Even though teens tend to love technology and gadgets nowadays, it’s undeniable that old school fun is making a comeback. That means that card games are starting to be played again! The best two-player card games for teens and up are fun, easy to learn, and fast-paced.
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a game night where you all turn off your phones and the TV in order to play some cards? The competitive spirit and thrill will surely make the night memorable. In this article, we’ll go over 10 options for your next family game night, which will be focused particularly on older children.
Navigation Table
500 Rummy
The Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used.
The Objective
To collect matched number sets of 3 or 4 and/or sequences of 3 or more cards of the same suit. First player to obtain 500 total net points wins.
Card Ranks
Ace (high or low), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace
Card Values and Scoring System
Score points by either laying down or laying off cards, as in regular Rummy, in matched number sets of 3 or 4, and in sequences of 3 or more cards of the same suit. For example, three or four 7s can be laid or a sequence of 3, 4, 5 of diamonds can be laid. The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins and the game immediately ends.
Each player’s score is tabulated as follows. The player is credited with the point value of all cards that the player has shown on the table. From this figure is subtracted the point value of all cards remaining in their hand. The difference is added or subtracted from the player’s score.
The first player whose score reaches +500 wins the game and collects from each opponent the difference between their final scores. If two or more players reach 500 on the same hand, the one with the highest score is the winner.
How to Deal
Deal seven cards to each player (except in the two-player game, in which each player receives 13 cards). Place undealt cards face down in the center of the table, forming a stack. The top card is turned face up and is placed beside the stack as the upcard to start the discard pile. The discard pile should be slightly spread out so that the players can see all the cards.
How to Play
Each player, beginning with the player to the left of the dealer, may draw either the top card of the stack or any card from the discard pile.
There are two conditions when drawing a card from the discard pile:
- Player must take all the cards above the selected card and
- The drawn card must immediately be used, either by laying it down in a set or by laying it off on a set already on the table
The remaining cards taken with the discard can be melded in the same turn or simply added to the player’s hand. A “meld” is a set of the three or more cards that you can use to earn points. Each player in turn, after drawing but before discarding, may lay down any matched set or may lay off any card that matches a set already on the table.
Cards that are laid off are kept on the table in front of the player. Sequences cannot “go round the corner”. Thus, A, K, Q or A, 2, and 3 can be melded, but not K, A, or 2.
Spades
The Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used.
The Objective
The object of the game is for your partnership to estimate the strength of your hands in the bidding accurately, and then take as close to your estimate of tricks as you can in the play.
Card Ranks
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Card Values and Scoring System
The player scores 10 points for every trick bid, plus 1 point for every overtrick. For instance, if the bid of the player is seven and they make seven tricks, the score should be seventy. The score is 0 if the player takes fewer than the number of tricks bid, or “breaks contract”.
How to Deal
You draw a high card to choose the first dealer, and after that the turn to deal proceeds clockwise. The entire deck of cards is dealt face down, one at a time, starting on the left of the dealer. The cards are picked up by the players and arranged by suits.
How to Play
The game is scored by hands, and the winner needs to make a certain number of points, which is decided before the beginning of the game. It’s common for five hundred points to be set as the goal, but if you want a shorter game then 200 points is also suitable. The player on the left of the dealer makes the opening lead, and other players need to follow suit.
If a player can’t follow suit, they can play a trump or discard. The player who plays the highest trump wins the trick, or if trump wasn’t played, the player who played the highest card in the suit led. The one who leads next is the player who wins the trick. The play continues until none of the players are left with any cards. Each hand is worth 13 tricks.
Tonk (AKA Tunk)
The Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used.
The Objective
Matched sets consisting of groups of four or three of a kind are attempted to be formed by players, or sequences of three or more cards of the same suit.
Card Ranks
King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, A.
Card Values and Scoring System
After every player has a turn, the count of unmatched cards that each player has is scored against them. Keep in mind that a deuce counts as only 2 points. The count is doubled if the tunker doesn’t have the lowest count. You’re out of the game if your score reaches 100. Players continue the game until there’s only one player left, and that player is the winner of the game.
How to Deal
Each player is dealt seven cards. All of the cards remaining become the stockpile and the top card is drawn and placed next to it face-up. This is the first card of the discard pile.
