Did you know the global card game market is projected to generate US$3 billion in revenue by 2024? This might surprise you, but something even more interesting is that trick-taking games occupy half of this market, whether it’s Hearts, Spades, Bridge, or Cribbage. These trick-taking games require players to compete and win specific groups of cards (called tricks) based on the ranks or values of the cards played.
The player who wins the most tricks or accumulates the highest point value typically wins. This might sound interesting or engaging from a distance, but when you start playing, you’ll come to understand the complexity. However, you can surely enjoy the best experience of trick-taking card games only if you choose a more accessible, responsive, and modern website to play on. And today, we are going to review five of the top trick-taking card games for you.
Euchre
The first trick-taking game we’re reviewing is the most beloved one, named Euchre. It originated in North America and later became the talk of the world. It ranked among the top 10 trick-taking games, aiming to win three tricks in a round. At least four friends can play this exciting game. Moreover, similar to many solitaire card games, it does have 52 decks, but the uniqueness lies in the modified 52-card deck, which uses only the Aces, Kings, Queens, Jacks, 10s, and 9s of each suit, resulting in a 24-card deck.
Players take turns playing a card from their hand at intervals, and the highest card of the led suit or the highest trump card wins the trick. Remember, points are scored when a team wins the majority of the tricks in a round. The only challenge here is that it can be quite difficult for beginners. But once you start playing, there’s no turning back.
Hearts
Many people here might not want to try Euchre if they are newbies, so we suggest they go for the Hearts game. Contrary to what the name suggests, it’s not a childish or lovely game. Instead, it’s one of the trick-taking games that takes the crown. It doesn’t only depend on skill or understanding; rather, it combines strategy, skill, and a dash of luck. The goal of Hearts is to minimize the number of points you accumulate during the game. Each heart card carries one penalty point, and the Queen of Spades is even more treacherous, worth 13 penalty points.
Hearts is typically played with four players using a standard 52-card deck. But make sure Hearts and the Queen of Spades are the cards to avoid. Just try not to win tricks containing these cards. If you collect all 13 hearts and the Queen of Spades, you’ve achieved the daring feat of “shooting the moon,” earning zero points while your opponents each get 26 points. The player with the fewest points at that moment wins.
Bridge
But what if you want to try another option than the one mentioned above? Then, nothing is better than the Bridge trick-taking online game. This classic game also involves four players forming two partnerships, with partners sitting opposite each other. It’s very unique among all because players bid to determine the contract, which sets the goals for the game. The cards are played to fulfil the contract, and points are awarded based on the number of tricks won.
While playing it, you should know one thing, and that is the final bid, which determines the trump suit (or no-trump) and the number of tricks the declaring side must take. Ultimately, the opposing partnership works to prevent the declarer from making the contract. But as nothing is perfect, so is Bridge. One potential drawback of choosing Bridge is that, in some environments, players might encounter opponents or even partners who are less patient or understanding.
Spades
The classic card games of Spades is known as the most aggressive of all trick-taking games. When reading the guidelines for this game, you’ll find that the goal is to accurately predict the number of tricks you and your partner will win in each round. Each player receives 13 cards from a standard 52-card deck. Players must follow suit if possible; if not, they may play any card. Spades are trumps, meaning they outrank all other suits.
The highest card in the leading suit wins the trick, unless a spade is played. Spades cannot be led until they have been “broken” (played on a trick where the player couldn’t follow suit). Scoring involves teams scoring points by meeting or exceeding their bid. Failing to meet the bid results in negative points. Successfully bidding and winning no tricks (‘Nil’) scores bonus points, but failing a ‘Nil’ bid incurs a penalty. Players may bid from 0 (declaring ‘Nil’) to 13.
Ninety-nine
We are wrapping up this review with the newly viral trick-taking game referred to as Ninety-nine. This increasingly popular game among top games is designed for 2, 3, or 4 players. It strikes a balance between simple rules and strategic depth. Well, by strategic depth, we mean that the goal of Ninety-nine is to be the last player remaining. The game starts with the player to the left of the dealer and proceeds clockwise. You must choose one of the three cards in your hand to discard into the pile.
The discard pile starts at a value of 0 and has no cards initially. If a player adds to the pile, causing its value to exceed 99 points, that player loses a chip. Then, collect the cards, shuffle, and start a new round. However, the problem arises when a player has no chips left to discard, leading to their elimination from the game. The game ends when only one player remains uneliminated—this player is the winner. And be sure, while playing it online, that winning or losing often hinges on the cards you draw. A bad hand can put you at a disadvantage, regardless of your skill.
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