More Challenging Group Card Games for Seniors. These fun card games are a bit more difficult than the ones above but they are great choices for seniors to play as a group. There are many varieties of bridge, so it can be adapted to your seniors’ preferences or even to their limitations if needed. The other players then each play a card in clockwise order until all 4 players have played a card. Whichever player played the highest card with the same suit as the lead card, takes the cards. This is known as 'winning a trick'. The trick winner starts the next trick. Players must play a card with the same suit as the lead card.
Card games have always been a part of my childhood so I learned from a young age various ways to entertain yourself with a deck of cards. Typically, I keep a deck in my purse so I can pull it out whenever I’m bored. My friends can always count on me to have a deck on hand with a list of suggestions of games to play. But sometimes no one else is around and I use these ways to entertain yourself with a deck of cards to pass the time.
1. Card House
Fun Card Games To Play Alone
Building a card house is a great way to entertain yourself with a deck of cards. I enjoy it because it brings your awareness to the moment and harnesses your energy into building a house that won’t fall over. Plus, it’s cool to see how they turn out! I’ve never gotten higher than a three-story card house but who knows, next time might be the one. Card houses help you focus on a task without realizing how the time passes.
2. Elevens
My uncle taught me the card game Elevens when I was a little kid and to this day, it’s my go-to way to entertain myself with a deck of cards. The goal is to find matches that total the number 11, disregarding the suits. For example, 5 and 6 or 2 and 9. Js, Qs, and Ks go together while 10 is paired with A. You begin by placing a card down in a three-by-three square. If you see a set of 11 before you finish putting all the cards in that three-by-three square, then you place one card from the deck on each of the two cards that equal 11. The goal is to match up all the cards so that the final visible cards are pairs of 11. If you get stuck with no pairs and the three-by-three square is already complete, then you lose and need to start again.
3. Solitaire
There are various different kinds of Solitaire games to play, so find whichever one works for you. Normal Solitaire requires you to get a run of cards from K to 2 alternating between black and red cards. Beehive Solitaire searches for four of kind as the “bees” fly to the “flower garden.” You could also try Golf Solitaire, FreeCell Solitaire or whatever kind you fancy. This is a pretty basic game to play by yourself when all you have is a deck of cards to entertain yourself.
4. Garbage
Though this is typically a two-person game, you can play it by yourself. Start by making two rows of five cards in front of you, making sure the cards are face-down. Draw a card from the deck and replace its numerical location in front of you. For example, if you draw a 6 place it in the six spot and take the card that is there, which may be an 8 and place it in the eight spot. If you pick up a card that has already been placed, for example a second 6, then you discard it and draw another from the deck. Once you have completed finding all ten cards, you shuffle and put down nine cards, playing in the same way you did before as you search for nine cards, not ten.
5. Clock
To set up for this game, place four cards in a pile at each point in the clock shape from 1:00 to 12:00 with four cards in the middle. Each spot on the clock correlates to a number. A:1:00. 2: 2:00 and so on. J: 11:00. Q: 12:00. K: goes in the middle. Start by flipping over the top card in the middle pile and placing it at the bottom of the stack it correlates to. For example, if you flip over a five, then place it under the pile at 5:00 and flip over the top card and place it where it belongs. The goal is to get each pile stacked with sets of four that correlate to that location before getting all the kings in the center. If you get the kings there before you get all the other cards in their places, then you lose.
6. Four Corners
Four Corners is a solitary card game. Place the four As in the four corners of your playing space. Surround each of those four As with a card face-up in each of its corners. The goal is to stack those cards starting from A to K in numerical order for each respective suit. Play as many cards as you can before you run out of places to play with the face-up cards. Then, replace all the empty corners with a card from the deck and start again. The way you win the game is by getting all the cards stacked in each corner.
7. Spit
Spit is typically a two-person card game but you can play it by yourself. Basically you play the game Spit and instead of focusing on beating your opponent, you focus on trying to play all your cards against the clock. Time yourself to see what your fastest time is. If you want to play a more light-hearted game, don’t stress about the time and just pay attention to playing cards above and below the card in the pile. I love the thrill that comes with using all my cards.
These are just a few ways to entertain yourself with a deck of cards. I hope you enjoy these games as much as I do and find them useful ways to pass time. What card games do you like to play?
It doesn’t matter if you’re bored, it’s 2 am and you can’t sleep, or you just don’t have anyone else to play cards with – playing cards are great but there never seems to be any solo player games for people without a playing card partner. Below, we’ve managed to scrounge up a few different games that are great for night owls with a love of all things black and red.
KLONDIKE
For this solo card game, you’ll need a standard set of fifty-two playing cards and a flat surface. Klondike is a variation of solitaire where the aim is to move all of the cards in the deck into their correct piles. You’ll need to deal the cards in seven stacks – stack one will have one card, face up. Stack two will have two cards, with the top one facing up. Stack three should have three cards etc. The last stack should have seven cards; again, with the top one facing up. Of course, you leave the rest of the cards in a deck, which you can turn over card by card if you can’t make any moves. The piles you make should start with the Ace of each suit, and end with the King.
BOWLING SOLITAIRE
Perhaps the easiest solo card game in existence, bowling solitaire uses a full playing card deck (including both Jokers). The goal for this game is to remove all cards that add up to ten in total. Layout 10 cards, face up, like bowling pins with 4 at the top, then 3, then 2, then 1 card at the front. The remaining cards in the deck are dealt in threes, with the top card showing and the others hidden. Your goal is to remove cards from the table layout that add up to 10 points (Jacks, Queens, and Kings are all 10 points and can be removed immediately, other cards are their card value). Once you’ve cleared all ten cards, deal again, keeping the used cards off to the side.
Best Single Player Board Games
ELEVENS
Disregard the suits in this card game, you won’t be paying attention to them at all. In Elevens, your challenge is to find matches between cards that total 11. To start, place a card down and begin making a 3-card by 3-card square. If you see a match before you finish making the square, place one card from the deck on each of the two cards that make up the number 11. Keep matching cards and putting new cards on top of matched ones. Eventually, all cards should be facing up in a 3 x 3 card square. If there are no pairs in that first square, deal again.
There are many other card games that you can play solo using a deck of playing cards. The majority of them are variations of solitaire or matching games that you can play on the go. For Solitaire-based games, we recommend having table space to properly lay out your cards.