Best 3 Player Card Games

In the dynamic landscape of card games, the world of three-player card games emerges as a unique and engaging segment. Designed for trios of participants, these games seamlessly blend strategy, skill, and chance.

Whether one craves a swift and animated gaming session or a more nuanced challenge, three-player card games offer diverse options to cater to varying preferences.

This article delves into the captivating universe of card games crafted for a trio of players, from timeless classics with a three-player twist to intricately designed games explicitly tailored for trios. It promises a delightful and sociable experience suitable for individuals of all proficiency levels.

Best 3-Player Card Games

Rummy 

Rummy is a fun card game that many people enjoy playing. It has different versions and has inspired other games like gin rummy and 500 rummy. It’s best played with three people, but you can also play with two to four players.

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Hierarchy (lowest to highest)
Individual	Standard 52-card deck	A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K

Here’s how it works: each player gets seven cards, and the goal is to be the first one to get rid of all your cards. You can do this by putting together cards with the same number or in a sequence of numbers from the same suit.

When one player gets rid of all their cards, they collect the remaining cards from the other players and score points based on the cards they collected. The first player to reach a certain number of points wins. Or, you can play a specific number of rounds, and the player with the most points at the end is the winner. It’s a simple and enjoyable game that you can play with friends or family.

Go Fish

Get ready for some fun with Go Fish, a cool game for three players. It’s easy to play, making it great for kids and adults who just want to have a good time. In this game, you use your memory and make smart moves to collect sets of cards.

The goal is simple: try to collect more sets, called ‘books,’ than the other players. A ‘book’ is just a group of four cards with the same number. At the start, everyone gets 6 cards (sometimes it’s 5 or 7), and the rest are placed face-down in the middle.

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Rank
Individual	Standard 52-card deck	No specific importance

To figure out who goes first, we leave it to chance. Turns go around in a circle. When it’s your turn, you choose another player and ask if they have a specific card, like a 9. If they do, they give it to you, and you get to keep asking about other cards. But if they don’t have what you’re looking for, they say ‘Go Fish,’ and you pick a card from the middle.

Remember, you can only ask for cards you already have in your hand. Be a bit careful not to reveal all your cards to others.

If you’re good at remembering, the game can be decided in one turn. Having lots of cards can be good, but be careful not to upset your friends too much by stopping them from getting ‘books’ too many times.

Crazy Eight

Crazy Eights is a fun card game similar to Uno. The goal is to be the first person to discard all his or her cards. You use a regular deck of 52 cards (no jokers). Each player starts with five cards, and the rest of the cards make a pile with one card facing up.[1]

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Rank
Individual	Standard 52-card deck	No Significance

Here’s how you play:

• Match the Cards: You can play a card if it matches the face-up card by the number or the suit. For example, if the face-up card is the 5 of Hearts, you can play any five or any Heart from your hand.

• Special Cards: Special cards make the game more interesting. You can only play them if they match the suit or number.2s: The next player has to draw 2 cards unless they have a 2 to play.
• 8s: You can play an eight anytime and choose the next suit.
• Qs: The next player misses their turn.
• As: Changes the order of turns.

1. Last Card: When only one card is left, say “Last Card” before playing it. If you forget, you have to draw two cards.
2. Winning: The first person to get rid of all their cards scores points based on what cards others still have. The game ends when someone reaches a certain number of points.

Skat

Skat is a cool card game that comes from Germany. It’s different from another game called Scat. You play it with three people, and the goal is for two players to work together and bring down the third player. Originally, they used German cards for this game, but you can easily play it with a regular deck of cards, like the ones you use for poker, but with only 32 cards.[2]

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Hierarchy (lowest to highest)
Team	Standard 52-card deck	7, 8, 9, Queen, King, 10, Ace, Jack of Diamonds, Jack of Hearts, Jack of Spades, Jack of Clubs (may vary based on declarations)

Now, here’s the thing – Skat has some tricky rules. It might seem a bit hard at first, but the game becomes super fun if you spend some time learning it. It’s like a puzzle you get to solve with your friends or family.

