Card Practice

    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

    GameKit
    Euchre24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10.
    HeartsFull 52, everyone for themselves, lowest to 100.
    Five Hundred43-card pack plus a joker, widow, race to 500. Not a standard 52.
    SpadesFull 52, partners, paper, 500.
    CanastaTwo 52s + 4 jokers, partners, paper, 5000.
    Hand and FootFive 52s including jokers, partners, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000.
    Pinochle48-card pinochle deck (9–A doubled), partners, paper, 1000.
    PitchOne 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.
    GolfOne 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes.
    PresidentOne 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad.
    PalaceOne 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 EightsOne 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.
    31One 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 5002–4 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 ScrewOne 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.
    CheatOne 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.
    Texas Hold'emChips, 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

    GameKit
    GolfOne 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes.
    PalaceOne 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 EightsOne 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.
    31One 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 5002–4 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 ScrewOne 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.
    CribbageTwo people and a cribbage board. Paper is a poor substitute.
    Gin RummyTwo people, paper, first to 100, knock at 10.
    Texas Hold'emChips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper.

    3 players

    GameKit
    Cutthroat euchre24-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 HeartsPull the 2♣, 17 each, pass 4, lowest to 100.
    3-hand Five Hundred33 cards (7–A + joker), 10 each, 3-card widow, race to 500. Not the 43-card partnership pack.
    Hand and FootFour 52s including jokers, everyone for themselves, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000. No partners.
    Cutthroat PitchOne 52, everyone for themselves, deal 6 each, paper for High/Low/Jack/Game, first to 11 individually. Not euchre.
    GolfOne 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes.
    PresidentOne 52, deal the whole pack, no partners. Roles: President, Neutral, bottom. Paper optional — roles are the prize.
    PalaceOne 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 EightsOne 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.
    31One 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 5002–4 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 ScrewOne 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.
    CheatOne 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.
    3-hand Cribbage5 cards each, 1 discard each plus the dealer adds 1 so the crib stays 4. Race to 121. Three peg colors.
    Texas Hold'emChips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper.

    4 players

    GameKit
    Euchre24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10.
    HeartsFull 52, everyone for themselves, lowest to 100.
    Five Hundred43-card pack plus a joker, widow, race to 500. Not a standard 52.
    SpadesFull 52, partners, paper, 500.
    CanastaTwo 52s + 4 jokers, partners, paper, 5000.
    Hand and FootFive 52s including jokers, partners, 11 Hand + 11 Foot, paper, 10000.
    Pinochle48-card pinochle deck (9–A doubled), partners, paper, 1000.
    PitchOne 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.
    GolfOne 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes.
    PresidentOne 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad.
    PalaceOne 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 EightsOne 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.
    31One 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 5002–4 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 ScrewOne 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.
    CheatOne 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.
    Texas Hold'emChips, blinds, and a dealer button. Not hash marks on paper.

    5+

    GameKit
    Euchre24-card pack (9–A), partners across, paper and a pen, first to 10.
    PitchOne 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.
    GolfOne 52, 2–6 everyone for themselves, 9 cards in a 3×3, two face up, paper, lowest after 9 holes.
    PresidentOne 52, 3–7 people, no partners. Deal the whole pack. Paper optional — roles are the prize, not a score pad.
    PalaceOne 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 EightsOne 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.
    31One 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 5002–4 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 ScrewOne 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.
    CheatOne 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.
    Texas Hold'emChips, 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, and Cheat are table how-tos — no trainer yet. 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), 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. Five Hundred is a 43-card pack plus a joker, not a standard 52. 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, and Cheat 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). 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, or Cheat. 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. 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. Pitch is a 3–4 point-trick how-to — High, Low, Jack, Game to 11, not euchre.