Card Games for 2 Players: 7 Classics Compared by Deck, Deal and Target Score
Seven classic card games play well with exactly 2 people and a single standard deck: cribbage, gin rummy, basic rummy, 500 Rum, casino, crazy eights and 2-player spades. They differ in what you're aiming for. Cribbage and casino count points from card combinations; the rummy games are about melding; crazy eights is a race to empty your hand.
The table compares the numbers that matter at the table: what deck you need, how many cards each player gets and when the game ends. We don't rank them. Taste decides.
How do the 7 games compare?
| Game | Deck | Cards each | Game ends at | Type | Our rules |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cribbage | 52 + a board | 6 (2 go to the crib) | 121 points | Counting and pegging | How to play cribbage |
| Gin rummy | 52 | 10 | 100 points | Melding, knock or gin | Gin rummy rules |
| Basic rummy | 52 | 10 | Each hand, or an agreed target | Melding, go out first | Rummy rules |
| 500 Rum | 52 + 2 jokers | 13 | 500 points | Melding, score what you lay down | 500 Rum rules |
| Spades for 2 | 52 | 13, built by drawing | Usually 300 or 500 | Trick-taking with bids | Spades for 2 or 3 |
| Casino | 52 | 4, plus 4 face up on the table | 21 points | Capturing cards | Below |
| Crazy eights | 52 | 5 | First player out | Shedding | Below |
Which game fits which kind of evening?
| If you want | Try | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Quick arithmetic and a board to peg | Cribbage | Every hand scores; 121 points takes several deals |
| A tight duel of discards | Gin rummy | 10 cards, 1 draw and 1 discard a turn, knock at 10 or less |
| Big swings and jokers | 500 Rum | You can dig deep into the discard pile and score every meld |
| Trick-taking without a partner | Spades for 2 | The draw-and-keep deal replaces bidding with a partner |
| Something to teach a child | Crazy eights | Match suit or rank; 8s are wild |
| Building and capturing | Casino | Capture table cards with matching or summed cards |
How does casino work?
Casino is a fishing game. Deal 4 cards to each player and 4 face up on the table. On your turn you play 1 card: capture a table card of the same rank, capture cards whose values add up to your card, build toward a capture next turn, or trail (just lay the card down). When both hands are empty, deal 4 more each, but none to the table. With 2 players the deck runs out after 6 deals.
| Scoring item | Points per deal |
|---|---|
| Most cards captured | 3 |
| Most spades | 1 |
| Each ace | 1 (4 in all) |
| 10♦ (Big Casino) | 2 |
| 2♠ (Little Casino) | 1 |
| Total available | 11 |
The first player to 21 wins. Many tables also give 1 point for each sweep, when a capture clears the whole table.
How does crazy eights work?
Deal 5 cards each and turn 1 up as the starter. On your turn, play a card that matches the top card's suit or rank. If you can't, draw from the stock until you can. Every 8 is wild: play it any time and name the suit the next player must follow. The first player out of cards wins the hand.
| Card left in the loser's hand | Points to the winner |
|---|---|
| Each 8 | 50 |
| K, Q, J, 10 | 10 |
| Ace | 1 |
| Other cards | Face value |
Example: you go out while your opponent holds an 8, a king and a 4. You score 50 + 10 + 4 = 64.
What changes from the 4-player version?
Some of these games were built for 2 from the start, which is why their rules read so cleanly when there are only 2 people at the table. Gin and casino feel natural with 2 players, and cribbage's standard rule book assumes 2.
Others are adapted. Spades normally has 4 players in 2 partnerships. The 2-player version swaps the deal for a draw: you see up to 26 cards and keep 13. Basic rummy deals 10 cards with 2 players instead of 7 with 3 or 4. 500 Rum deals 13 instead of 7.
Common Rules Questions
Can you play spades with just 2 players?
Yes. Each player builds a 13-card hand by drawing. Look at the top card: keep it and discard the next one unseen, or discard it and keep the next one. When the stock is used up, each of you holds 13 cards and 26 sit in the discard pile. Bidding, tricks and scoring then work as in the 4-player game, with no partner. Our 2-player spades page has the full method.
How many cards do you deal in 2-player rummy?
It depends on which rummy. Basic rummy and gin rummy both deal 10 cards each to 2 players. 500 Rum deals 13 each with 2 players and 7 each with 3 or more. Liverpool and other contract games need 3 or more players and 2 decks, so they don't belong on a 2-player list.
Which 2-player card games need a scoreboard?
Cribbage is the only one here that traditionally uses a peg board, with a 121-point track per player. You can keep cribbage score on paper too, using our printable cribbage score sheet. Gin, 500 Rum, casino and spades all run to a target over several hands, so a pencil and a 2-column sheet are enough.
What to read next
Sources: American Cribbage Congress rule book (2025) for cribbage. Bicycle for gin rummy, basic rummy and crazy eights. Pagat.com for 500 Rum and casino (deal, scoring and 21-point target). All read 2026-10-10. Counts in the tables are rechecked by script. Last updated 2026-10-10.
Sources
- American Cribbage Congress rule book 2025 (evidence/acc_rulebook_2025.pdf)
- Bicycle: Gin Rummy, Rummy, Crazy Eights (read 2026-10-10)
- pagat.com: Gin Rummy, 500 Rummy, Casino (read 2026-10-10)