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Card Games for Two Players

This is a list of traditional card and tile games that are designed for or work well with two players. Each game is listed just once - for alternative names see the general alphabetical index. For each game the configuration of players and the type and number of cards or tiles is listed. There is an explanation of the symbols below the table.

GameQuantityConfiguration
Agram 31, 35 individual
All Fives cards 52 individual
All Fives dominoes 28 individual
All Fours 17th Century 52 individual
All Fours North American 52 individual
All Threes Dominoes 28 individual
Arlington 2x52 individual
Auction Draw Dominoes 28 individual
Austrian Dominoes 36 individual
Baccarat 6x52 banker
Badugi 52 individual
Bartok 52 individual
Basra 52 individual
Beggar My Neighbour 52 individual
Belote Découverte 32 individual
Bergen 28 individual
Bezique 2x32 individual
Bingo dominoes 28 individual
Blackjack 21 6x52 banker
Blind Don 52 individual
Blind Hughie Dominoes 28 individual
Block Dominoes 28 individual
Block Dominoes with Spinners 28 individual
Bonanza Pai Gow 32 banker
Brisca 40 individual
Briscola 32, 40 individual
Briscola Scoperta 40 individual
Briscolone 40 individual
Bura 32, 36 individual
Camicia 40 individual
Caribbean Poker 52 banker
Carioca 2x52+4J individual
Carousel 52+J individual
Casino 52 individual
Casino Dominican 52 individual
Casino Sotho 52 individual
Casino South African 40 individual
Casino Swazi 52 individual
Casino Hold'em Poker 52 banker
Casita Robada 40, 48 individual
Chicago Swedish 52 individual
Chinese Ten 52 individual
Chiva 28 individual
Clobyosh 32 individual
Concentration Dominoes 28 individual
Conquian 40 individual
Costly Colours 52 individual
Courchevel poker 52 individual
Crazy Eights 52 individual
Crazy Pineapple Poker 52 individual
Crazy Pineapple Hi-Lo Poker 52 individual
Cribbage five-card 52 individual
Cribbage six-card 52 individual
Cricket 52 individual
Cuarenta 52 individual
Cucumber 52, 52+2J individual
Cut Throat Dominoes Jamaican 28 individual
Cuttle 52 individual
Domino Cribbage 28 individual
Domino Loo 28 individual
Domino Poker 20 individual
Domino Rounce 28 individual
Domino Twenty-One 28 banker
Double Bergen 28 individual
Double Briškula 32 individual
Double Draw Dominoes 28 individual
Double Solitaire 2x52 individual
Draw Dominoes 28 individual
Durak Podkidnoy 36 individual
Écarté 32 individual
Egyptian Ratscrew 52 individual
Eléwénjewé 52, 52+2J individual
Empat Satu 41 52 individual
Escoba 40 individual
Fapfap 35 individual
Faro 52 banker
Ferbli 32 individual
Fives and Threes Dominoes 28 individual
Flower & Scorpion 28 individual
Fortune Rummy 2x52 individual
Freeze Out Dominoes 28 individual
Générala 52+2J individual
German Whist 52 individual
Gin Rummy 52 individual
Gnav 42 individual
Go Stop 48+5J individual
Golf 52 individual
Golf Eight Card 52, 52+2J individual
Golf Four Card 52 individual
Golf Nine Card 52, 52+2J individual
Golf Six Card 52, 52+2J individual
GOPS 39 individual
Guadalupe 2x52 individual
Guiñote 40 individual
Hockey 52 individual
Hola 52 individual
Hoola 52 individual
Horse Race Dominoes 28 individual
Humbug 52 individual
Hungarian Dominoes 28 individual
Irish Poker 52 individual
Italian Dominoes 28 individual
Jacks Back (5 Card Draw) Poker 52, 52+J individual
James Bond 52 individual
Jeu de Carte Sipa 31 individual
Jhyap 52, 52+2J individual
K'ap Shap 32 individual
K'ap Tái Shap 8x32 individual
Kaluki European / North American 2x52+2J individual
Kapaga 52+2J individual
Kasino Finnish 52 individual
Kasino Swedish 52 individual
Knock-Out Whist 52 individual
Kozel 32, 36 individual
Krypkasino 2x52 individual
Kryt'-navalivat' 36 individual
