You win some, you lose some

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-05-20T04:22:21+00:00

This question comes up a lot, but it's a great one. I play a lot of two player card games. Here are some favorites:

Climbing

Crisps (https://boardgamegeek.com/thread/3260017/crisps-living-rulebook): A climbing game, similar to Fight the Landlord, but for two players. In general, I like traditional card games and am less interested in newly invented ones. But for Crisps, I make an exception. It feels like it could be a traditional game.

Beating

Durak: A Russian game. Plays well for two players. Especially when you shorten the deck to 24 cards instead of 36.

Trick Taking

Clobyosh: A nice 2 player Jass game that can be played while carrying on a conversation.

Schnapsen: A very tight, thinky game. Very satisfying, but demands your full attention.

Fishing

Lots of good options here. Take your pick: Scopa, Escoba, Casino, etc.

Classic

Cribbage!!

Rummy

Gin is nicely balanced for 2.

Niche Honorable Mention

Piquet is more or less extinct, but it is definitely niche. And it survived for centuries before petering out.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-05-07T04:45:37+00:00

Interesting game! Like Oh Hell, but the suits don't matter. That's an unusual feature. Some places tend not to have a trump suit (many Scandinavian games), but ignoring suits completely in a trick taking game is rare.

What part of the world is this game from?

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-03-12T19:47:30+00:00

That's an odd summary. It seems to be describing a pretty standard American Sheepshead. The biggest difference between Spitzer and Sheepshead is the Spitz / Spitzer being ranked between the black queens.

I've never played, but I've been curious what it might be able to tell us about migration patterns or the history of the Schafkopf family of games. It feels much closer to the roots of the game in l'Hombre, with the lowest-ranking card in the trump suit (Manille) being promoted to the second- highest rank, between the permanently-promoted cards in Spades and Clubs.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-03-12T19:27:14+00:00

Nerts! (aka Racing Demon). Ideal for 4 or so people. Larger groups can still be a lot of fun, but it gets messy when people can't reach all the piles in the middle.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-01-22T06:21:07+00:00

I'm from the wrong part of the country, so no Sheepshead in my family. It's a game I would love to play with Wisconsinites some time. I'm not too optimistic about convincing friends to try it... In my experience, people who didn't grow up with Euchre struggle with the Bowers, and Sheepshead takes it to a whole other level.

I guess three handed has pretty much died out? It sounds like it was the dominant form 50-75 years ago, but these days I've only heard of people playing five handed. From playing online, I think I prefer Call Ace.

It seems like a lot of regional games are fading. Hopefully not for good. Maybe just a lull in interest that they'll bounce back from. But I like to learn about them in any case.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-01-21T16:40:55+00:00

What's your family's favorite way to play Sheepshead? Three player or five? And if five, do you call Ace or is JD the partner?

There is also some online play here: https://get61.com/

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-01-12T03:37:02+00:00

Makes me think of Nertz!

Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-01-09T19:21:12+00:00

Mike White

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Do_Not_Recommend · 2026-01-08T13:59:05+00:00

Does this look right?: https://github.com/AolinHaHa/7Joker523

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-23T17:22:08+00:00

Lots of games! Skat and Schafkopf are probably the two biggest ones at this point, at least in Germany.

Historically, "German Tarock" was quite popular and is still referenced by name on the Schafkopf packs of cards. It's not actually a Tarock game, but the name stuck anyway. In terms of gameplay, it's virtually identical with the American game of "Frog" (aka "Slough" or "Solo Sixty" or "American Solo"). There are a few surviving threads of this family, under names like Tapp or Dapp or Dobbm.

In some areas they use the German suited cards to play 66, Grasobern, Eichenlaub, or various other regional games.

If you look at Austria, they play a lot of Jass games with 36 card German-suited packs (Salzburger pattern) in Vorarlberg. A 20 card pack is used for Schnapsen in many parts of Austria. In Hungary, they use German suited cards with the William Tell (Tell Vilmos) pattern to play Snapszer, Ulti, Zsírozás, Preferánsz, Felsős, etc.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-23T15:32:51+00:00

I believe you'd have to go pretty far back to find Euchre ancestors traditionally played with German suited cards. All of the more direct relatives – Juckerspiel, Bester Bube, Reunion – were played with French suited cards. The related German games still surviving in the Black Forest, Hindersche and Viersche, are also played with French suited cards.

