There are many great card games for an even number of players, but finding a good game to play in a party of five is tricky. Here’s a list of 25 great 5-player card games you and your friends will surely enjoy.
Card games for 5 players range from classic trick-taking games like Oh Hell to popular rummy-style games such as Contract Rummy.
To make your search easier, this article divides the best card games for five players into a few categories based on their type and characteristics.
Five-player trick-taking card games
Oh Hell!
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 7)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 25 – 50 minutes
Objective: Bet on a number of tricks you’ll win and score points.
Oh Hell in a nutshell:
Oh Hell is a card game where your chances to win depend on your talent and luck. It involves bidding, allowing you to show off your strategic skills. Whoever collects the most points wins.
SEE ALSO: Oh Hell, card game rules
Spades
Players: 5 (originally 4, but can be adapted)
Ages: 8+
Length of play: 20 – 60 minutes
Objective: Play the highest-ranking cards and earn 500 points.
Spades in a nutshell:
In Spades, players bid, fight over tricks, and gather points. It’s originally a 4-player game since the deck must be evenly distributed. But if you take out two 2s and deal 10 cards to each, it’s good for 5 players, too!
SEE ALSO: Spades card game rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/HgmnrYt-Xf4
99
Players: 5 (2+)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 15+ minutes
Objective: Be the last player with the remaining token.
99 in a nutshell:
If you have one deck of cards, some chips or tokens, and a group of friends, 99 is a great choice. This game requires a good focus, though, as you’ll have to count the value of a card pile growing right in front of you.
SEE ALSO: 99 card game rules
Loo
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 8)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 30 – 50 minutes
Objective: Collect more pairs of cards than your opponents.
Loo in a nutshell:
Loo is an old European trick-taking card game with an ideal dynamic when played by 5 players. It has many variations, but in all of them, players compete for tricks with their highest-ranking cards or trumps.
SEE ALSO: Loo card game rules
Egyptian Ratscrew
Players: 5 (2+)
Ages: 8+
Length of play: 15+ minutes
Objective: Grab all the cards from the deck.
Egyptian Ratscrew in a nutshell:
Egyptian Ratscrew is a card-matching game where players try to capture the entire card deck. There are three ways to accomplish this: you can either focus, get lucky, or challenge your opponents.
SEE ALSO: Egyptian Ratscrew
Romanian Whist
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 6)
Ages: 7+
Length of play: 15 – 45 minutes
Objective: Take more tricks and collect more points than your opponents.
Romanian Whist in a nutshell:
Whereas the classic game of Whist is suitable for 4 players, Romanian Whist is a variation that can be played by 5 players, too. Each plays individually, trying to take as many tricks as possible.
SEE ALSO: Whist card game rules
Sheepshead
Players: 5 (originally 6, but can be adapted)
Ages: 8+
Length of play: 10 – 20 minutes
Objective: Take the most tricks to win the game.
Sheepshead in a nutshell:
Sheepshead is played with 32 cards: Aces through to 7s. The players are divided into two teams. To make it fair, in a party of five, one player takes on the role of the dealer or switches teams after each round.
SEE ALSO: Sheepshead rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/DcOUGJfI3hA
Rummy and poker-type five-player card games
Gin Rummy
Players: 5 (with some adjustments)
Ages: 12+
Length of play: 10 – 30 minutes
Objective: Score 100 points through melding cards.
Gin Rummy in a nutshell:
Gin Rummy is usually played in a pair, but add one more deck or deal fewer cards (e.g., 7 instead of 10 to each player), and you can enjoy it in a party of five, too. The game revolves around melding cards and earning points.
SEE ALSO: Gin Rummy rules
Canasta
Players: 5 (originally 2 – 4, but can be adapted)
Ages: 11+
Length of play: 30 – 60 minutes
Objective: Be a part of the first team to score 5,000 points.
Canasta in a nutshell:
It takes a little to adapt Canasta to 5 players. One team consists of 2 and the other of 3 players, switching the members after each game. After all, in Canasta, nothing is guaranteed, regardless of the power distribution.
SEE ALSO: Canasta rules | Canasta FAQs | Canasta terms
Rummy 500
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 8)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 20 – 50 minutes
Objective: Meld cards according to the valid combinations.
Rummy 500 in a nutshell:
Rummy 500 is a classic card game where players combine cards in runs or sets to get rid of them. When the round ends, each player counts their score based on the melded cards and cards left in their hands.
SEE ALSO: Rummy 500 rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/q00W9AdcRwM
Contract Rummy
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 8)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 20 – 30 minutes
Objective: Combine your cards to discard them first.
Contract Rummy in a nutshell:
In some games, points are desired and collected. In Contract Rummy, though, they are only awarded for the cards players couldn’t meld. This is one of the most popular Rummy variations with rather difficult rules.
SEE ALSO: Contract Rummy rules
Follow the Queen Poker
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 7)
Ages: 10+
Length of play: 5 – 20 minutes
Objective: Complete the best five-card hand to win the game
Follow the Queen Poker in a nutshell:
Follow the Queen is a variation of the Seven Card Stud game, adding unpredictability in the form of wild cards. Players start by placing their bets, aiming to collect the best five-card game on the table.
SEE ALSO: Follow the Queen Poker
Red Dog
Players: 5 (min. 3 – max. 8)
Ages: 18+
Length of play: 15 – 30 minutes
Objective: Win the bets with the right cards in your hands.
