — partners across, 5 each, 1 to the crib, board to 121 — the how-to still shows on Just me. Pedro is a 4-player All Fours cousin (9 each, pedros are the 5s, first to 51) — the how-to still shows on Just me. Sergeant Major is a 3-player trick how-to (16 each, kitty, targets 8/5/3) — three is this game — the how-to still shows on Just me. Sevens is a 2–6 layout how-to (deal the whole pack, play from the 7s) — two is this game, three is a real table — the how-to still shows on Just me. Ninety-nine is a 2–6 running-total how-to (3 each, don’t go over 99) — two is this game, three is a real table — the how-to still shows on Just me. Michigan is a 2–6 stops how-to (dummy hand, next of that suit, pay cards A♥ K♠ Q♦ J♣) — two is this game, three is a real table — the how-to still shows on Just me. 6-hand Five Hundred is a table how-to, needs six — 63-card pack, 10 each, 3-card widow, three pairs — the how-to still shows on Just me. Kemps is a 4–10 even-count pairs how-to (four of a kind, one silent signal, partner yells Kemps) — four is typical, chip 5 is 6/8/10, three is not this game — the how-to still shows on Just me. Open a trainer, see every card, and you'll be faster when people show up.
What if we have three people?
Play. Cutthroat euchre, 3-hand Five Hundred, 3-hand cribbage, 3-hand Hearts, Hold'em, Golf, President, Palace, Crazy Eights, 31 (three cards, 31 in one suit — three is the usual table), Rummy 500 (7 each, fish the discard, first to 500 — not gin, not Five Hundred), Egyptian Rat Screw (deal the whole pack, slap doubles and sandwiches, face-card chances — not War), Cheat (deal the whole pack, claim the next rank face-down, call Cheat — three is the usual table, not President), Tonk (five cards, spread, knock, or tonk on 50 — not gin, not 31), Oh Hell (exact bid, hands 7 down to 1, dealer cannot make the total equal the hand — three is a real table, not Spades), Mao (hidden-rules shed, table hears three sentences, dealer keeps the rest — three is a real table, not Crazy Eights), Sheepshead (32-card pack 7–A, 10 each, 2-card blind, picker vs two, no called partner — three is a real table, not euchre, not Skat), Bid Euchre (24-card pack 9–A, 8 each, bid 1–8, Pepper is 8 — three is a real table, not partnership euchre, not Sheepshead), Nertz (one 52 each, empty a 13-card Nertz pile onto shared aces — three is a real table, not solitaire, not Dutch Blitz), Kings in the Corner (one shared 52, 7 each, kings to the corners, build down alternating color — three is a real table, not solitaire, not Nertz), Liverpool (two 52s plus 4 jokers, 10 each, seven contracts, buy the discard — three is a real table, not Rummy 500, not gin), Durak (36-card pack 6–A, 6 each, trump under the stock, beat the attack or pick it up — three is a real table, last with cards is the fool, not President, not War), Scopa (40-card pack A–7 plus faces, 3 each, 4 on the table, capture match or sum, last to take, scopa +1, first to 11 — three is a real table, not Casino, not Briscola), Briscola (same 40-card pack as Scopa, 3 each, trump under the stock, you do not have to follow suit, 3 is high, Ace 11 / 3 is 10, first to 61 of 120 — three is a real table, not Scopa, not euchre), Sergeant Major (16 each, 4-card kitty, bid 8 or more, targets 8/5/3 — three is this game, not Oh Hell, not 3-hand Five Hundred), Sevens (deal the whole pack, play from the 7s — three is a real table, not Crazy Eights, not Kings in the Corner), Ninety-nine (3 each, running total, don’t go over 99 — three is a real table, not 31, not Crazy Eights, not Parlett’s Ninety-nine), Michigan (dummy hand, next of that suit, pay cards A♥ K♠ Q♦ J♣ — three is a real table, not Sevens, not Michigan Rummy), Hand and Foot (everyone for themselves, same Hand and Foot, no partner), or cutthroat Pitch are all real tables of three. Full sitting-down list: Card games for 3 players.
What do we need besides a deck?
