5 Three Player Card Games to Play Right Now

Quick Picks: Best 3-Player Card Games

Most classic card games cater to pairs or four-player tables, but these five games shine with exactly three participants using a standard deck:

1. Sergeant Major (8-5-3): Strategic trick-taking where players hit varying trick quotas.
2. Three-Player Rummy / Gin Rummy: Fast meld-building with 7 to 10 cards per hand.
3. Ninety-Nine (99): High-tension hand shedding with addition math up to 99.
4. Skat: The world’s premier competitive bidding card game tailored specifically for 3 players.
5. Crazy Eights (Cutthroat Trio): Casual shedding game with wild card disruptors.

1. Sergeant Major (8-5-3)

• Deck: Standard 52 Cards
• Target: Dealer needs 8 tricks, second player needs 5, third needs 3.
• Core Rules: Deal 16 cards to each player; the remaining 4 cards go into the kitty. The dealer declares trump and swaps 4 dead cards with the kitty. Winning extra tricks carries over into trading advantages during future rounds.

2. Cutthroat Rummy

• Deck: Standard 52 Cards
• Target: First to empty their hand or hit 100 cumulative points.
• Core Rules: Deal 7 cards each. Players take turns drawing from the stockpile or discard pile to assemble valid sets (three of a kind) and runs (consecutive suits).

3. Ninety-Nine (99)

• Deck: Standard 52 Cards
• Target: Force opponents to push the communal total past 99.
• Core Rules: Each player receives 3 cards. Players play one card face-up and announce the new running score, then draw back to 3.
• 4s: Value is 0 (Skip)
• 9s: Value is 0 (Pass)
• 10s: Adds or subtracts 10
• Kings: Instantly sets the total to 99

Quick Comparison Table