In this game, each player gets ten cards, and two more cards are left face-down as the Skat. Then, there’s a part where players try to outbid each other, deciding who’s going to be in charge. The winner can choose whether to look at the extra cards (the Skat) or play without them.

After that, the chosen player picks the strongest suit, and there are seven options to choose from. It could be Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, Clubs, Grand, Null (where there are no strong cards, but the player has to lose every turn), or Open Null (similar to Null, but everyone can see the player’s cards).

The player who decides all this not only has to get more points than the other players but also needs to cover the points they promised to get during the bidding. The game has 120 points, and you need at least 61 to win a round. Once you win, you get points based on the special things you said you’d do in the game.[3]

Let It Ride

Let It Ride is a casino game that became popular in the late 1990s. It’s like poker but played in a casino. Although many people liked it in the past, not as many play it now.

Why? Well, it’s not because the rules are hard. Some people who really like poker don’t enjoy this game as much because it’s a bit harder to win, and you can’t use your poker skills as much.[4]

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Hierarchy
Solitary	Standard 52-card deck	According to a hierarchy common to poker games

Here’s how you play: Each player gets three cards, and the dealer gets two face-down cards. You get paid based on how good your three cards are. The unique thing about Let It Ride is that you can take back your bets at two different times during the game.

The first time is before the dealer shows the first community card, and the second time is before the second community card. You can decide to keep one, two, or all three of your bets when the dealer shows their two cards. Then, the dealer collects the bets you don’t want to keep.

If you win, here’s what you get:

• If you have the best hand, called a Royal Flush, you get 1000 times your bet!
• If you have a really good hand, like a Straight Flush, you get 200 times your bet.
• Other good hands like 4 of a Kind, Full House, or Flush also give you extra money.

The best thing about Let It Ride is that it’s easy to start playing. You don’t need to be a pro. You need to know when to keep your bets and when to return them. It’s a fun game you can try at the casino with your friends.

Old Maid

Old Maid, also called Black Peter, is a simple and fun card game for everyone, including kids and adults. All you need is a regular deck of cards (52 cards), but it’s even more fun if you take out one Queen or any other card, so you have an odd number of cards.[5]

Type of Game	Deck Used	Card Hierarchy
Solitary	Standard deck of 52 cards	No particular importance

Here’s how to play:

1. Deal the Cards: Give all the cards to the players. It’s okay if someone has more cards than others.
2. Find Pairs: Look at your cards and remove any pairs. Pairs are two cards with the same number or letter.
3. Keep One Card: Each player should have only one card left after finding pairs.
4. Take Turns: Start with one player (you can decide randomly), and take turns clockwise. Each turn, give one of your cards face down to the player on your left and take one from the player on your right.
5. Discard Pairs: If the card you take matches one in your hand, remove that pair. Continue doing this until all pairs are gone.
6. Win or Lose: The game continues until someone discards all their cards. The person left with the last card, often the Queen, is the “loser.” But remember, it’s all for fun.

Old Maid is a game of luck and a bit of strategy. It’s easy to learn and great for spending time with friends and family.

Golf

Golf is a fun card game for three players where luck is more important than skill. It’s different from the Solitaire game, which has the same name. The main goal is to get the lowest score, just like in real golf.[6]

Type of Play	Deck Used	Card Hierarchy
Individual	Standard 52-card deck	King (K), Ace (A), 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (J), Queen (Q)

Let’s focus on the 4-card Golf version, which is easier to play, especially for those who haven’t tried it before.

Here’s how to play:

• Deal the Cards: Each player gets four cards placed in a square, face down. The rest of the cards make a pile with the top card turned face up next to it, forming a discard pile.

• See Your Cards: You can look at the two cards closest to you, but keep the others face down.

• Take Your Turn: You can do one of three things: Take a card from the pile. After looking at it, you can swap it with one of your cards or discard it. The discarded card goes face-up on the discard pile.