Depends on the game. Euchre wants a 24-card pack (9 through ace), partners across, and paper. Hearts is a full 52. Spades is a full 52, partners across, paper, first to 500. Canasta is two 52-card decks plus 4 jokers, partners, paper, first to 5000. Hand and Foot is five 52-card decks including jokers for four people (one deck per player plus one extra), partners across, 11 to the Hand and 11 to the Foot, paper, first to 10000. Pinochle is a 48-card pinochle deck (9 through ace, two of each), partners, paper, first to 1000. Pitch is one 52, deal 6 each, paper for High, Low, Jack, Game, first to 11 — not euchre hash marks to 10. Golf is one 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, lowest after 9 holes. President is one 52, 3–7 everyone for themselves, deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize. Palace is one 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, three down, three up, rest in hand. No pad — last with cards loses. Crazy Eights is one 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, match suit or rank, 8s wild. No pad — first out wins. 31 is one 52, 2–8 everyone for themselves, three cards each, three lives (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins — not a pad race. Not blackjack. Not cribbage. Rummy 500 is 2–4 people one 52 (two 52s at 5–8), no jokers, no partners, paper, first to 500. Fish the discard. Not gin. Not Five Hundred. Egyptian Rat Screw is one 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, deal the whole pack. Slap doubles and sandwiches. Face cards give the next person chances. No pad — first to hold the whole pack wins. Not War. Cheat is one 52, 3–8 everyone for themselves, deal the whole pack. Claim the next rank face-down. Anyone may call Cheat. No pad — first to empty the hand wins. Not President. Tonk is one 52, 2–4 everyone for themselves, five cards each. Spread, knock, or tonk on 50. No pad — win the hand. Not gin. Not 31. Bid Whist is one 52 plus 2 jokers (big and little), four people, partners across, deal 12 each with a 6-card kitty, paper, first to 7. Bid books over 6, uptown or downtown. Not Spades. Not Bridge. Oh Hell is one 52, no jokers, 3–7 everyone for themselves, paper with a column per person. Deal 7, then 6, down to 1. Bid exact tricks. Dealer cannot make the sum equal the hand. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. Not Spades. Not Bid Whist. Mao is one 52, no jokers, 3–6 everyone for themselves, deal 7 each. Table hears three sentences. Dealer keeps the rest. No pad — first out (and said Mao) wins. Not Crazy Eights. Sheepshead is a 32-card pack (pull 2–6 from a 52, keep 7 through ace), 3–5 (five is the usual table), deal 6 each with a 2-card blind at five. Paper, first picker-made-or-set to 5. Queens, jacks, and diamonds are always trump. Picker's side needs 61 of 120. Not euchre. Not Skat. Bid Euchre is a 24-card pack (pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace), 3–5 (four is the usual Pepper table), no partners. Deal 6 each at four. Paper, first to 21. Bid tricks then name trump. Three: 8 each, bid 1–8. Five: 32-card pack (7–A), 6 each, 2 leftover unused. Not partnership euchre. Not Sheepshead. Nertz is one 52 per person, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 13-card Nertz pile, 4 work piles, rest is stock. Shared middle foundations. No pad for night one — first to empty the Nertz pile yells Nertz. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. Buck Euchre is a 24-card pack (pull 2–8 from a 52, keep 9 through ace), four people, no partners. Deal 5 each. Remaining 4 face-down = the buck. Paper, first to 15. Stick the dealer: dealer takes the buck, discards 4, names trump. Take zero tricks: −5 (you got bucked). Not partnership euchre. Not Bid Euchre. Kings in the Corner is one 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, no partners. Deal 7 each at 2–4, 5 each at 5–6. Four cards face-up in a cross around the stock. Corners stay empty until a king. Build down, alternating color. No pad — first to empty the hand wins. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. Liverpool is two 52s plus 4 jokers, 3–8 everyone for themselves (3–5 tonight; 6–8 add a third 52, still 4 jokers). Deal 10 each. Paper with a column per person. Seven deals, a required set/run contract each deal, buy the discard. Write leftover as a plus. Lowest after deal 7 wins. Not Rummy 500. Not gin. Not Canasta. Not Hand and Foot. Durak is a 36-card pack for 2–4 (pull 2–5 from a 52, keep 6 through ace). 