Last One 52+2J individual
Let It Ride 52 banker
Leyden 28 individual
Loba Argentina 2x52+4J individual
Loba de Mas 2x52+4J individual
Loba de Menos 2x52+4J individual
Machiavelli 2x52 individual
Main Merah 52 individual
Maltese Cross 28 individual
Marjolet 32 individual
Marriage Rummy 3x52 individual
Matador 28 individual
Maw 52 individual
Mille 2x52 individual
Mitaines 52 individual
Muggins Dominoes 28 individual
Mustamaija 52 individual
Ninety-Eight 52, 52+2J individual
Noddy 52 individual
Ogórek Cucumber 52 individual
Omaha Poker 52 individual
Omaha Hi-Lo Eight or Better Poker 52 individual
Omaha High Poker 52 individual
Omben 52 individual
One-Eyed Jack 2x52, 2x52+4J individual
Open Face Chinese Poker 52 individual
P'yanitsa Drunkard 36 individual
Page One 52+J individual
Pai Gow 牌九 32 banker
Pai Gow Poker 52+J banker
Passing Dominoes 28 individual
Pâsur 52 individual
Pelmanism 52 individual
Penneech 52 individual
Pineapple Poker 52 individual
Pineapple OFCP 52 individual
Pinochle Two Player 2x24 individual
Piquet 32 individual
Pishe Pasha 52 individual
Pitty Pat 52 individual
Porrazo 52 individual
Prostoy Durak 36 individual
Put 52 individual
Racing Demon 2x52 individual
Railroad Canasta 4x52+8J individual
Ramsli 32 individual
Război 52 individual
Red Frog Black Frog 52 individual
Remi Indonesia 52 individual
Ronda 40 individual
Royal Casino 52 individual
Rubamazzo 40 individual
Rummikub ® 2x52+2J individual
Rummy basic 52 individual
Rummy Indian 2x52+2J individual
Rummy 500 52, 52+2J individual
Russian Bank 2x52 individual
Russian Poker 52 banker
Scala Quaranta 2x52+4J individual
Schnapsen 20 individual
Sechsundsechzig 24 individual
Sedma 32 individual
Sedma osmová 32 individual
Sedmice 32 individual
Seven Bridge 52 individual
Seven Card Draw Poker 52 individual
Seven-Toed Pete Dominoes 28 individual
Sevens Dominoes 28 individual
Sì Sè Pái 四色牌 112 individual
Simultaneous Solitaire 2x52 individual
Sink-Sink 35 individual
Sipa Togo 31, 32 individual
Siwweschrööm 32 individual
Slabberjan 42 individual
Smear 52 individual
Snap 52 individual
Sniff 28 individual
Spar 35, 36 individual
Speed 52 individual
Spit 52 individual
Spite and Malice 2x52 individual
Spizzichino 40 individual
Steal War 52+2J individual
Stealing Bundles 52 individual
Stortok 36 individual
Strip Poker 52 individual
Svoi Kozyri Besikovich 36 individual
Table Top Cribbage 52 individual
Tablić 40, 52 individual
Tahiti 2x52+4J individual
Texas Hold'em Poker 52 individual
Three Card Monte 3 banker
Three Card Poker 52 banker
Three-Thirteen Rummy 52, 52+2J individual
Tile Rummy Romanian 2x52+2J individual
Tiu-U 釣魚 2x32 individual
Tod und Leben Life and Death 32 individual
Tonk 52 individual
Top Trumps 48 individual
Tournament Blackjack 52, 6x52 banker
Truc France 32 individual
Truco individual
Truco Argentinean 40 individual
Truco Uruguayan 40 individual
Tsung Shap 32 individual
Turkish Poker 24 individual
Tute individual 40 individual
Tute americano 40 individual
Tute corriente 40 individual
Tute habanero 40 individual
Tuxedo 40 individual
Twenty-Four 40 individual
Twenty-Two 52 individual
Twist'em Dominoes 28 banker
Uke-Shogi 40 individual
Umtali 52 individual
Vatikan 2x52+2J individual
Vazhushal 52+2J individual
Verish' Ne Verish' 36 individual
War 52, 52+2J individual
Whisky Poker 52 individual
Whist two-player 52 individual
Whot ® British 49+4J individual
Whot ® Nigerian 49+5J individual
Žandari 52 individual
Zsírozás 32 individual
5 Card Omaha poker 52 individual
6 Card Omaha poker 52 individual
40 banker
52 pick-up 52 individual

Explanation of symbols

Configuration

Design

This column indicates the type of cards or tiles needed. See the equipment section of the classified index for further details of the different designs.

