19 Fun 2-Player Card Games

Playing card games alone is fun, but sometimes you want to play with a buddy. Luckily, you can choose from several 2-person card games that you can easily play with a standard 52-card deck. From simple card games like matching cards to fast-paced card games with strategy, you can find a great game to match whatever level of play you’re looking for.

In this post, we go over how to play the best two-player card games, from classic card games to more unique ones that might become your new game night staple.

1. German Whist

Objective: The point of this trick-taking game is to win the most tricks during the last 13 tricks played.

Deck: A regular 52-card deck

How to deal: Both players get 13 cards each. The remaining cards create the draw pile, and the top card from it is flipped face up on top of the deck to determine trump for the game.

How to play:

• The non-dealer leads first by playing a card to the middle with either the trump card or playing a high card. Their opponent must follow suit using the suit led. If they can’t, they can play any card. The highest card of the suit led or the highest trump card wins the trick.

• Whoever wins the trick leads the next trick, and play continues. Players are in the drafting phase until the draw pile is gone, meaning you are not keeping score, but rather you are setting yourself up to have the best cards in an attempt to win the last 13 tricks.

• Each player will have 13 cards once the stockpile is gone, and that’s when the game begins where tricks are counted to determine a winner.

• Winning seven or more tricks means you win the game.

2. Cribbage

Objective: The object of the game is to score 121 points before the other player does.

Deck: A regular deck of cards and a cribbage board

How to deal: The dealer deals each player six cards, and then flips up the top card to be the starter card. After looking at their hands, players must place two cards in the “crib” (a second hand for the dealer) at the beginning of the game, leaving four cards for each player. Both players will include the starter card to count their hand at the end.

How to play:

• The ways to score points include three phases: pegging play, counting your hand, and counting the crib (dealer only). You count your pegged points as you play, then your hand and crib after each hand.

• You score points by making these combinations with your opponent’s play during pegging and by counting these combinations in your hand and crib (dealer only) at the end of play:

• Card combinations that add up to 15 give you two points.

• Runs are worth the number of cards per run.

• A pair is worth two points.

• A three-of-a-kind is worth six points.

• A four-of-a-kind is worth 12 points.

• Pegging play begins the game.

• Each player plays a card to the middle and will announce their running total of the cards added up.

• For example, if you play a number card, such as an eight of hearts, you announce “eight.” If your opponent plays a seven of clubs, your opponent would say “15,” which would then allow your opponent to peg two points. If you then play a two of spades, you would announce, “17,” and so on.

• Pegging play continues until 31 is reached. If a player can’t play a card into the middle without the running total exceeding 31, then they must say “go” and give their opponent a chance to play.

• Whoever plays the last card gets one point.

• Ending exactly on 31 gives you two points (the “go” point plus the point for the last card).

• The running total resets back to zero once you reach 31, and you continue pegging play until all cards have been played.

• Count your hand when all cards have been played.

• Both players can use the flipped-up card to create their own card combinations and move their pegs to add those points.

• If you have a jack that is the same suit as the flipped-up card, that is worth one point.

• Crib counting: The dealer uses the starter card and the crib to make combinations and peg points.

• Play continues through these phases until someone reaches 121 points.

• Play Cribbage here

3. Gin Rummy

Objective: Score more points than your opponent by making card combinations of three-card sets and runs, playing several rounds until one player gets more than 100 points.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player gets 10 cards with a draw pile in the middle and the first card turned up to create a discard pile.

How to play:

• Players take turns and can pick up one card at a time from either the face-up discard pile or the draw pile and end the turn by discarding one of the cards in their hand.

• Players make combinations of runs of the same suit or sets of the same rank with three or more cards within their hand. You hold your runs and sets in your hand the whole round while you play gin rummy.

• To end a round, players can go “gin” (all of your cards are in sets and/or runs) and the points will be added up accordingly.

• Keep playing rounds until someone scores 100+ points.

4. Golf

Objective: The card game is played for nine rounds, after which, the winner is the one who has the lowest amount of points.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt six cards, facedown, and arranges them facedown in a two-by-three grid. Remaining cards are in a stockpile in the middle with the first card flipped up into a discard pile.