5–6 people: use the full 52. No jokers. Deal 6 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. No pad — last player still holding cards is the fool. Not President. Not War. Speed is a 2-player race how-to — one 52, play at once, first to empty wins. Two people, no partners. Deal 20 face-down each as stock, 5 as a hand, leftover 2 flip as play piles. No pad. Not Nertz. Not Egyptian Rat Screw. Scopa is a 2–4 capture how-to — 40-card pack (pull the 8s, 9s, and 10s from a 52, keep aces, 2–7, jacks, queens, kings). No jokers. Deal 3 each, turn 4 face-up on the table. Paper, first to 11. Not Casino. Not Briscola. Briscola is a 2–4 Italian trump how-to (same 40-card pack as Scopa, 3 each, trump under the stock, 3 is high). No jokers. Deal 3 each. Remaining stock face-down; turn the bottom card face-up as trump and slide it half-under the stock. Paper. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. Not Scopa. Not euchre. 5-hand Five Hundred is the same 43-card American pack, five people, no partners, deal 8 each, 3-card widow, bidder alone vs four. Not partnership 4-hand (10 each). Not 3-hand (33-card pack). Five Hundred is a 43-card pack plus a joker, not a standard 52. Partnership Cribbage is four people, partners across, one 52, 5 each, 1 to the crib (no extra from the pack), a cribbage board (partners share one track), first partnership to 121. Not 2-hand (6 each, 2 to crib). Not 3-hand (everyone for themselves, dealer adds 1 from the pack). Pedro is a 4-player All Fours cousin (9 each, pedros are the 5s, first to 51). Four people, partners across, one 52, deal 9 each, remaining 16 unused face-down, paper, first to 51. Bid 6–14. Not Pitch (deal 6, High/Low/Jack/Game to 11). Not euchre. Sergeant Major is a 3-player trick how-to (16 each, kitty, targets 8/5/3). Three people, nobody has a partner, one 52, deal 16 each, remaining 4 face-down = the kitty. Paper with a column per person. Bid 8 or more. Not Oh Hell. Not 3-hand Five Hundred. Sevens is a 2–6 layout how-to (deal the whole pack, play from the 7s). 2–6 people, nobody has a partner, one 52, no jokers, deal every card. Uneven leftover is fine (3 people: 18, 17, 17). Four people: 13 each. No pad night one. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. Ninety-nine is a 2–6 running-total how-to (3 each, don’t go over 99). 2–6 people, nobody has a partner, one 52, no jokers, deal 3 each, remaining stock face-down. Three lives each (pennies, chips, or hash marks). Last with a life wins. Not 31. Not Crazy Eights. Michigan is a 2–6 stops how-to (dummy hand, next of that suit, pay cards A♥ K♠ Q♦ J♣). 2–6 people, nobody has a partner, one 52, no jokers, no second pack. Deal one extra dummy hand face-down. Leftover dead with the dummy. Paper plus pennies/chips (or hash marks). Each person puts 1 penny on each pay card before the deal. First to empty the hand wins. Not Sevens. Not Michigan Rummy. 6-hand Five Hundred is a 6-person 63-card how-to (one 52 plus 11 and 12 of every suit, plus 13♥ and 13♦, plus one joker), three pairs, deal 10 each, 3-card widow. Not 5-hand (43-card, 8 each, cutthroat). Not 4-hand (43-card, two pairs). Kemps is a 4–10 even-count pairs how-to (four of a kind, secret signal, yell Kemps). Even count only: 4, 6, 8, or 10. Partners in pairs. Four is typical first night (two pairs). One standard 52, no jokers. No second pack. Deal 4 each, turn 4 face-up in the window. Agree one silent signal out loud before the first deal. Paper optional — first pair to 5 hands. Not President. Not Nertz. Not Speed. Cribbage needs a board. Hold'em needs chips, blinds, and a dealer button.
Can we print the rules?
Yes for euchre, hearts, cribbage, and Hold'em. Those overview pages have a Print button. Five Hundred, gin, Spades, Canasta, Hand and Foot, Pinochle, Pitch, Golf, President, Palace, Crazy Eights, 31, Rummy 500, Egyptian Rat Screw, Cheat, Tonk, Bid Whist, Oh Hell, Mao, Sheepshead, Bid Euchre, Nertz, Buck Euchre, Kings in the Corner, Liverpool, Durak, 5-hand Five Hundred, Speed, Scopa, Briscola, Partnership Cribbage, Pedro, Sergeant Major, Sevens, Ninety-nine, Michigan, 6-hand Five Hundred, and Kemps send you to the how-to article instead of a cheat sheet.