Quantity

This column gives the number of cards in the deck, indicates where multiple decks are used, and the number of jokers. Where the game can be played with various sizes or numbers of decks, perhaps depending on the number of players, the possibilities are listed, separated by commas. For example, "2x32" means a double 32-card deck: 64 cards in all with two copies of each card. "52+2J" means a 52-card deck with two jokers. "32, 36" means the game can be played with 32 or 36 cards. "2x52+2J, 3x52+3J" means that the game can be played with two 52-card decks plus two jokers (106 cards) or three 52-card decks plus three 52-card decks plus three jokers (159 cards).

Adapting trick-taking games for two players

Trick-taking games, especially those in which most or all of the cards are dealt, often do not work well with only two players. If you know that your opponent holds exactly the cards that you do not have, the play can become uninteresting. There are several solutions to this.

Undealt cards
The simplest solution is to leave some of the cards undealt and out of play, for example by dealing the same sized hands that would be used with three or four players. It will be impossible to deduce whether missing cards are held by the opponent or are undealt.
Selective deal
Instead of a normal deal, each player in turn has a choice of two cards, having seen only one of them. At your turn you draw one card and look at it. You may either add this card to your hand and then look at the next card, which you must discard out of the game, or discard the first card face down and take the second card for your hand. This way, you know half the cards that are out of the game, and can guess that of the unknown cards, the higher cards are likely to be held by your opponent.
Discard and draw
Deal some of the cards to the players and stack the remaining cards face down. Then each player in turn may discard any unwanted cards and draw an equal number of replacement cards from the face down pile. As with the selective deal, players know some of the cards that are out of play, and can guess that the high cards are likely to be in play. There can be restrictions on the number of cards each player may discard and replace.
Phased deal
Deal half the cards to the players and play them. Then deal the remaining cards to the players and play those. If you can remember what was played in the first phase you will know what your opponent has in the second phase.
Trick and draw
Deal some cards to each player and stack the rest face down to form a stock pile. After each trick, the winner of the trick draws the top card of the stock and adds it to his or her hand, and the loser draws the following card similarly. When the stock is exhausted, play the remaining cards without drawing. In this endgame, players with good memories will know their opponent's cards. Often the bottom card of the stock is turned face up and turned at right angles to it. The suit of this card is the trump suit, and this trump will be acquired by the loser of the last trick before the stock is exhausted.
Dummy hands
Deal more than two hands. Two hands belong to the two live players and the remaining hand or hands are dummy players. Dummy hands may be face down, face up or partly face up, and there are various options for who plays from the dummy hand(s) and what to do when a dummy wins a trick.
Packets on the table
This is probably the most recently developed method and is one of the most successful. Each player is dealt a hand of cards plus a number of packets of cards which are placed in a row on the table with the top card of each packet face up and the cards under it face down. When playing a card, you may use either a card from your hand or the top card of any of your packets. Whenever you play a card from a packet, you turn the next card of the packet (if any) face up - this may happen immediately after you play the card or at the end of the trick, depending on the rules of the game.

Possible for Two Players

Here is a list of other traditional card and tile games that can be played by two players. Although these games are possible for two, they are not particularly recommended, since they work better with some other number of players.

