Best Card Games for 2: Easy to Learn, Addictive to Play

Card games have been around forever for a reason. They’re a classic card game, easy to learn, surprisingly addictive, and with two players, they create a special bond.

Some are all about strategy, others pure luck of the draw, and some make you slap the table with laughter. This article focuses on two-player card games, highlighting those specifically designed for or adaptable to two players.

No matter what kind of fun you’re craving, there’s a perfect card game out there just waiting. Ready to make some memories?

Let’s dive in!

Slapjack

Slapjack is all about lightning-fast reflexes and a whole lot of laughter. Picture this: cards flying, hands flashing, and the tension building with each flip… then BAM!

A Jack appears, and it’s a race to be the first to smack that pile.

Quite simply, much like the classic snap, all you have to do is deal a standard deck out between two players (23 cards each), and start placing one card at a time, face up, into a pile in the middle.

Keep going until a Jack appears and the first player to place their hand on the pile wins the lot. Keep going until someone wins all the cards!

To dominate Slapjack, you’ve got to be ready:

Eyes Glued to the Cards: Don’t blink, or you might miss that Jack!
Keep Your Cool: False slaps will cost you, so be quick but patient.
Speed and Precision: It’s not just about being fast; you gotta be accurate too!

A real easy classic, something you can pick up and put down in minutes, and great fun for partners or playing with your kids.

Gin Rummy: A Classic Card Game of Strategy

If you crave a classic with a bite, Gin Rummy is your game. This two-player battle lets you unleash your inner card shark. This game is actually best played with two people, so you’re onto a winner already.

Here’s the gist:

You’ll be dealt ten cards, putting the rest of the deck in the centre of the table and flipping over the top card, creating a draw pile and a discard pile.

The aim here is to discard your “deadwood” (unmelded cards) by creating sets of three cards of the same value (like three Queens) or runs (consecutive numbers in the same suit).

Each turn, you’ll draw a card from either the standard deck or the discard pile in the middle of the table, then discard one yourself. You should always start and end a turn with ten cards in hand.

Keep making runs or sets, but don’t place them on the table.

Now, if all ten cards end up being in runs or sets (known as being ‘melded’), knock on the table. You’ve created a ‘gin’. You can either physically knock on the table or, traditionally, you draw from the draw pile and place the card face down on the discard pile.

If you’ve created a gun successfully, you win 25 points, plus the value of all the cards that are unmelded (not in runs or sets) in your opponent’s hand.

You simply play to a predetermined score, such as 150, 200, 300 points or so on.

Trash

In Trash (sometimes called Garbage or 7-UP), you’ll race against your opponent to arrange your hand from Ace to Ten. This is a game of luck with very little strategy, so it’s great for chilling and just hanging out.

This means you start by taking a standard deck of cards and deal out ten cards to each player five cards at a time, who will then lay them face down in two rows of five. Players should imagine the face down cards are in a number order, like

A, 2, 3, 4, 5
6, 7, 8, 9, 10

The rest of the deck then goes facedown in the centre of the table to become the draw pile.

Then the first player starts by drawing a card from the draw pile. Depending on the value, they put this in that same number position, as determined above.

So, if you draw a three, the card goes in the “3” slot, face up, replacing the face-down card.

The player must now play the face down card. If it was a 6, they place that in the “6” slot, and play that face down card. They keep going until either a King, Queen, or Jack is drawn.

If a face card or a numbered card who’s space has already been filled, in this case a 3 or a 6, the player must place their face card face down in an empty, unfilled slot, or discard the number into a discard pile in the centre of the table.

Their turn then ends and the other player gets to play, repeating the process above. Each player starts by either drawing a card from the draw pile or the discard pile.

The first player to get their cards in numerical order with all slots filled wins!

Crazy Eights

If you love Uno, you’ll love Crazy Eights.

It’s very simple, lots of fun, fast-paced, and another great game to pick up and put down.

Here’s the deal: You’ll get a hand of cards (the deck is dealt equally between two players), and your goal is to get rid of ’em all by matching either the number or the suit of the top card on the discard pile.

So deal the cards, and the non-dealer starts by playing a card from their hand.

If it’s, say, the 2 of Diamonds, the other player can now play another diamonds, or a 2 of another suit. Keep taking it in turns to play cards in this way.