• Pick the top face-up card from the discard pile. If you do this, you must swap it with one of your cards.

• Knock on the table, and don’t draw any more cards. This means you don’t want to swap any more cards, and it signals that the game will end after everyone takes one more turn.

• Ending the Game: The game finishes when a player knocks and others complete their last turn. The player with the lowest score wins.

Points are simple:

• Number cards give points based on their value.
• Jacks (J) and Queens (Q) give 10 points each.
• Kings (K) give 0 points.

Golf is a game of luck, and it’s easy to learn. Try it out with friends and have a good time.

Sergeant Major

Sergeant Major, also known as 3-5-8, is a card game for three players that focuses on winning tricks. In the beginning, the dealer, chosen randomly, gives out all the cards except for four, making a pile called the talon. This means each player gets 16 cards.[7]

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Hierarchy
Individual	Standard 52-card deck	2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (J), Queen (Q), King (K), Ace (A)

After that, the dealer has to decide on the trump suit. They choose one of the four suits (hearts, diamonds, clubs, or spades), but players can say there’s no trump in some versions. The player who chooses the trump suit collects the talon, revealing it to everyone.

They then have to pick four cards to discard, leaving them with 16 cards. The dealer starts the game by playing a card, which goes to the player on their left. Players have to play a card of the same suit if they have one, but they can choose to play the trump suit if they don’t.

The goal is to win as many tricks as possible during the 16 rounds. The dealer aims to win eight tricks, the next player aims for three tricks, and the third player aims for five tricks. Players who win more tricks than their goal get bonus points. If they win fewer tricks, they lose points.

In the next round, the goals switch, and the player who aimed for eight tricks in the last round gets to choose the trump suit. Players who won more tricks than their goal in the previous round can swap some cards with players who didn’t meet their goal. But they can only swap non-trump cards.

The first player to reach a set number of points becomes the winner.

99 ( Ninety-Nine )

99 is a fun card game invented by David Parlett in 1967 in the United Kingdom. It’s special because you have to remove cards to place your bids, making it different from other games like Spades.[8]

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Hierarchy
Individual	36-card deck	6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack (J), Queen (Q), King (K), Ace (A)

Like in Spades, players must guess how many tricks they can win. But in Ninety-Nine, the interesting part is how you show your bid – you do it by getting rid of three cards. It’s a secret bid, and each suit represents a specific number of tricks:

• ♣ (clubs) = 3 tricks
• ♥ (hearts) = 2 tricks
• ♠ (spades) = 1 trick
• ♦ (diamonds) = 0 tricks

For example:

• ♥♥♥ (2 + 2 + 2 = 6)
• ♥♠♦ (2 + 1 + 0 = 3)

While playing, you follow the normal rules of taking tricks. If you can, play a card of the same suit as the one led. If you can’t, you can play any card. The highest card in the led suit wins the trick, and the winner of the last trick starts the next one.

For scoring, each trick you win gives you 1 point. You get a bonus if you successfully win the number of tricks you bid. The bonus changes depending on how many players also did well:

• Three players did well – 10 bonus points
• Two players did well – 20 bonus points
• One player did well – 30 bonus points
• Declaring your bid – 30 extra bonus points
• Revealing your bid – 60 extra bonus points

The game usually goes on for nine rounds, and the player with the highest score at the end is the winner. Ninety-Nine is a cool mix of strategy and trick-taking, making it a great card game to enjoy with friends.

Euchre

Euchre is a card game usually played by four people in two teams. However, there’s also a version for three players. The rules are slightly different for the three-player game.

You use a deck of 24 cards, and the Ace is the highest card in regular suits, while nine is the lowest. There’s a special order for trump cards, which includes Jack, the Jack of the same colour as the trump suit, Ace, King, Queen, 10, and 9.

Play Style	Partnership
Deck	24 cards
Card Hierarchy	9 10 J Q K A

First, someone is randomly chosen to assign five cards to each player. There’s also a dummy spot on the table, and four extra cards are put in the middle, with the top one facing up.