GameQuantityConfiguration
Ace-To-Six Lowball (Draw) Poker 52 individual
Aces, Straights and Flushes Poker 52 individual
All for One and One for All Poker 52 individual
All Fours Trinidad 52 individual
Baseball Poker 52 individual
Big Two 52 individual
Bitch, The Poker 52 individual
Black Mariah Poker 52 individual
Bourré 52 individual
Bridge with Semi-exposed Dummies 52 individual
Bullshit 52 individual
Burako Argentinean 2x52+2J individual
Burraco Italian 2x52+4J individual
California Lowball Poker 52, 52+J individual
Canasta 2x52+4J individual
Cangkul 52, 52+J individual
Chicago Poker 52 individual
Chicken Foot 55, 91 individual
Chinese Poker 52 individual
Clabber 24 individual
Cöch 40 individual
Coteccio 40 individual
Crates 52 individual
Democracy 48 individual
Domino Euchre 28 individual
Double Draw Poker 52 individual
Double Dummy Bridge 52 individual
Draw and Discard Bridge 52 individual
Draw Bridge 52 individual
Dudák 32 individual
English Stud Poker 52 individual
Fast Track 2x52+4J individual
Five Card Draw Deuces Wild Poker 52 individual
Five Card Draw Poker 52 individual
Five Card Draw with a Bug Poker 52+J individual
Five Card Stud Poker 52 individual
Five Card Stud High-Low Poker 52 individual
Five Card Stud High-Low With a Buy Poker 52 individual
Five Hundred 42+J individual
Five Up Dominoes 28 individual
Follow The Queen Poker 52 individual
Football Poker 52 individual
Go Fish 52 individual
Hand and Foot 3x52+6J individual
Hokm 52 individual
Honeymoon Bridge 52 individual
I Doubt It! 52 individual
Irish Snap 52 individual
Jacks or Better (5 Card Draw) Poker 52 individual
Juse 52 individual
Kaiser 32 individual
Kansas City Lowball Poker 52 individual
Kings Corners 52 individual
Klabberjass 32 individual
Lansquenet 6x52 banker
London Lowball (7-card Stud) Poker 52 individual
Low Chicago Poker 52 individual
Low Hole Poker 52 individual
Lowball (5 Card Stud) Poker 52 individual
Lowball (Draw) Poker 52 individual
Mao 52 individual
Mariáš 32 individual
Memory Bridge 52 individual
Mexican Stud Poker 52 individual
Mexican Sweat Poker 52 individual
Mexican Train 55 individual
Napoleon Japanese 52, 52+J individual
Night Baseball Poker 52 individual
Ninety-Nine adding game 52 individual
Ninety-Nine trick-taking 36 individual
No Peek Poker 52 individual
Old Maid 43, 51 individual
Paiute 52 individual
Paskahousu 52 individual
Pepper 24 individual
Pitch 52 individual
Poker Menteur 52 individual
Pontoon 52 banker
Pöytäpaska 52 individual
Primero 40 individual
Raub 32 individual
Razz 52 individual
Roll Your Own Poker 52 individual
Ruotsalainen paskahousu 52 individual
Sam Sip ผสมสิบ 52, 52+3J individual
Samba 3x52+6J individual
San Francisco Poker 52 individual
Scat 52 individual
Schwimmen 32 individual
Scopa 40 individual
Scopa d'Assi 40 individual
Scopa di Quindici 40 individual
Seep 52 individual
Sequence Poker 52 individual
Seven Card Stud Poker 52 individual
Seven Card Stud High-Low Poker 52 individual
Seven Card Stud with Wild Cards Poker 52 individual
Shithead 52 individual
Single Dummy Bridge 52 individual
Sjavs 32 individual
Skitgubbe 52 individual
Slapjack 52 individual
Sökö Stud Poker 52 individual
Spades 52 individual
Svoi Kozyri 36 individual
Tiến Lên 52 individual
Tres y Dos 52 individual
Triple Draw Poker 52 individual
Tripoli 52 individual
Trips to Win (5 Card Draw) Poker 52 individual
Troeven 32 individual
Truc Catalonia 40 individual
Tysiąc 1000 24 individual
Vändåtta 52 individual
Vitou 32 individual
Voormsi 36 individual
Watten 32, 33, 36 individual
Woolworth Poker 52 individual
Yukon 52 individual
Zecchinetta 40 banker
Zwickern 52, 52+3J, 52+4J, 52+6J individual
25 52 individual
32-card Poker 32 individual
41 Exchange 52 individual
51 Chinese 52, 52+2J individual
51 Japanese 52, 52+J, 52+2J individual
55 52 individual
110 52 individual
220 52 individual
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