Card games for 2 players

The list

1. Gin Rummy

   • 2 players
   • 30 to 45 min
   • A few rules to learn

   The classic two-player rummy: build sets and runs, then knock when your loose cards add up to 10 or less.

   Why it works for two: Built for exactly two people. Each hand takes a few minutes, there is a real decision on every draw, and a game to 100 fits an evening without dragging.

   You need: One standard 52-card deck, paper or our score keeper.

   Play at home: rules and score keeper

2. Cribbage

   • 2 to 4 players
   • 30 to 45 min
   • Takes a game or two to learn

   Count fifteens, pairs and runs, peg your points around a board, and race to 121.

   Why it works for two: The best-known two-player card game in America for a reason: every hand has a choice about what to throw in the crib, and the counting gets quick after a few games.

   You need: One standard deck and a cribbage board (or our score keeper).

   Play at home: rules and score keeper

3. Spades

   • 2 to 4 players
   • 45 to 75 min
   • A few rules to learn

   A partnership trick-taking game where you bid how many tricks you will win and spades are always trump.

   Why it works for two: Usually a four-player partnership game, but the two-player version (you draw your hand one card at a time and decide what to keep) is a fine bidding game on its own.

   You need: One standard deck, paper or our score keeper.

   Play at home: rules and score keeper

4. Crazy Eights

   • 2 to 7 players
   • 10 to 20 min
   • Easy to learn

   Match the top card by suit or rank; eights are wild and let you name the next suit.

   Why it works for two: Deal seven cards each. With two players every eight you hold is a weapon, and a hand takes about five minutes, so it works for a quick game while dinner cooks.

   You need: One standard deck.

   Play online against the computerPlay at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

5. Speed

   • 2 players
   • 5 to 10 min
   • Easy to learn

   No turns: both players race to play cards one higher or one lower onto two center piles.

   Why it works for two: Pure reflexes for two. Nobody waits for a turn, a game lasts a few minutes, and it is the easiest way to get a reluctant teenager to play cards.

   You need: One standard deck and a table you can both reach.

   Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

6. Casino

   • 2 to 4 players
   • 20 to 40 min
   • A few rules to learn

   Capture cards from the table by matching them or building sums, with bonus points for spades, aces and two special cards.

   Why it works for two: An old fishing game that plays best head to head. You need to keep track of what is on the table and what your opponent is building, so it rewards attention more than luck.

   You need: One standard deck.

   Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

7. Kings in the Corner

   • 2 to 4 players
   • 15 to 20 min
   • Easy to learn

   A shared solitaire-style layout: build down in alternating colors, kings go in the corners, first to empty their hand wins.

   Why it works for two: Feels like solitaire with company. Easy enough for a seven-year-old, and with two players you can see almost every move your opponent could make.

   You need: One standard deck.

   Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

8. Golf (six-card)

   • 2 to 6 players
   • 20 to 30 min
   • Easy to learn

   Six face-down cards each; swap and flip to get the lowest total over nine holes, and matching pairs in a column cancel out.

   Why it works for two: Nine short "holes" make a natural stopping point, and the luck of the face-down cards keeps a beginner in the game against someone who has played for years.

   You need: One standard deck (two decks for 5 or more), paper for scores.

   Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

9. Rummy 500

   • 2 to 8 players
   • 45 to 75 min
   • A few rules to learn

   Rummy where you score the cards you meld, can lay off on anyone's melds, and can dig deep into the discard pile.

   Why it works for two: Longer than Gin Rummy and more forgiving. Being able to take a whole stretch of the discard pile gives two players big swings and comebacks.

   You need: One standard deck (two for 5 or more), paper for scores.

   Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

10. Spite and Malice

    • 2 players
    • 20 to 40 min
    • A few rules to learn

    Race to empty your pay-off pile onto shared center piles that run Ace to Queen, with kings wild.

    Why it works for two: The traditional two-player game the boxed game Skip-Bo grew out of. If you like Skip-Bo but only have regular cards, this is the one to learn.

    You need: Two standard decks with different backs.

    Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

11. Egyptian Ratscrew

    • 2 to 6 players
    • 10 to 20 min
    • Easy to learn

    Flip cards into the middle and slap the pile on doubles and sandwiches; face cards force a challenge.

    Why it works for two: Loud, quick and physical. With two players the pile changes hands constantly, so a game rarely stalls.

    You need: One standard deck.

    Play at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

12. War

    • 2 players
    • 15 to 45 min
    • Easy to learn

    Both flip a card and the higher card takes both; a tie starts a war.

    Why it works for two: Honest note: there are no decisions, and a game can run long. It earns its place as a first card game for young children who are learning which cards beat which.

    You need: One standard deck.

    Play online against the computerPlay at home: full rules page coming. We publish a game's page only once its rules and score keeper are both done.

13. 5 Crowns

    • 1 to 7 players
    • 45 to 60 min
    • Easy to learn

    Eleven rounds of rummy where the wild card changes every round.

    Why it works for two: Plays as well with two as with six, because each round is just you against the deck. The rising hand size means even a big lead is never safe.

    You need: The boxed game (two special 58-card decks).

    Play at home: rules and score keeper

14. Phase 10

    • 2 to 6 players
    • 60 to 120 min
    • Easy to learn

    Work through ten required combinations of sets, runs and colors; the first to finish phase 10 wins.

    Why it works for two: Works with two, though games run long. The official shorter variant (agree to play fewer phases) is the better choice for a weeknight.

    You need: The boxed game (110 cards).

    Play at home: rules and score keeper

15. Skip-Bo

    • 2 to 6 players
    • 30 to 45 min
    • Easy to learn

    Build shared piles from 1 to 12 and race to empty your stockpile first.

    Why it works for two: With two players each of you gets a full 30-card stockpile, so the game is long enough to plan your discard piles properly.

    You need: The boxed game (162 cards).

    Play at home: rules and score keeper

16. Rummikub

    • 2 to 4 players
    • 30 to 60 min
    • A few rules to learn
    • Tiles, not cards

    Rummy with numbered tiles, where you can rearrange everything already on the table to fit your tiles in.

    Why it works for two: Tiles, not cards, but it belongs on any list of games for two. The fewer players, the more you can plan a big rearrangement of the table.

    You need: The boxed game (106 tiles and racks).

    Play at home: rules and score keeper