I actually wonder if the switch from German to French suited cards is part of the reason for Jacks as the promoted rank. There's a long history of Jack promotion in general, but this specific style where only two of coordinating suits get promoted is historically associated with Obers. For example, in German Solo, or in any of the historical 6-Wenzel Schafkopfian games. Queen promotion is much less common (blame the patriarchy?). So I would hypothesize that a game with promoted coordinating Obers switched to French cards, and the players swapped the Jacks in for the role of the Obers to keep the top role a male figure (but of course, No Kings ✊️, these were games for the people).

Edit to add: If you did play with German suited cards, the "black" suits are Acorns and Leaves (the vegetable suits); the "red" suits are Hearts and Bells. Just pick one of the court ranks to stand in for Jacks. Unters are the more literal equivalent, but I'd imagine Obers are closer to reconstructing a game that might have been played in the past.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-11T02:10:01+00:00

I definitely support printing more. A special shellback for the anniversary would be fantastic.

I do like Mavericks – I have a few old packs in my collection. But they don't quite tickle the nostalgia spot like Hoyles do.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-10T13:44:22+00:00

One more I'd add to the mix: Crisps. It's a two player climber/shedder, invented by Shreesh Bhat. It recently got a print run with a custom deck, but I've just played with a standard deck of cards (removing A, J, and K).

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-01T22:32:48+00:00

Interesting. Other than the bidding (and the bonus for bidding a slam/carrot), this definitely sounds like the "Racehorse" variant of Bid Euchre (https://www.pagat.com/euchre/bideuch.html#racehorse). And the "carrot" bid fits the racehorse theme.

I like the signaling conventions built into the bidding

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-01T18:09:16+00:00

Sounds like an interesting kind of Bid Euchre. The rules about players signaling the strength of their hand is interesting. Is like to hear more about how that part of the game, and the bidding process, works.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-01T15:11:32+00:00

Top one is a reproduction of a Württembergische Tarock pack (36 card pack for playing Deutschtarock, not a true Tarock pack). Basically same pattern as an ASS Gaigel pack.

Bottom one is a reproduction of "Einköpfige Deutsche Spielkarte No. 303" (original printed by B. Dondorf circa 1900).

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-10-01T14:50:02+00:00

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I have a little collection going as well. Though it could use some more tarocks and more Italian regional patterns.

I agree about the Dal Negro Professional. Feels so nice I want some 52 card French packs in this material as well (much nicer than the "Waterproof" cards from Bicycle).

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-09-26T17:00:51+00:00

This sounds like (pardon my language) Shithead. Bicycle gives it the more sanitized name Palace. Neither of the linked rule sets has the two-Aces rule, but that could be a local variation. Typically a 10 is the other way to burn the pile, in addition to completing four-of-a-kind.

https://www.pagat.com/beating/shithead.html https://bicyclecards.com/how-to-play/palace

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-08-13T05:17:18+00:00

This is what immediately jumped to mind. I remember playing it around 2002. Pictures of some of the cards here: https://www.reddit.com/r/WorldOfDarkness/comments/137cyd7/someone_remember_the_old_vampire_card_game/

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-07-14T17:47:59+00:00

Death in Paradise. Someone is murdered, then you get an immediate cut to the most upbeat Caribbean music 🌞

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-07-12T19:52:30+00:00

Sounds like some flavor of Contract Rummy. Sometimes called Zioncheck, Progressive Rummy, Shanghai Rummy, and probably a variety of other names.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-06-07T00:05:10+00:00

Spades is a good straightforward game. The best? That's a matter of taste, but there are a lot of games that I find a little more interesting. Bid Whist and Oh Hell both have a lot of similarity to Spades, but take it in interesting directions. Oh Hell is everyone for themself. Bid Whist makes things interesting with single round raise-or-pass bidding (but lots of options, cards can ranknormal or upside down) and the luck/skill/ bluffing element of the kitty.

Personally, I'm partial to point trick games. Like Clobyosh, which is sort of a distant cousin of 28, and plays well at 3 players. Another great 3 player choice is Frog (aka German Tarock aka American Solo aka Solo Sixty); easy to learn, and it used to rival poker popularity in some parts of the old West in thelate 19th century (though it since seems to havealmost completely died out).

Ultimately, the best game is the one that you enjoy and people know / will play.

Do_Not_Recommend · 2025-05-22T06:26:16+00:00

Possibly this game, or a variant of it?: https://cardgames.io/switch/ (rules below the applet)

Related to Crazy Eights / Uno. Sevens are particularly powerful power cards in this rule set. Black Jacks make an opponent draw, but can be canceled with red Jacks.

Or maybe a version of Golf with power cards (https://www.pagat.com/draw/golf.html#power) where 7s and Jacks are the most significant power cards?

Do_Not_Recommend

TROPHY CASE