Are you a card game enthusiast? Or maybe you’re looking for some old-fashioned entertainment to pass the time. Either way, have you ever considered playing classic card games online? It’s a great way to get in your favorite pastime and connect with friends – whether near or far!
Today, we’ve rounded up five of the most difficult classic card games that’ll provide hours of thrilling fun in digital form. From Pai Gow Poker to Bridge – read on to learn more about these timeless classics that are as popular today as ever!
5 Card Games that Will Give Your Brain a Good Work Out
Get ready for some old yet challenging card games that will force you to think strategically and pay close attention to your every move. These games are not only perfect for honing your skills, but they’re also great for killing time. The best part is all of them are available online! Check out our list below:
Cheat
The first game on our list is called Cheat, also known as Bulls**t or I Doubt It. It’s a game of deception where the players will try to be the first ones to get rid of all their cards. It will also let you know just how much you know your friends and if you can make a fantastic poker face. The twist is that all players can lie about the cards they played. You must be good at deceiving other players, or you’ll get stuck holding all the cards and lose!
Each round consists of three or more players and uses a standard deck of cards. Cards are dealt evenly, and the remaining ones become the discard pile. The first player takes a card from their hand and places it face down while announcing his play. For instance, he declares, “One Ace,” and then the next person must play another Ace. If not, they can bluff and announce “Two Aces.”
The following players will continue announcing their play until King is reached or until someone doubts them. If they were found lying, the liar picks up all the cards in the discard pile as a penalty. However, if they weren’t bluffing and did have two Aces in hand, then the player who doubted must pick up all the cards.
Cribbage
The next game allows you to utilize your strategic skills in terms of counting cards. You have to be careful with the value of the cards you play since it can give you or other players a point! Once you play Cribbage, you will understand what that means. To give you an idea, here are some basics:
- Score a total of 121 points
- Best played by two players or four players in partnerships
- Cards are placed in a cumulative sequence
- Play a card that gives a cumulative sum of 31 or 15 to score a point
- Don’t put “good” cards in your crib
Remember that in this game, the dealer always has an advantage because they can use your crib to score points during the show phase. If you do so, you might have a hard time getting 121 points.
Bridge
A classic game that’s known for its complexity and incredibly challenging gameplay is Bridge. It’s one of the most popular trick-taking games you can play on web-based platforms that also offer other card games.
Even though it has complicated game mechanics, it continues to be a well-loved game to this day. Millions of players enjoy it in Bridge clubs and seniors love it as one of their pastimes.
Below are some basics you need to understand:
- You’ll need a scorepad and a pen for scoring
- Played by four players in two teams and sitting across each other in North‑South and East‑West
- The playing hand is the “declarer” and has determined if there’s a “trump suit” or there are no trumps
- Bidding consists of the minimum number of tricks the team can win
- Play involves the opening lead playing the first suit, and all players must follow
- If others can’t follow suit, they can play a trump or discard any other card
- The dummy (the declarer’s partner) will place their 13 cards face-up on the table
- The team can score points for each “trick” won, and the first team to reach 100 or more will win
Overall, Bridge is a challenging game that requires good communication, strategy, and memory skills. If you’re unsure of its gameplay and want to learn some strategies to win, there are online platforms you can try first before going against your friends in real life!
Pinochle
A unique type of trick-taking game that also involves meld-making is Pinochle. However, the peculiarity in Pinochle is that there are certain meld combinations the player must form to score additional points. The points will depend on the type of combinations you make.
The goal is to aim for the highest score. The scoring will be determined by combining the points from meld-making and the pips or eyes gained through trick-taking. If you lose or forfeit in the game, points can also be subtracted.
What makes Pinochle enjoyable is that up to eight players can join the game. However, the most common variations are three- and four-player Pinochle. If there are four players, there will be two teams. In the three-player Pinochle, everyone opposes everyone.
Pai Gow Poker
If you enjoy taking risks while enjoying a good game of cards, Pai Gow Poker should be on your list. It’s a variation of Poker, but it’s trickier and more difficult to understand than other variations. If you haven’t played Poker before, then getting the hang of Pai Gow Poker will take you hundreds of rounds first before you can get its basics.
Basics of Pai Gow Poker:
- Create a five-card Poker hand and a two-card Poker hand from the seven cards in your hand
- The two Poker hands must beat the banker’s hand to win the minimum wager
- The five-card hand’s rank must exceed the rank of the two-hand card hand
- If you win one hand and the dealer wins another, there’s no money exchange
Only pairs and high cards can be made in the two-card hand. On the other hand, standard Poker hand rankings apply for the five-card hand. If you manage to make the right hand for both, you can easily win against the banker.
Put Your Card Skills to the Test Using Online Platforms
Classic card games have always been a favorite pastime among our ancestors, especially since it doesn’t require any unique equipment and can be enjoyed by people of all ages. What’s great is that we now have the luxury of playing these games online, which means you can access them anywhere.
Whether you plan on playing through your PC or a mobile device, card games will keep you on edge! If you’re unfamiliar with a card game’s particular gameplay, try digital platforms first since it can help you hone your skills before challenging your friends!