Sound simple? That’s where those special Eights come in…

Play an Eight anytime, and you get to declare the next suit everyone MUST follow. This means you can ditch a bunch of unwanted cards or strategically trap your opponent with a suit they don’t have.

The beauty of Crazy Eights with two players is the constant back-and-forth. You’ll be blocking each other, changing suits on a whim, and laughing as your opponent gets stuck with a handful of cards.

The person to clear all their cards first wins!

Cribbage

Cribbage is a classic game combining strategy, a dash of luck, and a unique points-coring system to keep you hooked from the first deal.

You’ll need a standard deck of cards and a pen and paper. Traditionally, you’ll use a proper cribbage board, of which they’re are some lovely wooden ones available these days.

Now, the instructions can be quite long winded, so check out our guide for a more detailed approach (we’re currently working on this!), but here’s a quick lowdown.

Number cards (A-10): Count at face value (Ace is 1, 10 is 10, etc.)
Face cards (J,Q,K): Each counts as 10.

Gameplay: Pegging

Alternating turns: Players take turns laying down a card and announcing the running total.
Maximum count: The highest the total can go is 31.
Scoring points:
- 15: Score 2 points if the total is exactly 15.
- 31: Score 2 points if the total is exactly 31.
- Pairs: Score 2 points if your card matches the previous one.
- Runs: Score 1 point for each card in a sequence of at least 3 (e.g., 4-5-6 is worth 3 points).
- Last Card: If you cannot play without exceeding 31, say “Go” and your opponent scores 1 point.

Winning: The first player to reach 121 points wins! Points are “pegged” on a special cribbage board.

The Deal

Cut for the deal: Each player cuts the deck, lowest card deals first.
Dealing: The dealer gives each player 6 cards.
The Crib: Each player discards 2 cards face-down into the crib (an extra hand for the dealer).
The Starter: The non-dealer cuts the deck and the top card is flipped (this card is used later for scoring).
Jack Bonus: If the starter is a Jack, the dealer scores 2 points.

The Play (Pegging)

Non-dealer starts: Alternately laying cards down and announcing the total.
Resetting the count: If you can’t play without going over 31, say “Go.” The count resets to 0 and the other player scores a point if they can play a card.

The Show (Scoring Your Hand)

After pegging is done: Each player scores their hand with the starter card.
Scoring combinations:
- 15s: 2 points for each combination that adds up to 15.
- Pairs, Triples & Quads: 2, 6, or 12 points respectively.
- Runs: 1 point for each card in the run.
- Flushes: 4 points for 4 of the same suit in hand, 5 points if the starter is the same suit.
- “His Nobs”: 1 point for having the Jack of the same suit as the starter.
Non-dealer scores first, then dealer.

The Crib (Scoring the Dealer’s Extra Hand)

Dealer scores last: The dealer turns over the crib and scores it using the same rules, also using the starter card.

Additional Tips

Crib strategy: Help your own crib, but put unhelpful cards (especially 5s!) into your opponent’s crib.
Don’t give away points: Play defensively sometimes to block your opponent’s points.
Counting takes practice: Don’t worry if it’s slow at first, you’ll get faster!

Here’s a video as well that may also help.

War

One of my all-time favourites, War is a game me and my partner play on our lunch breaks since we’re work-from-home, and it’s just fast and fun.

All you do is deal the cards equally between you and your playing partner (23 cards each).

Both players then play their top card at the same time (you don’t look at your cards, just keep the pile face-down in your hand). The player with the highest value wins both cards.

Keep going with the aim to win all the cards.

However, the twist is here is if you both play the same value card (2 Sevens). Then you each play three face down cards and then the 4th card is face up. Whoever has the highest value card out of the 4th card wins all the cards.

That’s war! (Aces are the highest value)

Keep going until a player wins all the cards and wins the War!

Exploding Kittens

Exploding Kittens is a quirky, card-driven Russian Roulette is the ultimate blend of luck, strategy, and adorable (yet destructive) kitties.

Here’s the deal: You’ll be dealt a hand of cards filled with hilarious actions like skipping your turn, peeking at cards, or making your opponent take multiple turns. But watch out for those Exploding Kittens!

Draw one of those, and you’re out…unless you have a Defuse card.

Exploding Kittens with two players is a rollercoaster! You’ll spend the entire game sabotaging each other, forcing unwanted draws, and praying not to get blown up by a sneaky feline.

