Three Easy Card Games To Play When Traveling

Three Easy Card Games To Play When Traveling

Traveling allows people to explore new places and experience new adventures. But, no matter where you go, you often spend a lot of down time in a plane or car with little to do. People usually kill the time by listening to music or reading a book. But listening to the same playlist can get old, and once you’ve read the book, there’s no point to re-reading it a second time. If you have a simple deck of cards, it can deliver hours of fun. Here are three easy card games to play when traveling.

1. Blackjack

An easy to learn card game that is perfect for travelers is Blackjack. Each player is dealt two cards and is given the choice to “hit,” which means draw another card; or “stay,” which means you will hang on to what you have. The goal of the game is to try to get as close as possible to a sum of twenty-one, without “busting” or going over twenty-one. If your sum is closer than the dealer’s, you win, and if the dealer busts, you also win.

This simple card game is not just great for entertainment, it’s also ideal for socializing as it entertains not just the players but also the bystanders as well. Blackjack can be played with as few as two players and as many as seven, or even more since you won’t be playing on an official casino table. Also, the game rounds go by fast which makes it ideal for when you’re on a little break from travelling, like when you’re at a stopover or layover.

2. Poker

Poker is a card game that is known to most people around the world, which makes it easy to play with others no matter what county you are in. Over the years, different variations have developed, but Three-Card Poker is the variant you should play, as it’s quick, easy to learn and can be played with just two players. In this version, everyone including the dealer is dealt three cards. After they view their cards, each player decides to continue or fold. If they fold, they forfeit their bet; if they continue, they double their original bet.

Players battle against only the dealer and the one with the stronger poker hand wins. This variant of poker is easy and you can easily teach other travellers. What a way to win a new friend!

3. Crazy 8s

Crazy 8s is a fun shedding-type of card game that can be played with two to five players – ideally when you have some time kill while sitting in a car or on a bus. Basically, eight cards are dealt to each person and the remaining cards are placed face down in the middle. The top card is turned over and each player takes a turn putting down cards of either the same number or same suit, one at a time. If you don’t have a card to put down, you will have to get a card from the middle pile until you end up with a card that you can throw. As a bonus, a number 8 card can be played at any time because it has special powers. The first player to get rid of all of their cards wins the game.

The rules of Crazy 8s are simple and it's easy for new players to pick it up. Travelers can invite other fellow travelers to join in, and the more players in a single game provide for a shorter game span. Crazy 8s definitely brings people together and makes the time fly by swiftly.

Downtime while traveling is unavoidable, but it doesn’t have to be boring. With a simple deck of cards, you can play many games and bond with new friends where ever you go. Try these games out and enjoy your traveling adventures even more!

We hope these suggestions will help you, and for more content on traveling, check out our piece entitled Packing Tips for Long-Term Travels.