How to play:

• In this strategy game, each player tries to get the lowest amount of points for their six cards. You do this by either matching the two cards in a column (which equals zero) or by replacing cards to achieve a lower point value.

• The first player to play (left of the dealer) will flip up two of their cards (only on the first turn of each round).

• The player then must choose to draw a card from either the face-up discard pile card or the top of the draw pile. After looking at the card, the player has the following options:

• Discard the card. If you draw from the discard pile, however, you must play the card according to one of the next options. You can’t simply discard it again.

• Use the card to switch with a face-up card. Use the switch to either make a match in a column or to reduce the point value of the current face-up card. Discard the face-up card that was switched out.

• Use the card to switch with a facedown card. Note that you cannot look at the facedown card before making this decision. You then discard the one you switched.

• Play continues clockwise with the next player able to select either the previously discarded card or one from the draw pile.

• Once the draw pile is gone, you may then shuffle the discard pile and make that the new draw pile.

• When a player has all of their cards flipped over, then players with cards left get one more turn to switch a card. After they each make a last turn, any cards still not showing will be flipped up and the score is added up.

• Nine rounds are played.

• Play Golf Solitaire here

5. War

Objective: Players try to win all the cards in the deck.

Deck: One deck of cards

How to deal: Deal 26 cards to each player, stacked facedown.

How to play:

• Both players flip the top card of their piles face up on the table at the same time.

• Whoever has the highest card wins all of the cards, placing them facedown at the bottom of their pile.

• If cards are flipped at the same time, and they’re the same rank, then they go to “war.” Each player stacks three of the cards facedown to their matching hand and finally adds a fourth card face up that will go to war.

• Whoever has the highest-ranking fourth card will then take all of the cards on the table. If the fourth cards are the same rank, they go to war again and repeat the same process until a player has the higher fourth card and takes all of the cards involved in the war.

• When a player has flipped over all cards in their pile, they flip over the cards won so far and continue play.

• The player who gains the entire deck of cards wins, and the game is over.

6. Speed

Objective: Get rid of all cards before your opponent.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Two piles of five cards each are placed in the center of the playing area and two piles of one card each are in between the piles of five cards. Both players are dealt 20 cards. Each player will draw five cards from the top of their 20 cards.

How to play:

• Both players flip up the two piles of one card each in the middle of the playing area at the same time.

• Each player will play one card after another from their hand as fast as they can against their opponent onto either of the two piles that are either one card higher or lower than the two face-up cards in the playing area (the suit isn’t considered).

• Draw a card from your 20 cards as you play a card onto the piles so you always have five cards in your hand at a time.

• If neither opponent can play one of their cards onto the piles, each player will take the top card from the two piles of five cards and flip them up onto the two middle piles to see if they can play onto those new cards.

• Players will keep racing each other to play a higher or lower card than the one before it on either of the two piles until one player runs out of cards in their hand and their 20 cards. Then they yell, “Speed!” meaning they win the game.

7. 66

Objective: Be the first player to win seven game points by being the first player to score 66 card points in a round by taking tricks.

Deck: A 24-card deck with the aces down to nines in each suit included.

How to deal: Each player gets six cards dealt three at a time with the top card of the remaining deck flipped up to determine the trump suit for the round.

How to play:

• The non-dealer begins the game by playing a card into the middle. The next player can play any card. The player with the highest ranking card in the suit led, or trump card, will take the trick.

• The player who wins the trick will get to draw a card from the top of the deck first, and then the opponent will draw a card from the top of the deck last, so each player has six cards in their hand.

• The player to win the trick leads the next trick. This continues until the draw pile runs out.

• Players will then play with their six cards and the rules change slightly so that players must play a card in the suit that was led if possible.

• Players keep a running total of the tricks they have based on the cards won within those tricks. For example, if a player wins a trick with an ace (11 points) and a 10 (10 points), they have 21 points.

• Be the first player to win 66 card points in a round to win.

8. Egyptian Rat Screw

Objective: Be the player to win all of the cards.

Deck: A standard deck of cards

How to deal: Deal 26 cards to each player, and keep them facedown.

How to play:

• The non-dealer begins the game by playing a card into the middle. The next player does the same. Each player plays one card after another into the middle until a face card or ace is played.

