How to Play Five Basic Card Games

Playing cards have been around for centuries, evolving into the standard 52-card deck that we use today. Numerous card games have developed, but these five rank among the most widely played because of their simplicity.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Go Fish

1. Deal five cards to each player. Deal seven if only two are playing. Remove any pairs from your hand.

2. Ask another player for a card that's the same value as one of yours (a 2-10, jack, queen, king, or ace). If they have it, take it and remove the pair from your hand.

3. Draw the top card from the deck if the player doesn't have the card you asked for. If the card drawn forms a pair, remove it from your hand. The next player's turn begins after you take a card from another player or the deck.

4. Continue until all pairs have been completed. Whoever has the most pairs wins the game.

Old Maid

5. Deal the entire deck evenly to the players. The Old Maid is the one card that cannot be paired with another.

6. Remove all pairs from your hand. All other players do the same.

7. Draw a card from another player's hand. If it makes a pair, remove it from your hand. All players do this on their turn.

8. Continue until all pairs have been removed. Whoever has the Old Maid at the end loses.

War

9. Deal the entire deck to the players. Each player puts their deck face down in front of them.

10. Draw the top card from your deck and show it to the other players at the same time they show theirs. Whoever has the highest card wins them all. If it's a tie, the tying players draw again.

11. Continue until one player has all the cards. That player wins the game.

Blackjack

12. Deal two cards to each player, one face up and one face down. Each player may look at his own face down card but not show it to the others.

13. Choose if you want to "hit" (take another card) or stay with what you have.

14. Win the game by being the first with your cards totaling 21, or being closest to 21 without going over.

Trick Taking Games

15. Deal all the cards evenly to the players. Usually these games involve four players so they would each get thirteen cards.

16. Play a card from your hand on your turn. Each player will then play a card going in a clockwise direction. The player or team with the highest value wins the "trick."

17. Play a "trump" card if you can, a designated suit for your particular game. You will win the trick unless someone else plays a trump of a higher value.

18. Continue until all the cards have been played. The player or team with the most tricks wins the game.

Tips & Warnings

• There are many versions of trick taking games, such as Hearts, Spades, Bridge and Pinochle. The rules may vary depending on the type of game.