Card Games for Two: 10 Classic Games for 2 Players
Ten card games that work with just two people and one deck. For each one: how many cards to deal, how long a game takes, and who it suits. Six of them you can also play here against the computer, with big cards and the scoring done for you.
The games at a glance
| Game | Deal | Game length | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cribbage | 6 each | 15–30 min | Counting and strategy |
| Gin rummy | 10 each | 20–40 min | Couples, a relaxed classic |
| Rummy 500 | 13 each | 30–60 min | A longer, swingy rummy |
| Crazy Eights | 7 each | 5–10 min | Quick, easy, all ages |
| Casino | 4 each, 4 on the table | 20–30 min | Adding up and capturing |
| German Whist | 13 each | 10–15 min | Trick-taking with two |
| Speed | Varies | 5 min | Fast hands, no turns |
| Egyptian Ratscrew | 26 each | 10–20 min | Noisy, quick reflexes |
| Go Fish | 7 each | 10 min | Young children |
| War | 26 each | Until you stop | Pure luck, no skill |
Cribbage
The great two-player game. Each player gets six cards and puts two into the dealer’s extra hand, the crib. You then take turns playing cards toward a running count of 31, scoring for fifteens, pairs and runs, and finally count the cards in your hand. The first to 121 points wins. Traditionally you keep score by moving pegs on a cribbage board.
Cribbage rewards practice: spotting every fifteen in a hand gets quicker with each game.
Play cribbage free Cribbage rules
Gin rummy
Deal ten cards each. On your turn, draw from the stock or take the top discard, then discard one. You are building melds: three or four of a kind, or runs of three or more in the same suit. When the cards that don’t fit (your deadwood) add up to 10 or less, you can knock to end the hand. Going out with no deadwood at all is gin. First to 100 points wins.
Play gin rummy free Gin rummy rules
Rummy 500
A rummy game where melds go on the table as you make them and score points. With two players, deal 13 cards each. Instead of drawing, you may take any card from the discard pile together with every card above it, so a deep pile can be a treasure chest. Cards still in your hand when someone goes out count against you. First to 500 wins.
Crazy Eights
Deal seven cards each and turn one face up. Take turns playing a card that matches the top card’s suit or rank. Eights are wild: play one any time and name the next suit. If you can’t play, draw. The first to empty their hand wins the round. Simple enough for children, and quick.
Casino
An old two-player favorite. Deal four cards to each player and four face up on the table. On your turn, play one card to capture table cards of the same rank, or cards that add up to it, or simply leave your card on the table. When the hands run out, deal four more. At the end, points go for the most cards, the most spades, each ace, the 10 of diamonds (“big casino”) and the 2 of spades (“little casino”). Rules for building and scoring vary a lot from family to family, so agree on them before you start.
German Whist
Trick-taking for two. Deal 13 cards each; the next card is turned up and its suit is trump. For the first 13 tricks, the winner of each trick takes the face-up card from the stock and the loser takes the next, unseen one, so you are playing to win the cards you want. Once the stock is gone, the last 13 tricks are the ones that count.
Speed
Also called Spit. There are no turns: both players play at once, as fast as they can, onto two shared piles in the middle, laying a card one higher or one lower than the top card. The first to get rid of their cards wins. Rules differ by household, especially for how many cards each player holds.
Egyptian Ratscrew
Split the deck between you, face down. Take turns flipping your top card onto a central pile. When a face card or ace appears, the other player has a few chances to play a face card or ace of their own, or the pile goes to the one who played it. Anyone who slaps the pile first when two cards of the same rank land in a row wins it. Win all the cards to win the game.
Go Fish
Deal seven cards each. Ask your opponent for a rank you hold (“Do you have any sevens?”). If they have any, they hand them all over; if not, they say “Go fish” and you draw. Collect all four of a rank to make a book. The most books wins. The classic first card game for young children.
War
Split the deck, 26 each. Both players turn over their top card, and the higher card takes both. When the cards tie, it’s war: each player lays cards face down and one face up, and the higher face-up card takes everything. There are no decisions to make, which is exactly why small children love it.
Common questions
What is the best card game for two players?
For adults who enjoy a little strategy, cribbage and gin rummy are the two classics. Both were designed for two players, so neither feels like a cut-down version of a bigger game. For something quick and easy, play Crazy Eights.
What is the easiest card game for two?
War needs no skill at all, and Go Fish and Crazy Eights can be learned in a couple of minutes, so all three suit children. Gin rummy is the easiest of the adult strategy games.