Three Weird Card Games You’ve Never Heard of

The history of cards dates back much further back than most people know. While historians disagree about the exact origin, most believe the Chinese created cards. They reached European shores during the Renaissance when French and Spanish soldiers picked up the game from Moroccan traders. Pretty soon, cards were a popular pastime all over Europe.

Since then, different card games have emerged. Not just classic card deck games but also trading card games, competitive card games, and more. Indeed, most of us are familiar with the classic games and even the big names in trading card games. But what about the weird games most of us have not heard of? In this article, we’d like to take a look at those.

Most of us are familiar with the most popular card games around. Go Fish is a classic American family card game that people across the country enjoy with their kids. If you visit any casino, you will likely find a blackjack table or a dozen, and rarely will there be room for new players.

Of course, in terms of recognition, poker is the most popular card game in the world. Even those who’ve never played it have an intuitive grasp of the game simply because of its pop cultural relevance. Due to the popularity of online casinos, you can find usual card games like poker on a new instant withdrawal casino platform more efficiently than ever before.

There are also the Big Three of Trading Card Games, those being Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon: The Trading Card Game, and, of course, Yu-Gi-Oh! These three have made quite a name for themselves, with two being some of the biggest franchises in the world. But what about the games that most people need to be aware of? It is time to see the weird games that flew under the radar.

The main goal of a TCG is to get fans to collect the cards. That is why games like Pokemon or Yu-Gi-Oh! do their best to create cool, cute, or even bizarre creatures. Of course, technical deck building is essential, too, especially for competitive players. However, the drive to collect cards propels these games to the top.

That is why creating a game called Exploding Kittens is very counter-intuitive. Learning that kittens do explode in the game’s world is even more bizarre. The casual deck game is simple: players draw cards until they get a kitten. Once the kitten explodes, the player loses. The goal is to prevent the kitten from exploding using a “defuse” card.

Though bizarre, Exploding Kittens can be a fun party game. Casual, simple to learn, and easy to play, it is a fun way to pass the time, have some fun, and break the ice when meeting new people at a large party.

In 2004, Keith Baker came up with one of the most original card game ideas, perhaps of all time. Gloom won the Best Traditional Card Game award in 2005 and has received several expansion packs since its initial release, one inspired by Lovecraft’s Cthulhu Mythos. But, with a foreboding name like Gloom, many might wonder what the game is about.

Gloom is a 2 – 4 player card game where players are given control of a family. The goal is to stack negative points and cause chaotic events in your family’s lives until they are either the most miserable or dead. Once a family dies, the player with the most “negative value” wins.

The unique premise makes Gloom intriguing. However, once you sit down to play, it gets fun. Players find new and creative ways to ruin their families' lives, resulting in a fun time where you feel like the bad guy.

Cards and the casino are interlinked. When most people think of card games, they think of poker, blackjack, or baccarat. Only some, however, think of specific variations on poker. Texas Hold ‘em or Omaha are the most well-known. But what about those poker variations that have flown under the radar?

· Caribbean Stud: A variant of poker that pits players against the house. The goal is to beat the dealer’s hand, and often, the game includes a progressive jackpot.

· Pai Gow Poker: Inspired by the Chinese game Pai Gow, so often seen in Macau’s casinos, Pai Gow Poker fuses the two most popular games of the East and West. Yet, it remains unpopular mainly in both regions.

· Irish Poker: Irish poker fuses the two most popular poker variants, ending up with a mish-mash of Texas Hold ‘em and Omaha. Yet, it has not been popular in mainstream, land-based casinos.

Are casinos known for card games?

Of course. Most of the popular casino games are card games. Blackjack, for example, is often the most popular game at any casino.

Apart from blackjack, what is the most popular card game?

It is hard to say. Baccarat has a huge following and player base. However, the most popular is likely poker, though very few people play it in casinos.

What are the most popular Trading Card Games today?

The Big Three of the TCG world are Magic: The Gathering, Pokemon: The Card Game, and Yu-Gi-Oh.