Where do we keep score?
Paper and a pen still work. Hash marks for euchre. Hearts and gin race to 100. Spades is paper, race to 500. Canasta is paper, race to 5000. Hand and Foot is paper, race to 10000. Pinochle is paper, race to 1000. Pitch is paper, High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11 — not euchre hash marks to 10. Golf is paper, lowest after 9 holes. President is roles, not a pad — first out is President next hand. Palace is last with cards loses, first out is Palace — no pad. Crazy Eights is first out wins — no pad. Leftover-card points (8s = 50) are optional for a rematch. 31 is lives — pennies, chips, or hash marks — not a pad race. Last with a life wins. Rummy 500 is paper, race to 500. Melds score when tabled. Leftover cards subtract when someone goes out. Not gin (to 100). Not Five Hundred (tricks). Egyptian Rat Screw is slap the pile — no pad. First to hold the whole pack wins. Not War. Cheat is lie-and-call — no pad. First to empty the hand wins. Not President (named seats). Tonk is five-card knock-rummy — no pad. Win the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not gin (to 100). Not 31 (lives). Bid Whist is paper, first to 7. Bid books over 6. Make the bid and you score the books you took. Set and opponents score the bid. Not Spades (to 500). Not Bridge. Oh Hell is paper, a column per person. Hit your bid exactly: 10 plus the tricks you took. Miss (over or under): 0. Highest after the 1-card hand wins. Not Spades (to 500). Not Bid Whist (to 7). Mao is first out (and said Mao) — no pad. Table hears three sentences. Dealer keeps four optional secrets. Not Crazy Eights (public 8s, you talk). Sheepshead is paper, first to 5. Picker's side takes 61+: +1 (partner at 5 also +1). 91+: +2. All 120: +3. Set (60 or fewer): those amounts the other way. Not euchre hash marks to 10. Not Skat. Bid Euchre is paper, first to 21. Only the bidder's column moves. Made: tricks actually taken. Set: minus the bid. Pepper (bid 6 at four) made: +12. Pepper set: −12. Not euchre hash marks to 10. Not Sheepshead to 5. Nertz is a real-time race — no pad for night one. First to empty the 13-card Nertz pile yells Nertz and wins the hand. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Optional points: +1 per card of yours on the foundations, −2 per card left in your Nertz pile, first to 100. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. Buck Euchre is paper, first to 15. Only your column moves. Each trick +1. Take zero: −5 (you got bucked). Take all 5: +5. Going past 15 is fine. Not euchre hash marks to 10. Not Bid Euchre to 21. Kings in the Corner is first to empty the hand — no pad. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. One shared 52, turns, not a race. Not Nertz. Not solitaire. Liverpool is leftover as a plus on paper. 2–9 face value, 10/J/Q/K = 10, ace 15, joker 20. Lowest total after seven deals wins. Not Rummy 500 (to 500). Not gin (to 100). Durak is last with cards is the fool — no pad. Beat the attack or pick it up. Optional rematch: first to make someone else the fool 3 times, or just deal again. Not President (roles next hand). Not War. Speed is a 2-player race how-to — one 52, play at once onto two piles, first to empty wins. No pad. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Not Nertz. Not Egyptian Rat Screw. Scopa is paper, first to 11. Most cards +1 (tie: nobody). Most diamonds +1 (tie: nobody). 7 of diamonds (settebello) +1. Each scopa +1. Skip primiera tonight. Not Casino. Not Briscola. Briscola is paper. Ace=11, 3=10, King=4, Queen=3, Jack=2. First to 61 of 120. Night one: one deal, most of 120 wins. Optional rematch: first to 3 deals. Not Scopa. Not euchre. 