People often assume that newer card games or board games are a lot more fun than vintage titles. Maybe they have been playing some games for a very long time, and want something that appears fresh and new.
Even if you know how to play poker, roulette, bridge, and Go Fish, these games still have a great deal of worth in today’s society. Not only are they wonderful reminders of the games we played as kids, but they are still a lot of fun to enjoy with family and friends.
Despite there being so many interesting card games that came out in the past 20 or 30 years, some older games are still in the elite bracket. These are games you can play at any time and have a great experience.
Below is our list of the card games that are still entertaining to play today, even if they were invented a long time ago.
1. 500 Rummy
One of the most fun games that you can play with another person at home, 500 Rummy is a classic. The goal of this game is to score points by playing sets of a minimum of three cards of the same rank. That means playing three 6s or three 7s. There is also the option of running cards in a sequence if they are of the same suit, such as 10, J, and Q of hearts.
500 Rummy is played in rounds, with each round ending when one of the two players has no more cards left. If you do have some cards remaining, while your opponent has nothing in their hand, the value of those cards is subtracted from the score you built up in that round.
All you need is a deck of cards and your smartphone to tally up the scores after each round. 500 Rummy may be an old game, but it is still one of the best ways to spend an hour or two with a friend or family member.
2. Poker
A game that first came out a very long time ago, poker has gone through a lot of variations over the years. If you are someone who prefers vintage gaming, you may want to play five-card poker with your friends.
While it is not as popular as the Texas Hold’em variety that dominates the United States and the rest of the world today, five-card poker is still a lot of fun. You can make as many great combinations, and the game is fun for hours when you have a group of four or five people.
You can start by playing for fun as everyone in your group learns the playing style of five-card poker. Since the strategies do differ slightly from Texas Hold’em, play a few rounds before you add money into the equation. When everyone is comfortable, you can each put $20 or $30 into a pot, with the eventual winner getting all the money to take home.
3. Hearts
A trick-taking card game, Hearts is a game where you are hoping to take the fewest number of tricks during a given round. The game is best when you are playing with three other people.
You deal all the cards evenly, with each heart netting one point. The queen of spades has a total of 13 points, and the strategy is to start each round with a low-ranking spade after the initial trick, which draws the queen out onto the pile.
One of the best plays that you can make in Hearts is to “shoot for the moon.” That means you will attempt to win all 13 hearts cards, along with the queen of spades, in a single round. If you can make this happen, you can subtract 26 points from your score, or add 26 points to the scores of all the other players on the table.
4. Solitaire
If you have time to spend alone, there is no reason to feel bored. You can easily enjoy yourself by having a great meal, a glass of wine, and whipping out a deck of cards.
Set up your cards on a relatively big table, as you will need all that room so you can play solitaire properly. Even though you can download an app on your phone to play this game, playing the way they did in the 18th or 19th centuries is a lot more fun.
Solitaire is a one-player game where you aim to rearrange the cards in perfect lines in the order of the cards. For instance, a line may start with the 4 of spades. You will then continue to add cards in the correct order, such as 5, 6, and 7.
You can combine your lines, with the end goal to create four perfect lines from King to Ace.
5. Gin Rummy
Another two-person game that was invented around 1909 in the United States, Gin Rummy is played with a 52 card deck without any wild cards. You can even use two decks, which makes the game a little easier to play.
The objective of Gin Rummy is to use your hand to form combinations of cards to get the 100 points you need to win the game before your opponent can do the same. Cards such as K, Q, and J, have values of 10, while the other cards have a value that corresponds to their number.
Enjoy Your Favorite Card Games
The last thing you should think about when deciding on what game to play, is whether this is a new or older game. Whether you enjoy playing solitaire, Texas hold’em, bridge, blackjack, UNO, or other card games, you should play the games you enjoy the most.
Card games that were invented 100 years ago or even before are still around for a reason. They have such longevity and relevance because they are so much fun to play, and bring out the competitive spirit in people.
As you spend time with family and friends during this holiday season, do not forget to have a game night where you play your favorite older card games.
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