Top 5 Card Games for Pizza and Game Nights

It’s Saturday or Friday night; you order some pizzas; your friends are about to come; the beer is slowly cooling in the fridge, yet you still haven’t decided on the entertainment for the evening? Don’t worry — this is where we jump to the rescue! We are going to recommend five fun card games, explain their rules, and judge their level of difficulty. Some of these games are going to be beginner-friendly, and others are best left to more advanced card players; some of these games are better for larger parties, while others are best played in twos; some are plain fun, and others require knowledge and skill. The bottom line is — there is something for everybody on our list, whatever your card game preferences may be, you are going to find a fun idea here.

We know that besides tasty food and pleasant conversation topics, nicely planned entertainment is what turns a good host into a great host. Dinner party guests love fun games, and we are not going to let you down with our selection. So, let’s start with the classics and finish off with some pretty simple, yet fun, games.

Blackjack

Our top pick for a game night with your friends — Blackjack; for many a reason. First of all, the game has fairly simple rules. Meaning, you can easily play it even if you, or some of your friends, are not experienced with card games. Likewise, Blackjack is an excellent choice if you plan on drinking a few beers with your friends as it doesn’t require a lot of concentration; sometimes less is definitely more.

Now, the game is pretty fun and fast; no boring stuff goes around here. All you need are some cards and chips, and you are set to go! You can play it with a few friends or with a larger group; the number of participants doesn’t influence the game. Since we are already talking about the number of players, let’s mention one important thing (pay attention to it if you are new to Blackjack) — this is not a team game. You play it all on your own against the dealer, and that’s it. The hands of the other players don’t influence the outcome of your game; let no one persuade you otherwise. So, no matter how good or bad the other players’ hands are, you still need to beat the dealer — you, alone. Now, let’s talk about some rules of the game.

Basically, there are four actions that you can take in a game of Blackjack; they are the following:

• Hitting
• Standing
• Splitting
• Doubling Down

The objective of the game is to beat the dealer by having a total score of 21, or less than 21 but still closer to it than the dealer. You lose the game if you exceed the total (21), or if you have less than the dealer. Likewise, you win if the dealer has more than 21. Also, if you hit a “natural” or a “Blackjack,” you win automatically.

As you can see, the rules are quite simple, the game is fun, and it’s not that hard to teach somebody who has never played it before. So, even if some of your friends never got the chance to Blackjack, you need about fifteen minutes to teach them how to play it. The game is perfect for both larger and smaller parties, for pizza and drinking game nights, for rainy days, for parties and cozy evenings, etc.

Poker (Texas Hold ‘Em)

This is another neat card game, however, the reason it ended up in second place is due to it being a lot harder to master than Blackjack. Nevertheless, Texas Hold ‘Em Poker is an excellent choice for pizza and game nights. The game is fun, challenging, and it can be played for many, many hours on end. Again, all you really need are some cards and chips, and, of course, some comfy chairs.

The rules of Texas Hold ‘Em are not as difficult, but if some of your friends have never played it before, they’ll maybe need a few rounds, or even a few game nights, to really get into it and relax. There are three basic actions: you can either “call,” “fold,” or “raise.” The first betting round has a “small blind” and a “big blind,” and the dealer is one of the players. Now, in a showdown, you can have the following card combinations:

• Royal Flush
• Straight Flush
• Four of a Kind
• Full House
• Flush
• Straight
• Three of a Kind
• Two Pair
• One Pair
• High Card

If you raise the bet, you can bet all of your chips, and that’s called “all in.” Even though the rules of the game are not too demanding and hard to memorize, you still need time to master the flow of the game. The best way to get into the rules, if you are new to Texas Hold’em, is to play it online before the said game night with your friends. This way, you can easily learn how to play the game and when the game night comes you can enjoy yourself without the need to stress out about the rules. Plus, Texas Hold’em is one of the best online card games to play.

Gin Rummy

This game is a version of Rummy, and it’s a pretty fun and easy card game for two people. The game doesn’t have overly complex rules, so people can learn it in no time. It’s one of those drinking card games that are best suited for only two players. People often choose it for drinking game nights because it doesn’t require skill, concentration, or special knowledge regarding card games.

Basically, you need a deck and a dealer. Just remember to remove the Joker cards beforehand; if you have them in your deck, put them aside. Ten cards are dealt, and the remaining cards are left face-down on the table. You can decide to pick a new card from the pile or discard the one that you don’t want. The objective of the game is to score more than 100 points.

This old game is easy and exciting, and it’s perfect for those relaxing, cozy evenings with snacks, pizza, or (everyone’s favorite) — beer. If you wish to play it with more than one person, it’s possible. Yet, two or more separate games are needed in that case; the winners of each of these games can face each other off. Basically, you just make a small tournament with your friends. If you wish to play it like that, you may want to get more decks per game so that one person can always shuffle and prepare the other deck. This way, the playing gets more convenient.

Kings

Well, this is a classic drinking card game. It’s extremely easy to play, and you can even modify a lot of the rules to best suit your style of play. Still, the most basic rule is: draw a card and drink. It’s that simple. There are many rules regarding which “punishment” each card represents. You can find a lot of these rules online or just make them up on your own. You can also agree with your friends about the length of the “punishment period.” For this game, you don’t need chips, just some tasty drinks. If some of your friends have never played this game before, you are going to need a few minutes to explain the rules to them. Overall, the game is super fun and intuitive.

Eights

This game is also a neat choice for a game night with your friends, pizzas, and beer. All you need is a standard deck. The objective of the game is to get rid of all of the cards in your hand. The way you get rid of the cards from your hand is by matching them with the cards already on the table.

It’s pretty easy to introduce Eights to someone who has never played the game before. Also, you don’t need any experience with card games to play this one. Eights are a smart choice for dinner parties, family game nights, rainy days, and pizza nights. Some people like to play it as a drinking game as well since it’s easy to modify some of the rules and come up with “punishments.” The gist of it? It’s a beginner-friendly game that is suitable for many occasions.

Final Words

Whichever game you choose from our list, you are guaranteed to have fun with your friends. It just all comes down to your personal preferences and taste, or the preferences of your friends. If you want to play an extremely easy drinking game, then choose Kings. If you want to have fun but don’t want to be bothered by the tone of complicated rules, then play Eights or Gin Rummy. If you are a fan of classic, old-school, casino games, then Blackjack is the perfect choice for you. Now, if you take games seriously, then choose Texas Hold’em; just make sure your friends are clear about the rules before you begin. So, these were our picks for the best card games for pizza nights with friends. We hope that you liked our picks and that you’ll have fun playing these games!