How to Play
Deuces are wild. Each player in turn must take the top discard or draw from the stock, followed by discarding. Only the player that’s on the left of the dealer may take the first upcard. The player may “tunk” or knock if their unmatched cards count five or less before discarding.
Then, the player spreads their hand, separating unmatched and matched cards. A set that’s matched can’t have more than four cards and needs to include two natural cards. Each other player has one turn to draw, take the discard, meld, lay off on the melds of the tunker, and discard.
Thirty-one
The Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used.
The Objective
The object of the game is to have a hand at the showdown whose count in one suit is higher than that of any other player or to obtain a hand that totals 31 in cards of one suit.
Card Ranks
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Card Values and Scoring System
Face cards count 10 points, an ace counts 11 points, and all of the other cards count their face value.
How to Deal
To deal, players cut, and the one who has the lowest card deals to the left. Three cards are dealt face up for a “widow”, and three cards are dealt face down for every player.
How to Play
An equal amount of chips needs to be put into a pot by all players before the game begins. The first turn is by the player on the left of the dealer. A player can take one card from the widow and replace it with one card from their hand on each turn.
Players take turns clockwise until one player is good with the card values they hold, and they indicate this by knocking on the table. Then, one more turn is given to the other player to exchange cards. Next, there’s a showdown, where all of the players show their hands and compare values.
The pot is won by the player with the highest value of cards. The player with the highest-ranking card wins if there’s a tie for the highest score. If there’s a tie in the highest cards as well, then you compare the next highest cards, and so on. A player also wins the pot if they hold exactly 31 and knock. Players put in chips for the next hand after the pot has been won.
Conquian
The Deck
A standard pack of 52 cards is used.
The Objective
Each player tries to form sequences of three or more cards of the same suit or groups of three or four of a kind.
Card Ranks
The seven and jack are considered to be in sequence. In order for the sequence Ace, 2, 3, to be formed the rank of the ace is low, but no Ace, King, Queen.
Card Values and Scoring System
When a player has melded exactly 11 cards, the game ends. Therefore, a player might have no cards left in their hands but still continue to play since they need another melded card to go out. The next game counts as double if the stock is exhausted before either player has melded 11 cards.
How to Deal
10 cards are dealt to each player, and the cards that are remaining form the stack.
How to Play
The top card of the stack is turned up by the non-dealer. The player doesn’t put it into their hand. Instead, they must meld it, along with other cards in their hand, or discard it. Each player must either turn up the top card in the stock and meld or discard it, or take the top discard and meld it.
A player must discard from their hand if they take and meld a discard. If a player is able to add the discard to one of their previous melds, the other players can require them to do so, and then discard. Before discarding it, and after turning up the top card of the stock, a player might lay off or meld from their hand if they wish. A player may shirt their own melds around as long as there remain only valid melds.
Pinochle
The Deck
A 48-card Pinochle pack is used.
The Objective
The aim is to win tricks, so as to score the value of cards taken in on tricks and to meld certain combinations of cards.
Card Ranks
Ace (high), 10, King, Queen, Jack, 9 (low) in each of the four suits.
Card Values and Scoring System
In Pinochle, the cards have the following value:
- Nines: No point value
- Last trick: 10 points
- Jack: 2 points
- Queen: 3 points
- King: 4 points
- Ten: 10 points
- Ace: 11 points
How to Deal
Each player is dealt 12 cards from the left, four or three cards at a time. The next card is turned up and placed on the table, and this is the trump card. The remaining pack forms the stock.
How to Play
Each trick consists of a play and leader. The winner of each trick leads next. When a trump is led, the trick is won unless the other player plays a higher trump. The card led wins unless the other player plays a higher card on the same suit or a trump when any other suit is led.
Each player draws a card from the stack in order to restore their hand to 12 cards after each trick, and the winner is the one that draws first.
Piquet
The Deck
A Piquet deck is a pack of 32 French-suited cards.
The Objective
The object of this game is to win through winning tricks, sequences, and sets.
Card Ranks
Ace, King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.
Card Values and Scoring System
Aces are worth 11 points, kings through tens are worth 10 points, nines are worth 9 points, eights worth 8 points, and sevens are worth 7 points.
