Get the party started! A roundup of perfect playing card games for drinking parties
A fun drinking party with everyone together!
If we’re going to make the most of it, it’d be great to have games we can all play together, right?
When you think about that, the first thing that probably comes to mind is a deck of cards.
This time, I’m going to introduce lots of card games—from ones that get big groups pumped up to ones that make a two-person drink really exciting!
I’ve put together a wide range, from classics to lesser-known games.
If you bookmark this article, it might come in handy not just for drinking parties, but in all kinds of situations!
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- Punishment games that liven up drinking parties and banquets
- Party Games That Spice Up Your House Drinks Night
- Games for two people to enjoy. A roundup of party games that liven up drinking gatherings.
- Types of playing cards and how to play
- Recommended card game. Easy! Fun! Adults get hooked too!
- Put a penalty on the line! A roundup of party games that get everyone hyped
- Party games that liven up group dating events
- Drinking party crowd-pleasers: party and banquet games
- A fun penalty game recommended for men
- Simple but intense! A quick-and-easy penalty game that hypes everyone up
- Recommended for college students! Punishment game ideas that will make everyone laugh and hype things up
- Ideas for team-based games to enliven a party
Get the party going! A roundup of perfect playing card games for drinking parties (21–30)
American Page One
Have you ever wanted to play UNO but only had a deck of playing cards? In times like that, it’s handy to remember American Page One.
The name varies by region, so many people might know it simply as Page One.
It’s considered the predecessor of UNO, and the rules are almost the same.
American Page One has many local rules, so be sure to check that you and your friends are on the same page.
Mitch
This is a game where players play cards from their hands so that the counts decrease by suit, aiming to have the most cards played in each suit by the designated end timing.
After dealing hands, you take only three Aces that were set aside and put them back into the deck.
Then, in that state, each player draws from the deck on their turn.
When someone draws an Ace from the deck, they set it aside and draw again from the deck; once all Aces have appeared, you compare how many cards have been played in each suit.
The keys to winning are how many cards you can play before all the Aces appear and how much you can minimize your discard pile when you can’t reduce the counts.
Get the Party Started! A Roundup of Perfect Playing Card Games for Drinking Parties (31–40)
Cockroach Poker
A slightly unusual game where you don’t decide the winner—you decide the last-place player.
It’s called “poker,” but despite the name, it’s a completely different, fresh style of card game.
Players pass cards around while doing a bit of acting—saying things like “This is a stink bug” or “This is a bat”—so those with a flair for performance might have an advantage.
You lose if you run out of cards or if you end up collecting four of the same card.
Enjoy the bluffing and mind games as you play.
Mahjong Poker
Mahjong Poker, a game that combines hands from mahjong and poker, is a cerebral card game for two players that you can enjoy at a deliberate pace.
The dealer (oya) receives five cards and the non-dealer (ko) receives four; after the dealer discards one card, the non-dealer draws one and then discards one, and the game proceeds in this rhythm.
Like mahjong, you refine your hand to complete a combination, but the scoring is based on poker hands.
However, you cannot go out with just one pair or two pair, so you need a strategy that targets higher-scoring hands.
Points are assigned according to the completed hand; for example, a straight flush or four of a kind can net a big score all at once.
Reading each other’s intentions and choosing which card to discard is the key that often determines the outcome.
It’s a game packed with the thrill of bluffing and tactical exchanges.
Number matching
This is a game where you try to match card numbers three times in a row.
Use 12 cards of the same suit.
Try to guess what number your opponent will play, then choose from your 12 numbered cards and place one on the table.
If your card’s number matches your opponent’s, think ahead and play another card.
If the second one also matches, then for the third round, play all of your remaining cards.
At that time, place the card with the number you’ve guessed on top.
Matching numbers with your opponent three times may be difficult.
However, if you try several times and align your thinking, you might be able to match.
Gop
This is a two-player competitive card game where you vie for points.
You use a deck with the Joker and all hearts removed.
Each player holds only spades or clubs, and a draw pile is made from diamonds.
Reveal one card from the diamond pile to the table, then each player plays one card from their hand.
Whoever plays the stronger card than their opponent wins the revealed diamond card as points.
You compete on the final total score.
The fun lies in the mind games of which card to play—keeping track of what your opponent has used and deciding whether the revealed diamond card is worth fighting for.
Old Maid
I bet almost everyone has played Old Maid.
It’s not very well known, but there’s actually a game called Jiji-nuki as well.
The basics are the same as Old Maid, but you don’t use a Joker.
Instead, you remove one random card from the deck beforehand.
In other words, that leftover, unknown card is the “jiji.” This way, you can’t tell who will win until the very end, which makes it exciting.
By the way, there’s also a variant called Jiji-Baba-nuki where the rule is that whoever ends up with the Joker at the end actually wins.