5-hand Five Hundred is paper, a column per person, first person to 500. Bidder plays alone. Made: Avondale value (rows 6–8 only). Set: minus the bid. The other four each score 10 per trick they personally take. 8♥=300, 8 NT=320 — not instant game from 0. Not partnership 500. Not 3-hand 500. Partnership Cribbage is a board, first partnership to 121. Partners share one track (two pegs of one color). Five each, one to the crib. Same 15s, pairs, runs, flush, nobs as 2-hand. Not 2-hand cribbage. Not 3-hand cribbage. Pedro is a 4-player All Fours cousin (9 each, pedros are the 5s, first to 51). Paper. High, Low, Jack, off-jack, Ten, Pedro (5 of trump = 5), off-pedro (same-color 5 = 5) — 15 in the pack. Makers who make the bid score the points they actually took. Set: minus the bid. Opponents always score what they took. Not Pitch (to 11). Not euchre hash marks to 10. Sergeant Major is a 3-player trick how-to (16 each, kitty, targets 8/5/3). Paper, a column per person. At least your target: +1. Short: 0. First to 5 pluses. Not Oh Hell (exact bid, 7 down to 1). Not 3-hand Five Hundred (Avondale to 500). Sevens is a 2–6 layout how-to (deal the whole pack, play from the 7s). First to empty the hand — no pad. Optional rematch: first to 3 hands. Leftover-card points are optional and not tonight. Not Crazy Eights (first out, 8s wild). Not Kings in the Corner (kings to corners). Ninety-nine is a 2–6 running-total how-to (3 each, don’t go over 99). Lives — pennies, chips, or hash marks — not a pad race. Last with a life wins. Not 31 (three cards, make 31 in one suit). Not Crazy Eights (first out, 8s wild). Michigan is a 2–6 stops how-to (dummy hand, next of that suit, pay cards A♥ K♠ Q♦ J♣). First to empty the hand wins. Each other player pays 1 penny per card still in hand. Leftover pennies on unplayed pay cards stay for the next deal. Optional rematch: first to empty 3 hands, or play until someone is out of pennies. Paper substitute: pay card +1, first empty +3, first to 11. Prefer pennies tonight if you have them. Not Sevens (layout from the 7s). Not Michigan Rummy (melds, going out). 6-hand Five Hundred is a 6-person 63-card how-to (10 each, 3-card widow, three pairs). Paper, a column per pair, first pair to 500. Bidding pair scores the Avondale value (rows 6–10, same as 4-hand). Set: minus the bid. The other two pairs each score 10 per trick they take as a pair. 10♥=500, 10 NT=520 — instant game from 0. Not 5-hand (cutthroat, 8 tricks). Not 4-hand (two pairs). Kemps is a 4–10 even-count pairs how-to (four of a kind, secret signal, yell Kemps). Pair that correctly calls Kemps (or Stop) wins the hand. Optional rematch: first pair to 5 hands. Prefer pennies/hash marks tonight if you keep score. A wrong Kemps or a wrong Stop: that pair loses the hand, deal again. Not President (roles). Not Nertz (race onto shared aces). Cribbage wants a real board. Hold'em is chips, not a scoresheet. For euchre you can also keep score on your phone.
Which game is easiest for a mixed table?
Hearts, gin, Golf, President, Palace, Crazy Eights, 31, Rummy 500, Egyptian Rat Screw, Cheat, Tonk, Nertz, Kings in the Corner, or Sevens. Hearts is four people, everyone for themselves, lowest to 100. Gin is two people, knock at 10. Golf is 2–6, everyone for themselves, lowest after 9 holes. President is 3–7, shedding, first out sits President next deal. Palace is 2–6, three down, three up, rest in hand, last with cards loses. Crazy Eights is 2–6, match suit or rank, 8s wild, first out wins. 31 is 2–8, three cards, make 31 in one suit, knock, lives. Not blackjack. Not cribbage. Rummy 500 is 2–8, meld sets and runs, fish the discard, first to 500. Not gin. Not Five Hundred. Egyptian Rat Screw is 2–6, slap doubles and sandwiches, face-card chances, first to the whole pack. Not War. Not Slapjack. Cheat is 3–8, claim the next rank face-down, call Cheat, first to empty the hand. Not President. Tonk is 2–4, five cards, spread, knock, or tonk on 50. Not gin. Not 31. Nertz is 2–6, one 52 each, empty a 13-card Nertz pile onto shared aces. Not solitaire. Not Dutch Blitz. Kings in the Corner is 2–6, one shared 52, 7 each, kings to the corners, build down alternating color. Not solitaire. Not Nertz. Sevens is 2–6, deal the whole pack, play up and down from the 7s. Not Crazy Eights. Not Kings in the Corner. If the table already knows trump, euchre is the usual Midwest pick.