How to Deal
Whoever cuts the lower card is the one that deals first, and each deals in turn. The nondealer is called the Elder hand, while the dealer is called the Younger hand. Deal 12 cards each in batches of three or two. The remaining 8 cards should be spread down on the table, separated into three or five, forming the stock, or talon.
How to Play
The Point are the combinations that score points, which goes to the player with the most cards in a single suit. The Sequence points go to the player with the longest sequence of cards in order and the same suit. There must be at least three cards in length for a Sequence. The setpoints go to the player that has the highest-ranking cards in a set of three or four.
Players get a chance to exchange cards from the remaining deck, and the first to exchange cards is the non-dealer, who can exchange one to five cards. The dealer then gets to exchange up to the number of cards left. The first to declare the combinations is the non-dealer.
After the non-dealer declares a category, the dealer will announce equal, good, or no good. The player with the higher value of cards in the point suit wins if both players have an equal point combination. The player with the highest card in the lead suit wins the trick and leads the next trick.
Pitch
The Deck
The standard 52-card pack is used.
The Objective
The goal of the game is to take all four of the points: High, Low, Jack, and Game.
Card Ranks
Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2.
Card Values and Scoring System
The game is won by the player who reaches a score of at least 8 points. The score of the pitcher is counted first, so if the pitcher and another player reach 7 points on the same hand, the pitcher will win, even if there’s a higher total score obtained by the other player.
How to Deal
Three cards are dealt clockwise until each player has six cards. The deal passes to the left after each hand.
How to Play
The pitcher leads first. The trump suit is indicated by the suit of the card pitches. Each player must follow suit on a trump lead. A player can either trump or follow suit on any other hand. A play can play any card when they aren’t able to follow suit. The player of the highest trump wins the trick and leads next.
Spite and Malice
The Deck
Two 52 card decks.
The Objective
All of your cards from your ‘payoff pile’ to the center stacks should be played.
Card Ranks
Queen (high), Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, Ace.
Card Values and Scoring System
The winner of a hand scores 5 points for winning the game, plus 1 point for each card that’s left in the pay-off pile of the opponent. The winner will be the first player that reaches the target score.
How to Deal
5 cards are dealt to players. Next, 20 cards are dealt to the pay-off pile of the players, and the rest form the stockpile or stock. The players flip the top card of the pay-off pile, and the player with the highest value card starts the game.
How to Play
The first turn of a player starts by drawing five cards from the draw pile. A player can move any acceptable card from their stockpile or hand onto a middle building pile. They end their turn by discarding one card, and players can have four discard piles made in a row with their stockpiles.
On the second turn of a player, they will draw enough cards to return their hand to 5 cards. The player can then move the acceptable cards into building piles from their discard piles, stockpile, or hand.
Euchre
The Deck
There are special Euchre decks, or the standard 52-card pack can be stripped to make a deck of 32 cards.
The Objective
The object of the game is to win at least three tricks.
Card Ranks
Ace (high), King, Queen, Jack, 10, 9, 8, 7.
Card Values and Scoring System
The scoring is as follows:
Partnership or lone hand is euchred, opponents score 2 points.
- Lone hand wins 5 tricks: 4 points
- Lone hand wins 4 or 5 tricks: 1 point
- Partnership making trump wins 5 tricks: 2 points
- Partnership making trump wins 3 or 4 tricks: 1 point
How to Deal
The dealer needs to deal all the cards in two rounds that are successive. This can be done in a few ways, but the most common is to deal 2 cards to the player on the left, then 3 cards, then 2 cards, then 3 to yourself.
How to Play
The player on the left of the dealer makes the opening lead. Each player must follow suit to a lead if possible. If they’re not able to do so, they may trump or discard any card. The highest card of the suit wins the trick or, if it contains trumps, by the highest trump. The one who leads next is the winner of a trick.
Conclusion
These are some popular card games that you can enjoy with your family and friends!
We hope that this guide has helped you learn about how to play the 10 best two-player card games for teens and up. If you have any questions about any of the games we’ve listed here, or have a great idea for a unique card game, please don’t hesitate to leave us a comment below!