I’ve played this with my best friend (works great with 3 or 4 players as well), and the laughter never stops – it’s the perfect mix of silliness and sneaky strategic play.

Old Maid

Old Maid is a classic and while I personally think it’s better with more players, you can adjust the game to work quite well with two.

Quite simply, take a standard deck of cards and remove three of the queens. Now, the aim is to get rid of all your cards in pairs, and the player left with the lonely Queen, the Old Maid, loses.

After removing the Queens, deal all the cards out equally between the two players. Then each player removes all the pairs in their hand and places them face-up on the table. If you have three of the same kind, remove two and keep one.

Quick variation here, you can either say all sixes (or whatever value) can pair with each other, or to make the game a little more complex, only hearts and diamonds and clubs and spades can pair with their respective colour.

Now go between you for the round. One player will hold out their hand fanned out and face down and the player whose turn it is will pick a card randomly, without showing each other.

If they make a pair, they can play it on the table face up alongside their other pairs. Keep going until there is one card left, the Old Maid!

Winning this game all comes down to tricks and tips of how to get the other person to take the Old Maid without realizing it!

Blackjack

Blackjack gets a head-to-head revamp in this exciting two-player variation. Forget the crowded casino tables – here, it’s just you and your opponent vying for card-counting glory.

The Twist? There’s no dealer.

You’ll take turns acting as the dealer, shuffling the deck, and dealing two cards face down to yourself and your opponent. Then, each player draws cards one by one, strategically deciding to “hit” (take another card) or “stay” (keep your current hand).

Once both players decide to stay, reveal your cards! The player closest to 21 without going over wins the round. If you both bust (go over 21), it’s a draw.

And if you want to spice things up, then you can add in the betting element with Poker chips or points (you earn points if you win and total how many points closer to 21 you were, with busts giving you the best points and then first to reaching 150).

Maybe the winner gets take out?

German Whist

Another classic trick taking game, sometimes known as Honeymoon Whist due to its perfect two-player design, German Whist delivers quick gameplay, strategy, and a hint of luck.

Traditionally, this is a four-player game (traditional Whist), but these days, the two player variant is way more popular.

To play, split the deck between you and player who draws the highest value card is dealer, who then shuffles the deck and deals 13 cards to each player. The remaining cards go face down and become the Draw Pile.

The top card is flipped face up and becomes the fought after card for the round.

The non-dealer then plays a card from their hand, followed by the dealer. The winner is the player who played the card with the highest value of the same suit (has to match).

If you can’t beat the trick, you must still play a card of your choice. The winner of the trick leads the next one, taking the Trump card, the loser taking the second, unrevealed card.

Note: if the top card for this trick is a low value card, like the 2 of Spades, you might want to intentionally lose the trick so you don’t end up with low value cards.

Keep playing this way until the Draw Pile is gone.

Then we move onto the second stage of play, starting with the player who won the last trick.

You can play any card you want but you want to try and win tricks here. Keep note of every trick you win (the trick winner plays a card and the other tries to beat them with a higher value card of the same suit).

Once both player’s hands are cleared, you add up how many tricks each player won. If one player won 9 tricks and the other won 4, player one would win with five points.

Go Fish

Remember playing Go Fish as a kid? I know I do! There’s something so satisfying about gathering those sets of four. It’s a simple game, but don’t let that fool you – there’s a surprising amount of fun (and maybe even a pinch of strategy) to be had.

Here’s how it goes: You’re dealt a hand of cards, and you take turns asking your opponent, “Do you have any Queens?” If they do, they hand them over, and you get another turn.

If not, bummer! You “go fish” (draw a card from the deck) and hope for the best.

With two players, Go Fish turns into a cozy back-and-forth. It’s great for those laid-back game nights, for playing with younger family members, or when you just want some lighthearted card-based fun.

Remember, even if you don’t snag the card you want, that “Go fish!” moment brings a little thrill of anticipation.

Poker (Five-Card Draw)

All right, ditch the standard poker face and prepare for a two-player Poker Showdown! There are a few ways to make classic poker work seamlessly with just two:

Variation 1: Texas Hold’ Em Heads Up

This is the closest to the real deal, where you each get two hole cards and aim to build the best hand using the community cards on the table. Here’s the twist:

Blinds: Instead of a dealer, you’ll alternate who puts out the small and big blind each hand.
Showdowns: With only two hands to compare, the excitement ramps up.