Bridge is coming later. Spades, Canasta, Hand and Foot, and Pinochle are in the four-player list as kitchen-table how-tos — no trainer yet. Hand and Foot is a partnership melding how-to with a Hand pile and a Foot pile — not Canasta. Golf is a 2–6 low-score how-to. President is a 3–7 shedding how-to. Palace is a 2–6 shedding how-to (three down, three up, rest in hand), not President. Crazy Eights is a 2–6 shedding how-to (match suit or rank, 8s wild), not Palace and not President. 31 is a 2–8 three-card how-to (31 in one suit, knock, lives), not blackjack and not cribbage. Rummy 500 is a 2–8 melding how-to (fish the discard, first to 500), not gin and not Five Hundred. Egyptian Rat Screw is a 2–6 slap how-to (one 52, doubles and sandwiches, face-card chances), not War. Cheat is a 3–8 lie-and-call how-to (claim the next rank face-down, call Cheat), not President. Tonk is a 2–4 five-card knock how-to (spread, knock, or tonk on 50), not gin and not 31. Bid Whist is a 4-player partnership how-to (12 each, 6 kitty, bid books over 6, uptown or downtown), not Spades and not Bridge. Oh Hell is a 3–7 exact-bid how-to (hands 7 down to 1, hit your bid exactly), not Spades and not Bid Whist. Mao is a 3–6 hidden-rules how-to (table hears three sentences, dealer keeps the rest), not Crazy Eights. Sheepshead is a 3–5 point-trick how-to (32-card pack 7–A, picker, queens and jacks + diamonds trump, 61 to make), not euchre and not Skat. Bid Euchre is a 3–5 cutthroat-bid how-to (24-card 9–A, bid tricks then name trump, Pepper is the other table name), not euchre and not Sheepshead. Nertz is a 2–6 real-time how-to (one 52 each, empty the 13-card Nertz pile onto shared aces), not solitaire and not Dutch Blitz. Buck Euchre is a 4-hand cutthroat how-to (24-card 9–A, 5 each, 4-card buck, must take a trick), not euchre and not Bid Euchre. Kings in the Corner is a 2–6 layout how-to (one 52, 7 each, kings to the corners, build down alternating color), not solitaire and not Nertz. Liverpool is a 3–8 contract-rummy how-to (two 52s plus jokers, seven deals, buy the discard), not Rummy 500 and not gin. Durak is a 2–6 attack-and-defend how-to (36-card 6–A, 6 each, beat the attack or pick it up, last with cards is the fool), not President and not War. 5-hand Five Hundred is a 5-player cutthroat how-to (43-card pack, 8 each, 3-card widow, bidder alone vs four), not partnership 500 and not 3-hand 500. Speed is a 2-player race how-to (one 52, play at once onto two piles, one rank up or down, first to empty wins), not Nertz and not Egyptian Rat Screw. Scopa is a 2–4 capture how-to (40-card A–7 plus faces, 3 each, 4 on the table, match or sum, last to take, scopa +1, first to 11), not Casino and not Briscola. Briscola is a 2–4 Italian trump how-to (same 40-card pack as Scopa, 3 each, trump under the stock, you do not have to follow suit, 3 is high, first to 61 of 120), not Scopa and not euchre. Partnership Cribbage is a 4-player how-to (partners across, 5 each, 1 to the crib, board to 121), not 2-hand cribbage and not 3-hand cribbage. Pedro is a 4-player All Fours how-to (9 each, bid points, High Jack Ten Pedro and the off-5s, first to 51), not Pitch and not euchre. Sergeant Major is a 3-player trick how-to (16 each, 4-card kitty, targets 8, 5, and 3), not Oh Hell and not 3-hand Five Hundred. Sevens is a 2–6 layout how-to (deal the whole pack, play up and down from the 7s), not Crazy Eights and not Kings in the Corner. Ninety-nine is a 2–6 running-total how-to (3 each, don’t go over 99), not 31 and not Crazy Eights. Michigan is a 2–6 stops how-to (dummy hand, play the next of that suit, pay cards ace of hearts, king of spades, queen of diamonds, jack of clubs), not Sevens and not Michigan Rummy. 6-hand Five Hundred is a 6-player 63-card how-to (10 each, 3-card widow, three pairs), not 5-hand and not 4-hand. Kemps is a 4–10 even-count pairs how-to (four of a kind, secret signal, yell Kemps), not President and not Nertz. Pitch is a 3–4 point-trick how-to — High, Low, Jack, Game to 11, not euchre.