Card Games for Two: Classic Games to Play Together
The best card games for two players, from Cribbage and Gin Rummy to Crazy Eights and Casino, with tips for playing together and a way to learn first.
Sunroom Games · Updated
A deck of cards and two people is all you need for an evening of games. Whether it's a couple at the kitchen table, a grandparent teaching a grandchild, or two old friends, these classic games for two have lasted for generations. Here are our favorites, with ways to learn the trickier ones before you deal a real hand.
Four classics you can learn here first
Cribbage
Cribbage is the great two-player game: you make fifteens, pairs and runs, both while playing your cards and when you count your hand, and race your pegs to 121 around a cribbage board. It takes a game or two to learn the counting, and then it stays interesting for a lifetime.
You can play Cribbage against Ben, our computer player, and every hand is counted out loud for you, just as players say it at the table: "fifteen 2, fifteen 4, and a pair is 6." It's a gentle way to learn the scoring before you play with a real board. Our Cribbage strategy guide covers what to keep and how to peg.
Gin Rummy
Gin Rummy is the best-known rummy game for two. You draw and discard, building sets and runs, and knock when your leftover cards add up to 10 or less. It's quick to learn and every hand is short, so it's easy to play "just one more".
Our Gin Rummy against Anne sorts your hand into melds for you and explains the score after every hand, so you can concentrate on the decisions. When you're ready for tactics, see our Gin Rummy strategy guide.
Rummy 500
Plain Rummy, the ancestor of Gin, has players laying their sets and runs face up on the table as they make them. Rummy 500 adds a running score: every card you put down counts for you, you can add cards to your opponent's melds, and you can dig deep into the discard pile for a card you need. The first player past 500 wins, so a game lasts several hands.
You can play Rummy 500 against Ben. Your cards on the table have a gold edge, so you can see at a glance what's scoring for you, and the Hint button says whether anything in the discard pile is worth taking. Our Rummy 500 strategy guide explains why keeping your high cards wins.
Crazy Eights
Each player in turn plays a card that matches the top of the discard pile in suit or rank, or an 8, which is wild and lets you name a new suit. If you can't play, you draw. The first to empty their hand wins. It's simple enough for young grandchildren and lively enough for adults.
You can play Crazy Eights against Anne. The cards you can play are easy to spot, and the Hint button explains which card to play and why, so it's a good way to brush up before a game with the family. Our Crazy Eights strategy guide shows which habits win the most games.
More card games for two
These need nothing but a standard deck of 52 cards. Rules vary a little from family to family, so agree on any house rules before you start.
Casino
A gentle, old game of capturing cards from the table: you can take a card that matches one of yours, or several that add up to one of yours. Points go to whoever captures the most cards, the most spades and a few special cards. It's a quiet game that rewards a bit of mental arithmetic.
Speed
Also called Spit, this is the one to play when you want excitement. There are no turns: both players race at the same time to play cards one higher or lower onto two center piles. It's fast and noisy, and better for quick hands than for stiff fingers.
War
The simplest of all: each player turns over a card, and the higher card takes both. There's no skill involved, which makes it a favorite with small children.
Tips for playing together
- Use large-print cards. Decks with big "jumbo" numbers are widely sold and make any game easier on the eyes. Good light helps as much as big print.
- Learn one game properly first. A favorite game played well is more fun than five half-remembered ones. Cribbage and Gin Rummy both reward playing the same game often.
- Practice the tricky parts alone. Our computer players are patient, explain every hand, and never mind if you take a long time to decide.
- Keep score on paper. For Gin Rummy, a simple tally to 100 works; for Cribbage, a board makes counting easier and is part of the fun.
- Mix generations. Crazy Eights and War suit young children, Gin Rummy suits most ages, and Cribbage is a wonderful game to pass down.
When you're on your own
There are just as many good games for one. Our guide to choosing a solitaire game compares six classics, and if you'd like company, Hearts and Spades are four-player games you can play here with three computer players around the table.