Variation 2: Poker Power Struggle

This is a simplified version, perfect for quick, unpredictable fun:

The Deal: Each player gets five cards.
The Betting: Rounds of betting like usual – raise, call, or fold!
The Showdown: The player with the highest-ranking poker hand wins, often leveraging strategies that include forming sets or melds of cards of the same rank.

Get ready to bluff, bet, and strategize your way to victory! Two-player poker means reading your opponent becomes extra crucial. Can you spot their tells and outsmart them with a killer hand? Time to put those poker skills to the test!

Golf

You’ve got six mystery cards laid out, and your mission is to get the lowest score possible.

That’s Golf in a nutshell – think strategy, a sprinkle of luck, and the occasional groan when a good card goes bad.

So, start by dealing six cards to each player and lay them out in front of you in a 3×2 table. The rest of the cards go in the middle as the draw pile. Turn the top card over to create the discard pile.

Both players now flip any two of their cards in their table so they’re face up. Don’t look at the others.

Starting from the non-dealer, you can either take the discarded card on show on the unrevealed top card of the draw pile. You can then use that to replace any of the cards in your table, but you always place this card face up.

The card you replace gets put face up in the discard pile. Cards you take from the draw pile MUST be played and can’t simply be discarded.

Then the next player plays and you repeat.

When all cards are face up, add your card values togetherand the person with the lowest score wins. Card values are;

Ace: 1
2: Minus two points from total
3 – 10: Equal to their card value
Jack and Queen: 10 points
King: 0 points
Pair in the same column: 0 points

Kings Corner

Deal seven cards to each player and then place four cards face up in a cross shape to start the discard piles. The rest of the cards go face down in the middle of the cross as the draw pile.

The non-dealer starts. The aim is to play as many cards as you can with the goal to get rid of all your cards and you win the pot. If you can’t play, you pay a penny or a poker chip into the pot.

The moves you can play are;

Playing a King into one of the corner’s of the cross
Playing a card one value lower than one of the face up cards in any pile that MUST be the opposite colour (so Seven of Spades can be played on an Eight of Diamonds)
Move an entire discard pile on top of another discard pile as long as the showing cards match the rule above
Play any card in an empty discard space

You always draw a new card from the draw pile at the end of your turn unless you’re out.

If you empty your hand by playing your last card, you win!

Egyptian Ratscrew

Egyptian Ratscrew (ERS) may sound like an interesting name, but it’s a pretty fun two-player game that hits the spot time and time again. It’s typically played with three players up to ten, but it’s possible with two.

Start with a standard 52-card deck, and you can choose to keep the Jokers in. Choose a dealer and dish out the cards so each player has 23 each. These are placed in piles in front of each player face down.

The non-dealer starts by taking the top card off their pile and placing the card face up in the middle of play. The next player copies.

The game here is that if a player places a number card, the other player must play a number card. If the first player plays a face card (King, Queen, Jack, or Ace), the next player must play a face card.

If you don’t, then the player with the last winning card wins the whole hand and the round starts from the beginning.

Whoever wins all the cards wins!

However, here’s the twist – the slap rule, and this overrides the winning play.

Just like Snap, if you see a double card played, such as an Eight on an Eight, then the first player to slap the pile of cards wins the whole pile of card. Same if you see a Joker.

Same if you see a Queen and a King together (a married set of cards). Same if the round started on a face or number and that same card is played, no matter how many cards have been played since (such as someone starting with a six and then a six being played five turns later), known as the Top to bottom rule.

Pure adrenaline, and the thing is, you can add as many or as few rules as you like, so get creative. Maybe even add a punishment or forfeit if someone slaps incorrectly!

I’ve played countless rounds of Egyptian Ratscrew, and the laughter, the close calls, and those epic wins when you snag the pile at the very last second? It never gets old.

Spades

While typically a four-player trick taking game, this Spades is an adjusted version making it great fun for just two players with some free time and some bonding to do.

Use a standard 52-card deck with Ace as the highest value, 2 is lowest. The aim is to reach 500 points first.

Shuffle the deck and place the pile in the middle – no need to deal out the cards here.

The non-dealer starts by drawing a card and deciding if they want to keep it or discard it face into the discard pile. If you discard, you have to draw a second card and keep it.