• After a face card or ace has been played into the middle, the opponent must play a face card or ace after that. However, being that the players can’t look at their hand of cards, each player is given a certain number of chances to play a face card or ace depending on the card that is played into the middle.

• For instance, if an ace is played into the middle, the opponent will have four chances to play a face card or ace into the middle.

• If a king is played, the opponent has three chances.

• If a queen is played, the opponent has two chances.

• If a jack is played, the opponent has one chance.

• If the opponent does not play a face card or ace after the number of chances given, the player who played the face card or ace into the middle will get to take the entire pile of cards that were in the middle and add it to the bottom of their pile of cards.

• The player who wins the pile of cards will begin a new pile.

• Another way to win the pile is if a certain combination of cards is played to the middle and the first person to slap the certain combination will get to take the pile, such as a pair or a sandwich (a pair with a non-pair card dividing the pair).

9. Crazy Eights

Objective: You must get rid of all your cards first to win the round and score the fewest points overall to win the game.

Deck: Standard deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt five cards and a deck left in the middle of the playing area for the draw pile, with the top card from the draw pile flipped face-up to start a discard pile.

How to play:

• The first player must play a card on top of the top discard pile card that is either the same rank or suit. Then the other players do the same.

• For instance, if the top card is the seven of hearts, a player can play a two of hearts card (any hearts card) or any sevens card (regardless of suit).

• If a player can’t play a card, they can draw up to three cards from the draw pile.

• Their turn is over if they can’t play anything after drawing the cards.

• Eights are wild cards (can be played on any card). This means, when a player plays an eight, they can choose the new suit that can be played next and the next player has to play the card of that suit or an eight.

10. Pinochle

Objective: Score 1,000 points to win by taking tricks to create melds.

Deck: Two decks of the aces to nines, totaling 48 cards

How to deal: Each player gets 12 cards dealt four at a time. The top card of the draw pile is flipped face-up, and the suit of that card will be the trump card for the round.

How to play:

• The non-dealer begins the game by playing one of their cards into the middle. The opponent can then play any card, with the highest ranking card of the lead suit, or trump card, winning the trick for that round.

• The game is divided into two parts: melds and tricks, and then just tricks.

• Melds:

• The player to win the trick can lay out a meld if they have one. Melds are a combination of certain cards together. Examples of some melds are as follows:

• Ace, king, queen, jack, and 10 in the trump suit equaling 150 points

• Four aces equaling 100 points

• A king and queen of the trump suit equaling 40 points

• A pinochle, or queen of spades and a jack of diamonds equaling 40 points

• Even after laying a meld down, the player can still play it as if it was still in their hand. Meld points are awarded as they are won during each round.

• The winner of the last trick will draw the top card from the draw pile and the opponent will draw one last so each player has 12 cards.

• The winner of the last trick leads the next trick.

• Tricks:

• Once the draw pile is gone, the game is only played for tricks now and new rules take effect. Melds cannot be scored and meld cards are returned to each player's hands.

• For the last 12 tricks, players must play a card in the same suit that was led, when possible (if not, they can play any card) until all cards are played.

• Multiple rounds can be played until a player gets 1,000 points or more winning the game.

11. Double Solitaire

Objective: Play all of your cards to complete your foundation piles before your opponent.

Deck: Two regular decks of cards

How to deal: In this Solitaire two-player version, each player gets their own deck. Instead of dealing cards, each player sets up a tableau, or the layout of seven cards, facedown, in a row with one card in the first column, two in the second, and so on. The top laying card on each column is flipped face-up.

How to play:

• The player with the lowest card in their first column begins and then takes turns as the game progresses.

• Each player uses their face-up cards on their tableau to build columns on their own tableau and to move cards to any of the eight foundation piles.

• For columns, players move cards that are one rank lower and the opposite color than the face-up cards on their tableau. For instance, a player could move a two of clubs onto a three of diamonds.

• If you move a face-up card that exposes a facedown card, you turn the facedown card to be face up.

• You can build on the eight foundation piles (a whole suit or sequence that you build upon to end the game) beginning with ace to king. Cards played to the foundation piles must be the same suit as that ace.

• When you can’t play any cards, you end your turn by flipping over a card from your stockpile to your discard pile. You can then use that face-up card on your next turn.

• You win once you’ve played all of your cards or, if neither player can make a move, you have the least amount of cards in your stockpile and discard pile.

