Dealer's Choice
The Facts about Card Games
The thousands of different card games have been grouped into six
different genres for organizational purposes. Some older games can be
grouped under two of the genres and are referred to as multi-genre
games. Many of the newer card games do not fit under any of these
genre and are referred to as types of collectible card games.
From Gambling to Gone Fish
Thousands of Games, 6 Genre Groupings
The earliest version of card games is grouped into the trick-taking genre. Trick-taking card games are the oldest and, consequently, the most diverse. The theme behind trick-taking games is that in each round of play, called tricks, a player selects a card. Most trick-taking games are very psychologically and mathematically based.The next genre is rummy-style games. The genre is a grouping of games similar to gin rummy. Gin rummy was invented in the early 1900's to be a faster, two player version of the original rummy. This genre is also referred to as matching card games. Rummy-style games are won by a scoring method. Some popular forms of rummy games are the children's game Go Fish and the game Concentration, also known as memory.
The third genre of games are the casino card games. These games are played in casinos, where the outcome of the game is wagered on by the players. Casino card games are not only played in casino buildings, many casino card games are now played on the Internet at online casinos. Some common types of casino card games are baccarat, blackjack, and the many variations of poker.
Patience games are another classification of card games. Patience card games are single player games that vary widely in rules and strategies. Patience games are sometimes referred to as solitaire games, named after its most widely played game. The Patience games usually involve placing the cards into a prescribed order, the player wins if the cards are ultimately arranged in the location they are meant to be. There are over four hundred and fifty solitaire-style games. Similar to casino games, this genre of cards is widely played in computer and online versions.
Shedding games are the next variation of cards games. The shedding games genre involves two or more players receiving a determined number of cards with the objective of being the first to 'shed' all of their cards. The winner in shedding games is the first player to get all of their cards in the discarded pile. Speed, Old Maid and Crazy Eights are some popular versions of shedding games. A modern variation of this genere is the game UNO.
The last genre of games are the accumulating card games. Accumulating card games are, at the core, the opposite of shedding games. Two or more players compete in accumulating games with the main objective of being the person to accumulate, or collect, the entire deck. The winner is declared once a player holds all the cards in the deck. War, Beggar My Neighbor, and Top Trumps are some popular versions of accumulating card games.
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