Card games have existed for centuries, but have enjoyed growing popularity with new audiences in recent times. If you’re new to the scene, you may have been a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of game types and variants available. Don’t panic… many of them are very beginner-friendly.
Thanks to online versions that restrict illegal moves and highlight available choices, even the hard games are easy to learn. Still, if you’re eager to ease yourself into the world of card games, these are the best solutions.
Blackjack
Blackjack, Pontoon, 21s. Whatever you want to call it, this is one of the easiest games to play. You should still try out a demo version of a casino before playing for money. But the mechanics of the game could not be simpler, making it an ideal choice for beginners or families with players of all ages.
The rules could not be simpler. One person is the dealer, who will deal each player (including themselves) two cards. However, only one of the dealer’s cards is upturned. The other player(s) must then decide whether to stand on the score that they currently hold or hit for another card.
Scores are determined by adding up the value of the cards a player holds with an Ace being worth 1 or 11 and the face cards each being worth 10. The aim is to get to 21, or as close to it, without reaching 22 or higher. If the player gets a higher score than the dealer, they win. If their score is lower (or busts), then they lose.
Each hand takes just seconds to play. If a player can count to 21, they can learn this with ease.
Hearts
If you ever owned a Windows PC in the 90s or 2000s, you almost certainly played Hearts. But you probably didn’t understand the rules. Once you’ve played a few hands, though, the trick-taking game is quite easy to understand. And it’s certainly a lot of fun – whether you play against three computer opponents or with real-life friends.
The trick-taking game means taking turns to play one card from your hand. The person with the highest ranked card takes the trick and keeps the cards. At the end of the hand (13 tricks if you have 4 players), each player looks at the cards they have collected.
Points are awarded with 1 point for each Heart card collected and 12 points for the Queen of Spades. The aim of the game is to score the lowest number of points. The game ends when one losing player surpasses the set milestone, which is usually 100 points.
There are additional rules like Shooting the Moon, which is when you collect all of the scoring cards in a hand. But you will learn those with a little experience.
Solitaire
Card games aren’t only for multiplayer fun. Solitaire is a solo player game that has been enjoyed for decades. And, again, anyone who had a Windows PC around the turn of the century will be familiar with the most standard variant.
The aim of the game is to move card from the tableau up to four distinct, suit-specific piles. Cards can be placed in descending order from King to Ace in alternating colors. This is before moving up to the foundation piles, which are ordered in ascending value.
There are many variants of solitaire games including Spider Solitaire, Around the Clock, and Freecell. They all share pretty similar traits with slightly different rules relating to objectives and legal moves.
While you can play this with a single deck of cards, most beginners start with a digital version. It is the best way to learn the set-up and the moves.
Uno
Not all card games have to use a standard deck, and Uno is the perfect example. The fast-paced, family-friendly title is a global phenomenon. The success can be largely attributed to the simplicity. Still, there are a number of variants with themed decks and new rules available.
Once the cards have been dealt, each player aims to be the first player to get rid of their cards. The top card from the remaining stack is turned over and turned upwards to start the middle pile. Going round in a circle, players can discard a card if it is the same color or number as the card currently at the top of the middle pile. There are special cards like reverse, skip a turn, and cards where the next player has to pick up extra cards.
When you get down to one card, you shout “uno” before hopefully playing your last card on the next go. If you do, you win the hand. This could be scored as one point to you. Alternatively, every losing player could count the numbers they have left in their hand. In the latter approach, the game ends when someone hits 200 points while the winner is whoever has the least points.
Go Fish
Go Fish is an easy game played with a standard deck by 3 to 6 players. The amount of cards each player has is determined by the number of players. The game works by players taking turns to ask the next player if they have a certain card. They are “fishing” for a card.
If the player does have the card, they must hand it over. If they don’t, you draw a card from the shared pile of cards “ocean”. When asking for cards, the goal is to build a hand of four cards, known as a “book”. There are 13 books per hand – a book for the Aces, 2s, 3s, etc.
When a player has collected a book, they play it on the table in front of them. The aim is to collect more books than the other players. Each hand is a separate game, which is why Go Fish only lasts a few minutes and is ideal for kids.
Texas Hold ‘Em
Poker may seem like an advanced level game. However, Texas Hold ‘Em is quite easy to learn. Even as a beginner, you should feel comfortable within a few hands. The real challenge you need to master comes from the betting aspect and reading your opponents.
For now, though, you should focus on your hand. You will have two cards (that nobody else can see) and must decide whether to bet or fold. Betting could mean seeing (putting in the same amount as others) or raising (increasing the wager). Once everyone is either seeing or folding, three shared cards are dealt face up. These are use by all players. Two more rounds of betting, each followed by one more card in the middle, follow.
After the final round of betting, the winner is the person who makes the best hand. You will make your best hand by combining your two cards with up to three of the cards. There is a long list of possible hands from Royal Flush all the way down to a single high card.
The winner takes the pot, which is all of the bets every player has made. If two or more players have the same winning hand, the funds are split. It can get a little more complex if one player has gone ‘all in’, but that’s another factor to worry about later on.
