Card games have been a popular pastime for centuries, and there’s nothing quite like sitting down with a few friends or family members for a friendly game. While many card games are designed for two players or larger groups, there are plenty of great options available for those looking for card games for 3 players.
Whether you’re looking for a quick game to pass the time or a more strategic game that requires careful planning and thought, there are plenty of great card games that are perfect for three players. In this article, we’ll be exploring the 10 best card games for 3 players, each with their own unique gameplay style, card ranking, and rules. So, gather your friends and let’s dive into the world of card games for 3 players!
1) Euchre
Euchre is a trick-taking game played with a deck of 24 cards, consisting of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, Ten and Nine of each suit. The game is played in pairs, and the objective is to be the first team to score 10 points by winning tricks.
- Gameplay style: Trick-taking
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9 (low)
- Points: First team to reach 10 points wins
- Rules: Players bid on the number of tricks they can win, and the highest bidder becomes the “maker”. The other team becomes the “defenders”. The maker’s team must win the number of tricks they bid to earn points.
2) Bridge
Bridge is a trick-taking game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. It is a challenging game that requires strategy and communication between partners, as each pair competes against the other pair to score the most points.
- Gameplay style: Trick-taking
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: Teams compete to score the most points in each hand
- Rules: Players are in pairs, and each pair tries to win the most tricks in each hand. Bidding and communication between partners are important in this game.
3) Oh Hell!
Oh Hell! is a trick-taking game that is also known as “Up and Down the River” or “Pitch”. It is played with a standard deck of 52 cards, and each round players try to predict the number of tricks they will win.
- Gameplay style: Trick-taking
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: Players score points for predicting the number of tricks they will win
- Rules: Players bid on the number of tricks they think they can win in each round. The game is played over several rounds, and the player with the most points at the end wins.
4) Spite and Malice
Spite and Malice is a competitive patience game that is played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to be the first player to get rid of all their cards by building on four shared foundation piles.
- Gameplay style: Competitive patience
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: The first player to get rid of all their cards wins
- Rules: Players build on four shared foundation piles, and the first player to get rid of all their cards wins.
5) Golf
Golf is a card game that requires a little bit of luck and a lot of strategy. The objective of the game is to have the lowest score at the end of nine rounds by matching and getting rid of cards in your hand.
- Gameplay style: Matching
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: Players aim to have the lowest score after nine rounds
- Rules: Players match cards in their hand with cards on the table to make pairs or runs. Each round, players add up the value of the cards remaining in their hand and score points accordingly.
6) Bullshit
Bullshit, also known as “I Doubt It”, is a bluffing game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to get rid of all your cards by lying about the cards you are playing.
- Gameplay style: Bluffing
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: The first player to get rid of all their cards wins
- Rules: Players take turns playing cards, and they can lie about the cards they play. If a player thinks another player is lying, they can call “bullshit” and challenge them to show their cards. If the player was lying, they must pick up all the cards in the discard pile.
7) Palace
Palace, also known as “Shithead”, is a game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards by playing them in ascending order.
- Gameplay style: Matching
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: The first player to get rid of all their cards wins
- Rules: Players must play cards in ascending order, with Aces being high or low. They can also play pairs, triples, or runs of cards.
8) Durak
Durak is a Russian card game that can be played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to be the last player with cards in hand, and the game involves attacking and defending against other players.
- Gameplay style: Attacking
- Card ranking: A (high), K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: The last player to have cards in their hand is the loser
- Rules: Players take turns attacking and defending until all but one player runs out of cards. The attacker tries to play a higher card than the defender, and if successful, the defender must pick up the cards in play.
9) Old Maid
Old Maid is a classic and easy-to-learn card game for three players. The goal is to avoid being left with the unpaired “Old Maid” card at the end of the game. Players take turns drawing cards from each other and making pairs until all cards are matched except for the Old Maid. It’s a great game for families and younger players.
- Gameplay style: Matching
- Card ranking: Ace (high), then K, Q, J, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 (low)
- Points: None
- Rules: Players try to get rid of all their cards by matching pairs, but one card is left unpaired – the “Old Maid”. The player with the Old Maid card at the end of the game loses. Players take turns drawing a card from the player to their left and trying to make pairs until all the cards have been matched except for the Old Maid.
10) Tichu
Tichu is a partnership card game played with a standard deck of 52 cards. The objective is to be the first team to reach a score of 1000 points by playing combinations of cards and making strategic calls.
- Gameplay style: Trick-taking
- Card ranking: Mahjong-like ranking system
- Points: The first team to reach 1,000 points wins
- Rules: Players try to win tricks by playing a combination of cards, such as pairs, straights, or full houses. The game also includes a special card, the “Mahjong”, which can be used to win any trick. The game ends when one team reaches 1,000 points.
Each of these card games offers a different type of gameplay and strategy, making them all great options for three players. Give them a try and see which ones you enjoy the most!
