9 Best Card Games For 3 People: Small Crew, Big Fun!

As we have noticed in many descriptions, most of the card games are designed for 2 or more players. Honestly, just a few of them play well with as few as 3 people. Considering this, we have put together a list of the most fun card games that are appropriate for all trios.

Whether you’re planning a family gathering or a game night with 2 of your best friends, this list has you covered: from classics to recently discovered gems!

1. Big 2 (Deuces)

Big 2 or Deuces is a blend of luck, strategy, and perfect timing, and the goal is to be the first to get rid of your cards. In a 3-player game, everyone gets 17 cards, and the game starts with a 3 of diamonds. Then, players play the cards in card combinations, such as pairs, triples, flushes, full houses, and so on. The play goes clockwise, and you can only play cards or combos that are higher in value or pass. Deuces continues until one player has discarded all of their cards. 

2. Pinochle

Although Pinochle is originally made for 2 players, it can be so easily adapted & fun for 3. You’ll need a 48-card deck (two copies of cards from 9 to Aces, in all suits) to play. The game consists of several phases, such as dealing, trick-taking, and melding. Players play cards and aim to win the trick by playing the highest value card, then lay down melds of cards: Flushes, Royal Marriage, or Pinochle, which are awarded points. By all means, the player with the most points wins!

3. Cribbage

To play Cribbage, besides the standard 52-card deck, you will need a scoring board too. When all players get their 5 cards, they must discard one of them, so the crib is formed. Everyone takes turns to lay down cards, trying to create combinations like exactly 31 points or 15 points, pairs, clarification, runs, His Nobs, Flushes, or more. For every point scored, you move your peg on the board, and whenever you reach 121 points, you win. 

4. Preferans

Preferans, also known as Russian Preference, is best played with a 32-card Piquet deck. The game is a collaboration between tricking, bidding, and a very unique scoring system. Players are dealt 10 cards, while two facedown cards create the talon. Then, players bid and specify the number of tricks and the trump suit they aim to win. And the points are basically all about how well you met your starting bid. When a predetermined score is reached, the game ends. 

5. Canasta

Canasta requires 2 decks of standard cards, plus the jokers included. During the play, everyone aims to create melds and other special combinations, which become Canastas if they contain at least 7 cards. The game includes special elements, such as wild cards (jokers and twos), or red threes, and it ends when one player runs out of cards. Points in Canasta are scored depending on these combinations of cards, plus the remaining cards in your hands. Whoever has the most points wins! 

6. Casino

To play Casino, make sure to use a standard 52-card deck, and deal everyone 4 cards, plus place 4 cards on the table. Everyone’s objective is to capture cards from the table in several ways: pairing, combining, building, sweeping, and more. Points in Casino are scored only for specific situations: having the largest number of cards, the most spades, the ‘Big Casino’, or the ‘Little Casino’. When all cards have been played, the game ends, and whoever has the most points wins, indeed!

7. Regicide

Regicide is played using a standard deck of cards with jokers included. Differently from the other games, in Regicide everyone works together to defeat the enemies: Jacks, Queens, and Kings, while using a specific strategy. All suits in the game bring different effects like damage boosts or healing, which can help in defeating. You should avoid running out of cards and do your best to survive the enemy attacks, so you end in victory. Otherwise, the monarchs win. 

8. Euchre

Nevertheless, Euchre is traditionally played in partnerships; in a 3-player version, everyone competes individually. The game uses cards from 9 through Ace, and everyone is dealt 5 cards, and one card from the remaining deck is turned over to propose the trump suit. The highest is the Jack of that suit, called the Right Bower, which is followed by the Jack of that same color, called the Left Bower, and then the rest of the cards. To score points, you must win at least 3 to 5 tricks per round.    

9. Hand And Foot

When playing Hand and Foot, in the 3-player version, everyone is dealt 2 sets of cards: Hand and Foot. The deck consists of wild cards as well, and everyone aims to create melds and books of cards, which can be dirty or clean, and are rewarded differently. The twist is that the hand must be finished before playing the foot. The game usually ends when one player runs out of their cards, and the one with the most points wins.

Final Thoughts

3 is a tricky number, and sometimes it feels like games are only good for either 2, or 4+ players. However, we wanted to make sure that everyone gets the fun they deserve, no matter if you have a large group of people to play with or not.

Therefore, we made a list of games that have it all: strategic, quick, creative meld-building, classics, and teamworking. You have enough to choose from, mates!