Red Dog in a nutshell:
If you are looking for a betting game inspired by Poker for a party of 5, Red Dog is likely your best option. Players guess if their cards can beat the next drawn cards. Whoever gathers the most chips wins the game.
SEE ALSO: Red Dog card game rules
Tonk
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 6)
Ages: 8+
Length of play: 10 – 15 minutes per round
Objective: Avoid earning 100 penalty points across multiple rounds.
Tonk in a nutshell:
Like all the Rummy-type games, Tonk is about building card melds to pass from round to round toward the final scoring. But its straightforward rules make it particularly attractive for younger or beginner players.
SEE ALSO: Tonk rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uboJrS5_V4s
Conquian Rules
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 6)
Ages: 12+
Length of play: 20 – 60 minutes
Objective: Build a series of 11 cards by drawing and combining them.
Conquian in a nutshell:
Conquian is a tricky card-melding game that will surprise you with complex and unusual rules. It’s played with 40 cards only, so if you’re playing with 5 players, adding one deck to the game is a good idea.
SEE ALSO: Conquian rules
Shedding-type five-player card games
Crazy Eights
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 7)
Ages: 5+
Length of play: 10 – 30 minutes
Objective: Discard all the cards to avoid penalty points.
Crazy Eights in a nutshell:
In Crazy Eights, players get rid of their cards by matching them in color or rank. As the name implies, Eights are wild cards: they can be played on any card and allow you to pick the color for the next player.
SEE ALSO: Crazy Eights rules
President
Players: 5 (min. 4 – max. 7)
Ages: 7+
Length of play: 10 – 30 minutes
Objective: Become a President by getting rid of all your cards first.
President in a nutshell:
President is an original card game where players acquire funny roles, such as Citizen, Congressman, or Beggar. The game is based on the principles of card shedding. Everyone aims to get rid of their cards first.
SEE ALSO: President card game rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/XGYv8UN_r1A
Switch
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 8)
Ages: 7+
Length of play: 20 – 40 minutes
Objective: Get rid of your cards, taking advantage of their special functions.
Switch in a nutshell:
In Switch, your goal is simple: getting rid of all your cards. However, some of them have superpowers, such as forcing the next player to draw a certain number of cards or reversing the direction of the gameplay.
SEE ALSO: Switch card game rules
Durak
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 6)
Ages: 7+
Length of play: 20 – 40 minutes
Objective: Get rid of your cards through attacks and defenses.
Durak in a nutshell:
Durak has many variations, some of them perfect for 5 players. It mixes the basics of card shedding and trick-taking games, adding the element of attacks for even more fun. Your goal is to get rid of all cards.
SEE ALSO: Durak rules
Big 2
Players: 5 (officially 3 – 4, but can be adapted)
Ages: 7+
Length of play: 20+ minutes
Objective: Be the first to discard all your cards.
Big 2 in a nutshell:
Big 2 is recommended for 3 or 4 players, but add one card deck, and you can enjoy it in larger groups as well. This card-shedding game is unique due to the position of 2s, considered the highest cards in the play.
SEE ALSO: Big 2 rules
Mao
Players: 5 (min. 4 – max. 8)
Ages: 6+
Length of play: 20 – 45 minutes
Objective: Decipher secret rules and discard all your cards.
Mao in a nutshell:
If you’re tired of playing games with identical rules, try Mao. It allows you to create your own rules and keep them secret from your opponents. This original game also forbids players to speak to each other!
SEE ALSO: Mao card game rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/0BF6nkd-H-A
Classic five-player card games
Go Fish
Players: 5 (min. 4 – max. 6)
Ages: 8+
Length of play: 15 – 30 minutes
Objective: Collect four cards of the same kind first to win.
Go Fish in a nutshell:
Go Fish is an excellent choice if you’re looking for a straightforward, family-friendly game. It involves counting, pairing, and matching, and whoever collects four cards of the same kind first wins.
SEE ALSO: Go Fish rules
Pitty Pat
Players: 5 (officially 2 – 4, but can be adapted)
Ages: 4+
Length of play: 5 minutes
Objective: Players aim to match their cards in pairs and get rid of them.
Pitty Pat in a nutshell:
Pitty Pat is traditionally recommended for up to 4 players, but you can’t go wrong with it in a party of five either. Just add one additional card deck! Players aim to combine their cards in pairs to get rid of them.
SEE ALSO: Pitty Pat card game
Concentration
Players: 5 (1+)
Ages: 6+
Length of play: 5 – 20 minutes
Objective: Collect more pairs of cards than your opponents.
Concentration in a nutshell:
Concentration has super-easy rules. In fact, it’s a classic Memory game adapted to a standard 52-card deck. Players take turns revealing pairs of down-facing cards, aiming to find those that match in color and rank.
SEE ALSO: Concentration card game rules
Old Maid
Players: 5 (min. 2 – max. 6)
Ages: 4+
Length of play: 5 minutes
Objective: Players collect pairs of cards and avoid the Old Maid.
Old Maid in a nutshell:
Old Maid is a classic card-passing game for the entire family. It can be played either with a dedicated card deck or a classic set of 52 playing cards. Just add one Joker as a substitute for the Old Maid card.
ALSO: Old Maid rules
RELATED VIDEO: https://youtu.be/n6UFbZ0jGWw