Go through this process between the two players until the pile is gone and you each have 13 cards in your hand.

Then the game begins.

Bidding: Before the cards are played, each player makes a bid. This is their guess at how many “tricks” they will win during the hand. You can bid anything from 0 (“nil”) to 13.

If you bid nil, you’re saying you won’t win any tricks – this is risky, but you get a big bonus if you pull it off! There’s also the option to bid “double nil,” which is even riskier with an even higher reward (or penalty!).

Gameplay: The person who didn’t deal starts the play. They can play any card except a spade (unless they have no other choice!). The other player must then play a card of the same suit if they have one.

The highest card of the suit that was led wins the ‘trick,’ unless someone plays a spade – spades always win! Spades cannot be played as the first card of a trick unless someone has no other cards left, or they’re forced to play a spade because they can’t follow the suit that was led.

Scoring: You score points if you win at least the number of tricks you bid. Any extra tricks you win are called “bags” and are worth a little less. If you don’t get enough tricks, you lose points! Nil bids get special scores, as mentioned before. The first player to hit 500 points wins the game!

Double Solitaire: Twice the Challenge, Double the Fun!

Like regular Solitaire, you want to get all your cards onto the “foundation piles” in the right order. But here’s the twist: you’re racing against another player! The first to get all their cards sorted wins.

If nobody can finish, the player with the most cards on the foundation piles wins instead.

Setting Up

You need two regular decks of cards (different colors help!).
Each player shuffles their deck and lays out seven columns of cards. The first card in each column is face-up, the rest face-down. This is your “tableau”.
The leftover cards become your “stockpile”.
Leave space in the middle for “foundation piles” (these start empty) and “waste piles” (where you’ll put cards you don’t use right away).

Basic Rules

Foundation piles: One pile for each suit (hearts, diamonds, etc.). Start with Aces and build up to Kings.
Tableau piles: Build DOWN in alternating colors (red then black, etc.)
Empty spaces on the tableau can only be filled with Kings.
You can move whole stacks of cards on your tableau, as long as they follow the color and number rules.

How to Play

Decide who goes first (flip a coin, highest card, whatever you like!).
Take turns trying to move cards from your tableau to either:
- The foundation piles (remember the suit and order!)
- Another spot on your tableau (following the color/number rules)
If you’re stuck, draw the top card from your stockpile and place it face-up on your waste pile – that ends your turn.
If your stockpile runs out, flip your waste pile over to make a new stockpile.

Winning

You win if you get ALL your cards onto the foundation piles first!
If nobody can finish, the player with the most cards on their foundation piles at the end wins.

66: Rack up Card Points and Outsmart Your Opponent

Grab a 24-card deck and get ready for 66, a fast-paced card game where your goal is to reach 66 points first! It’s a blend of trump suits, trick-taking, and a race to score big. Think you can outsmart your opponent and reach that magic number?

Here’s the lowdown: After the deal, a card is flipped to determine the trump suit. Then, it’s on! You’ll take turns laying down cards; the highest card of the suit played (or a trump!) wins the trick, and the trick champion draws first to replenish their hand.

Keep your eyes on the prize: each card has a point value! Aces are worth 11, 10s score you a cool 10, and so on. As you win those tricks, the points start to add up. Tally carefully because every point counts in this race to 66!

Speed (Spit)

Warning: this one’s for those who thrive on adrenaline! Speed (sometimes called Spit) is all about lightning-fast reflexes and a whole lotta card-slinging. The goal is simple: get rid of all your cards, FAST!

You and your opponent each have five stacks plus cards in hand. The fun starts with the two center piles – you both race to play cards on these piles, following an ascending or descending order. If you run out of moves, you can flip cards from your side stacks to keep things rolling.

Two-player Speed is an absolute whirlwind! You’ll be flipping cards like crazy, the tension building with each move. There’s nothing better than that moment when you manage to empty your hand first and yell, “Speed!” It’s pure, chaotic card game joy.

Wrapping Up Card Games for 2

Whether you’re seeking strategy, speed, or pure chaotic fun, these card games promise easy-to-learn rules and endless replayability. Perfect for two players, they’ll quickly become your favourites for a night of laughter and friendly competition.

Some of the games we’ve covered are considered ‘national card games’ in various parts of the world, highlighting their global appeal and cultural significance.

Ready to get started? Let the games begin!

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