With the deck of poker cards, you can enjoy a series of games that are far from what has traditionally been linked to poker. And with these cards you can play more games that have little or nothing to do with poker and that, however, maintain the competitive spirit.

Some are played individually while facing the other players at the table; others have a slight cooperative character. Let’s take a look at some of the best card games to gamble with friends, and discover another way to enjoy card games with the poker deck.

Best card games to gamble with friends

We have prepared a brief compilation of card games that, in our opinion, are the best and most fun to gamble with friends. It will be good for you to continue having fun in a different way and with less pressure than in poker.

  • Bridge. This is one of the most strategic card games. It is played with a deck of 52 cards and, although it is enjoyable with 2 players, it is usually played with 4 people to form two teams of two. The objective is simple: to accumulate points by capturing tricks, groups of four cards played by each player in a round. The key to bridge is communication between partners, because each player must work together with his friend to evaluate the hands and develop a joint strategy. There are several forms of bridge, although the most popular is Bridge Contract, in which teams play to fulfill a specific contract based on specific tricks they think they can win.
  • Blind Hold’em. Although similar to the usual Texas Hold’em, Blind Hold’em is a card game in which players receive two initial cards, but cannot see them, hence its name. This forces players to play with their instinct and, based on intuition, make the decisions they think are best. The fact that each player has to make decisions without knowing what cards he has been given an extra uncertainty to the game, making it more interesting because it is all based on perception. A player with great cards can miss a good opportunity if he doesn’t get his instincts right and vice versa, so you never know who might end up making the best hand.
  • Blackjack. It is a very popular game, just because here the game is directly against the dealer. Without being a cooperative game, all players at a blackjack table face the dealer. The great thing about blackjack is that it is a game that is easy to grasp, but difficult to master. Those layers of complexity are precisely what give the game its special touch.
  • Liar’s poker. It is a game based on deception, in which the objective is to get rid of all the cards by lying about the cards you are playing with. When it is your turn, you place one or more cards face down on the table and tell what cards they are. Obviously, you can tell the truth or not. The trick here is that believing the player or not means exposing yourself to picking up more cards from the deck, which further complicates the task of discarding. You have to continually choose between discovering a lying player or not exposing yourself to drawing more cards.
  • Blind Man’s Bluff. It is known as “Blind Man’s Bluff”, and is a game in which all the cards are dealt face down. Players cannot even see their own cards, and each player must try to guess what the value of his cards is. Based on that limited information, he will have to make his own decisions. In later rounds and with more information, players can start betting by deducing which cards they have and which ones the rest can handle. It is closely related to Blind’s Hold’em, only this one is based on the structure of Texas Hold’em, hence its name.
  • Chinese poker. Chinese poker is considered one of the most loved alternative poker card games. It proposes to give a twist to the game by dealing each player 13 cards, who must arrange them into three hands (top, middle and bottom). The golden rule of OFC Poker is to know how to arrange your cards so that the hands are valid.
  • Gin Rummy. The objective here is to form the so-called “melds”, specific sets of cards, and get rid of the rest of the cards in the hand. This is done on the basis of the 10 cards that each player gets at the beginning of the game, and in each turn, the player must draw one card and discard another.This takes into account the ability to plan the moves and the specific and most propitious moments to declare “Gin”. In addition, by retaining additional cards you can block the opponent and prevent him from forming his melds. A highly strategic game, perfect for those who are looking for a deep and long-lasting alternative.

These are the best gambling games to play with friends, but we are sure you can find out some great games which could be included in this list. Have fun with some other gambling card games!