Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
Articles & Books From Barry Rigal
The perfect book for when you’re ready to move beyond 52-card pickup Feeling rummy? Ready to bridge the gap? In the mood to go fish? Card Games For Dummies is your source for rules, strategy, and fun. You’ll learn everything you need to know to play and win at your family’s favorite games, plus a bunch of others that are probably new to you.
Cheat Sheet / Updated 02-14-2022
The variety of card games means that you can find one to suit most any situation. Most card players are familiar with some type of poker, though they may need to be reminded of how the hands are ranked. You can play some card games as long as all the players are happy to continue; others end at a particular score, and all are made more enjoyable when players adhere to card-game etiquette.
Article / Updated 10-04-2021
One reason for canasta’s widespread popularity is its use of wild cards, which make the game high scoring and unpredictable. Canasta is also one of the few partnership games (other than Bridge and Euchre) where the players can work in unison, although it also functions perfectly well as a two- or three-handed game.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Go Fish is one of the most popular children's card games! So head to the waterin’ hole, — you’re about to go fishin’ fer sets (four cards of the same kind). To play Go Fish, you need the following:
At least three players
A standard deck of 52 cards
Each player gets ten cards from the dealer. You pretend as you deal out the full deck that you have one more player than you really do.
Article / Updated 02-28-2020
Canasta has some unique rules, but it's still a fun, competitive card game. Just like other aspects of the game, there are special rules that pertain to winning (or finishing) a Canasta game. Here's what you need to know to end a game.
Going out
You can’t get rid of all your cards and go out until your team makes a Canasta.
Article / Updated 02-28-2020
At the end of a hand of Canasta, as soon as one player goes out, the scoring starts. Add up the points for the bonuses and melds and subtract the negative points from that score.The bonuses you may be eligible for are as follows:
You get a 100-point bonus for going out.
You get a 200-point bonus for going out concealed, which means going out without first putting down any melds.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Poker may be the best-known card game, and if you’re going to play, you need to know how the hands rank. The following details the various Poker hands from the highest-ranking to lowest, along with the odds of catching such a hand:
Royal straight flush: The top five cards (A-K-Q-J-10) in one of the four suits.
Article / Updated 04-27-2017
Discarding is a critical part of how you play Canasta; if the discard pile grows large, one false discard can be disastrous. Err on the side of caution by throwing out what you’re sure your opponents don’t want. Do so by watching what they throw away and by what they don’t pick up from the discard pile.
Unfreezing the deck with the initial meld
The discard pile is automatically frozen for your side at the start of the game until your team makes its initial meld; that does not mean you can’t use it — but you can only use it under specific circumstances.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Cribbage is a game of numbers. You collect points by combining cards together to make runs, or scoring combinations. The mathematics is simple, but cribbage is a game of strategy and tactics. Sometimes you try to score points, sometimes you try to stop your opponent from scoring; every game is subtly different.
Article / Updated 03-26-2016
Anyone who tells you that they know the best card games is either a fool or exceptionally arrogant. But, it is possible to offer a selection according to the needs of the players, so here goes!
Best cards games based on a specific number of players
For one player: Accordion and Poker Patience if you’re short on space; La Belle Lucie if you can spread out
For two players: Gin Rummy, Spite and Malice, and Cribbage
For three players: Pinochle and Ninety-nine
For four players: Bridge, Euchre, and Spades
For five to eight players: Hearts, Poker, and Oh, Hell!