12. Spit

Objective: Get rid of all of your cards before your opponent.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt 26 cards, one at a time. Each player lays out five cards in a row in front of them with only one card for the first card in the row, two for the second card in the row, three for the third, four for the fourth, and five for the fifth. Each player will have a deck of cards leftover known as their spit pile. Each player flips up the top cards of their five piles.

How to play:

• Each player flips up the top card of their spit pile and places it in the middle.

• Then, each player can use any of their top cards from their five piles to play onto either of the two cards in the middle as long as it is one higher or one lower than the card they are trying to play onto. No turns are taken and instead players play as fast as they can to beat their opponent.

• If a player has an empty space (for instance they used the first card of their five piles and freed up that space), then they can move any of the face-up cards from their five piles to that space which will allow them to flip up a facedown card that has now been exposed.

• If a card in their five piles matches the rank of another card in their five piles, that player can stack that card on top of the other.

• If players can’t play into the middle, then each player takes a card from the top of their spit pile to see if they can then play onto either of those cards.

• The first player to get rid of all of their cards first can slap the smaller pile of cards in the middle to take, shuffle, and then play in the next round.

• A player with 15 or less cards, they create their five piles, but won’t have a spit pile, meaning there’s only one middle pile to play to.

• Once a player has no more cards, the middle pile goes to that player’s opponent and the player with no cards wins.

13. Go Fish

Objective: Collect the most four of a kind cards (or sets) to win.

Deck: Standard deck of cards

How to deal: Deal five cards each with the remaining cards facedown in a draw pile in the middle of the playing area.

How to play:

• The player who starts can ask if their opponent has any of a card rank (such as, “Do you have any sevens?”).

• If that player has the cards you asked for, they must give you all of them, such as all the sevens they have. If they don’t, they say, “Go fish,” and you draw from the draw pile.

• If the other player gives you the card(s) you asked for, you draw the card you asked them for, you get another turn. If not, then you don’t get to go again and the next player plays.

• Once a player gets four of a kind (same rank of card), they have to place them face up in front of them immediately.

• When a player runs out of cards, they can draw five cards from the draw pile.

• When the draw pile is gone, the game keeps going until no player has cards left over.

• The player with the most sets wins.

14. Bluff (BS)

Objective: Get rid of all of your cards first.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Deal 26 cards each.

How to play:

• All cards are played facedown in the middle of the table so no one sees what you play.

• The first player to go first must play one or more aces facedown into the center of the playing area and announce that they are playing an ace by saying “one ace.”

• The next player must play one or more twos, and the third player (on the third play) must play one or more threes facedown. This continues from player to player going up the card rank, laying down card(s) and announcing what card is laid down and how many of that card is being played.

• If during a player’s turn, they don’t have the next card up to play, they can lie and play a different card, such as a single six, but play a five card facedown while announcing “one six.” Alternatively, a player can also say, “two sixes” while playing a six and a card of another rank.

• If someone calls their bluff by saying, “BS!” the card (or cards) must be flipped over to see if they were lying. If they lied, they have to take all of the cards that are in the center of the playing area. If they were telling the truth, the one who calls the bluff must take all the cards in the middle.

15. Old Maid

Objective: Avoid being the last player who is holding the odd queen card.

Deck: A regular deck of cards with three of the four queens removed from the deck, leaving just one in the deck (the odd queen).

How to deal: Deal each player one card at a time until all cards are dealt.

How to play:

• Both players look at their cards, make all the pairs they can with the cards they have, and place them in pairs near them.

• The dealer will hold out their cards facedown to the non-dealer. The non-dealer will take one card from them to see if they can make a pair with their own hand and the card they took from the other player. If they can’t, the process repeats moving onto the next player.

• Once a player has made all of the pairs they can with their hand, they are safe from becoming the “old maid” (the one with the odd out queen card).

• The player left with the odd queen card loses the game.

16. Slapjack

Objective: Win all of the cards by slapping the jack each time it appears.

Deck: Regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt one card at a time until all cards have been dealt, but players cannot look at their hand.

How to play:

• The non-dealer begins by flipping one of their cards face up and putting it in the middle of the playing area.

• Cards should be flipped out as quickly as possible.