Players take turns deciding if the suit of the face-up card should be the trump. If no one picks it, there’s a second round where players can choose a different suit. The first player to say yes becomes the “maker” and plays alone, while the other two are team members.

The maker needs to win at least three tricks during the game to win points.

Snap

Snap is a fun and easy card game for 2 to 6 players. You only need a regular deck of 52 cards to play. The suit of the cards doesn’t matter; it’s just their rankings.

Style of Play	Deck Type	Card Rank (Lowest to Highest)
Solitaire	Standard 52-card deck	A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J Q K

Here’s how you play:

1. Deal the Cards: Give out all the cards, one at a time, to each player. It’s okay if some players have more cards than others.
2. Organize Your Cards: Arrange your cards in a stack, face-down in front of you.
3. Start the Game: The player on the left of the dealer goes first. Each player takes turns flipping the top card from their stack and placing it in a face-up pile.
4. Call “Snap”: If two face-up cards have the same rank (like two Aces), players race to shout “Snap!” The first person to say it gets both piles and adds them to the bottom of their stack.
5. Continue Playing: Keep taking turns and calling “Snap!” when you see matching cards.
6. Winning the Game: If you run out of cards in your stack, flip your face-up pile to make a new stack. The game goes on until one player has no cards left. That player is the winner.

Cribbage

Cribbage is a fun game that you can play online with different difficulty levels: easy, standard, and pro. You can play alone or with two other people. The three-player version is similar to the regular game, with a few changes in how cards are dealt.

Style of Play	Deck Type
Solitaire	Standard 52-card deck

Here’s how it works:

1. Each player gets five cards, and the dealer adds one card to the crib.
2. Now, each player picks a card to put in the crib, making it a four-card pile.
3. The game then follows the usual cribbage rules. Players take turns playing cards, trying to keep the total under 31 points. Scoring stays the same.

It’s a great way to enjoy cribbage with a twist.

Slapjack

Master Slapjack and be the winner by quickly collecting all the cards through lively “slapping.” Follow these simple steps.[9]

1. Prepare the Cards: Equally, divide the cards into three face-down piles.
2. Turn Over Cards: Each player flips over the top card from their pile and places it in a central stack.
3. Spot the Jack: Keep an eye out for Jacks. When a Jack card appears in the central stack, it’s time to act.
4. Quick Slap: Everyone tries to slap the central stack as fast as possible when a Jack shows up.
5. Claim the Pile: The first person to successfully slap the Jack gets to collect the entire central pile.
6. Winning the Game: The game continues until one player gathers all the cards and emerges as the ultimate winner.

Enjoy the fun and excitement of Slapjack with these easy steps.

Bullshit

Get ready for a fun game of Bullshit. It’s all about bluffing and keeping a good poker face. Here’s how it works: each player puts 1 to 4 cards in the middle, saying them in order from Aces to numbers. But here’s the tricky part – if you think someone is not being honest, you can call out “Bull” or “Bullshit.” The person who made the mistake or the one who called it out wrong has to pick up all the cards in the middle.[10]

The goal is to be the first one to get rid of all your cards to win! It’s a game you play by yourself, and the order of the cards doesn’t matter. Have a great time playing, and may the best bluffer win.

Trash

Try to be the first person to make a line of 10 cards in the game of Trash.[11]

Here’s how to set it up: put ten cards face-down in front of each player in two rows of 5. Then, put the rest of the cards face-down in the middle. When it’s your turn, pick a card from the middle and put it where it belongs on your line (Ace, 2, 3, 4, and 5 go on the top row, while 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 go on the bottom row). The first person to finish their line of 10 cards wins the game.[12]

In this game, the order of cards is Q K A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 J (from low to high). When you play Trash, using two sets of cards is best. Remember, Queens and Kings don’t count, but Jacks can be any card you need, which makes the game more fun! Have a great time playing and see who can finish their line first.[13]

Palace

In the game of Palace, the goal is to be the first person to get rid of all your cards. Each player begins with three cards face-down in front of them and holds six cards in their hand. During the game, everyone tries to play cards in order from lowest to highest. The player who manages to play all their cards first is the winner.[14]

Here’s a simple guide:

1. Everyone starts with three cards in front of them and six cards in their hand.
2. Try to play your cards in order from the lowest (3) to the highest (A).
3. The first person to play all their cards is the winner.