• Anytime a jack is flipped up and into the middle, slap the pile (physically with a hand) to take the cards in the middle.

• The player who was the first to slap the pile will then begin the new middle pile.

• The game ends once one player has all of the cards.

17. Trash

Objective: Get your cards in sequential order from ace to ten.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt 10 cards facedown. Each player organizes their cards into two rows of five cards each (still facedown) with the remaining cards in a drawpile in the center of the playing area and a discard pile next to it.

How to play:

• The first player to start the game draws one card from the drawpile or discard pile. If it’s a card that fits in one of the 10 spots (must be ace through 10, starting from the top left corner of the grid and working to the right, with 10 being the bottom right corner of the grid), then they swap the facedown card in the spot for the appropriate card they drew that fits.

• For instance, if the player draws an ace, they place the ace where the facedown card was in the top left hand corner of their two rows of five cards. Then, they flip that card over to see if they can play that card among their two rows of five cards.

• If the card they flipped is a nine, and the nine spot hasn’t been taken, they can put their card in the nine spot and flip the facedown card that was a placeholder for that spot. They can continue playing until the card that is flipped is a jack or queen or the spot is already taken. They then discard the card that can’t be used.

• Once the first player’s turn ends, the next player goes.

• Once one player fills all 10 of their spots and says, “Trash!” the other players get to draw one more card and try to fill all 10 of their spots.

18. Spades

Objective: Be the first player to get 500 points.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Begin playing spades by placing the deck in the middle of the playing area as the draw pile. Each player draws cards one at a time until both players have 13 in their hand. When a player draws the first card, they can choose to keep it or discard it in a discard pile next to the draw pile. If the player keeps the card drawn, they can look at the next card in the draw pile but must discard it. If the first card is discarded, then the player must keep the second card drawn.

How to play:

• Before the round begins, each player says how many tricks they think they’ll take during the given round.

• Spades are always the trump card, outranking other suited cards when played in a trick.

• One player begins by playing a card to the middle. The opponent must play the same suit card if possible. The highest-ranking card wins the trick, and that player leads the next trick.

• Each player totals up the number of tricks won.

• A player whose number of tricks won matches their bid number (the number of tricks they predict they’ll win for the round) or exceeds their bid number gets 10 points for each trick bid, and one point for additional tricks won.

• For example, if they bid five tricks but actually won seven tricks, they get 52 points, fifty points for the five tricks bid at ten points each and two additional points for actually winning two more tricks than the bid number.

• A player wins a bag when they win more tricks than their bid.

• For instance, if a player bids five tricks but won seven tricks, they will get two bags.

• If a player bids more tricks than they won, they lose the amount bid in points.

• For instance, if they bid five tricks but only won four tricks, they will have a total of negative 50 points.

19. Kings in the Corner

Objective: A variation of Solitaire, where the first player to run out of cards wins.

Deck: A regular deck of cards

How to deal: Each player is dealt seven cards, facedown, one at a time. The remaining cards become a draw pile in the middle of the playing area. Four cards are flipped face up to surround the draw pile, all aiming outward from the deck in a cross shape with corners reserved for king cards.

How to play:

• The non-dealer goes first by drawing a card from the draw pile. Each turn begins by drawing a card.

• Players check to see if any of the cards in their hand can be played onto any of the face-up cards on the table.

• The card they play on the cards making the cross shape must be one rank lower and the opposite color, like in Solitaire. For instance, a player can play a five of clubs onto a six of hearts.

• Kings are played in the corners of the four face-up cards and act as the four foundation piles. Once a king is played, then that suit, in descending order, can be played on that foundation pile. So if a king of spades is played in the corner, then a queen of spades, followed by the jack of spades, and so on can be played onto that pile.

• Players can merge piles that are in the correct sequence, such as moving a five and four to a pile that has eight, seven, and six cards as long as the five and six cards are opposite colors.

• When a space is freed from merging a pile, the player can then play any card to the empty space, starting a new pile.

• Play continues until a player doesn’t have any more moves. You end your turn simply by announcing that you’re done.

• The first player to run out of cards wins.

So the next time you and a friend are looking for more than board games on game night, give one of these two-player or three-player card games a try You might find your new favorite!

And when you’re playing solo, check out the 500+ single-player card games available online at Solitaired.