It’s a fun and fast-paced game that you can enjoy with friends or family. Get ready to clear your cards and claim victory in Palace.

Baccarat

Baccarat is a simple card game often seen in casinos and movies like James Bond. In some places, it has been around for a long time, dating back to the 19th century or even the 15th century. In many countries, the main type of Baccarat is called Punto banco.

Play Style	Deck Type	Card Values (lowest to highest)
Banker	36 cards	2 to 9 (face value points); 10, J, Q, K (0 points); A (1 point)

If you’re new to casinos, Baccarat is a good choice because it’s easy to play. You don’t need to be a card expert, but some people try to count cards to increase their chances of winning.

No matter how many people are playing in Baccarat, only two hands are dealt – two cards for each hand.

The goal is to get as close as possible to a score of 9. You can bet on either the player’s or the banker’s side. The player’s hand is completed first, followed by the banker.[15]

Here are some key rules:

1. The hand that is closest to nine wins.
2. Only the last digit counts if two cards add up to more than nine. For example, if you have 13, the score is 3.
3. If a total is 8 or 9, no more cards are drawn.
4. If a player’s total is five or less, they have to draw another card.
5. There’s also a tie bet, where you can bet that both hands will have the same points.

To sum it up, Baccarat is like a “game of luck mixed with managing your money.” It’s based on guessing; if you’re lucky and win some money, it’s important to know when to stop playing.

Teen Do Paanch

Teen Do Paanch, or 3-2-5, is a fun card game that uses a regular deck of 52 cards. Usually played with three people, each player gets ten cards, and the goal is to get points by winning tricks with specific cards.

Here’s a simple guide on how to play:

1. Before starting, everyone guesses how many tricks they can win.
2. Others must follow the person who guessed the highest when they start the first trick, if possible.
3. The winner of a trick gets to lead the next one.
4. There are special cards, the Five of Hearts and the Five of Spades, called “matka” cards. They give extra points and have special features.
5. After each round, players count their scores based on the tricks they won and if they had matka cards.

Teen Do Paanch is a cool game in which you can practice strategy and have fun with friends. Try it out and see who can win the most tricks.

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FAQs

Q: What is a good three-person card game?

A: Skat, Let It Ride, Ninety-Nine, and Sergeant Major provides amusement by integrating elements of either betting or trick-taking into the gaming experience.

Q: Is rummy a three-person game?

A: Yes, In a game with two players, each player is dealt a hand of 10 cards. For games with three or four participants, seven cards are distributed to each player. In instances involving five or six players, a hand of six cards is given to each player. The remaining cards are then placed face down on the table to create the stock.

References

1. ↑https://gamerules.com/rules/crazy-eights-card-game/
2. ↑https://gamerules.com/rules/skat-card-game/
3. ↑https://www.pagat.com/draw/scat.html
4. ↑https://www.pagat.com/banking/letitride.html
5. ↑https://www.pagat.com/passing/oldmaid.html
6. ↑https://www.pagat.com/draw/golf.html
7. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqXT9IvD-cU&t=0m29s
8. ↑https://www.pagat.com/exact/99.html#three
9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PqXT9IvD-cU&t=0m29s
10. ↑https://gamerules.com/rules/bullshit-card-game/
11. ↑https://www.pagat.com/patience/trash.html
12. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnLl2O5QuPk&t=0m14s
13. ↑https://www.pagat.com/patience/trash.html
14. ↑https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i5viKJSUJRk&t=0m15s
15. ↑https://www.pagat.com/banking/baccarat.html