The tradition of playing card games in India continues even during these times of social distancing, with people going online to play the games. India has always loved card games and Indians play them on a regular basis.

Card games are thought to have first come to India in the 16th century, as a game called ganjifa played by people from Central Asia. It was played only in the royal Indian courts with luxurious card decks made from precious materials like ivory and studded with gemstones.

Later card games became popular with the general public and people started playing cards made from wood or palm leaves. And since then, card games have grown to have a much greater mass appeal across the country.

Every household in any part of India these days will know of at least a few card games. There are several card games that are played in different parts of the country, including rummy, donkey, and strategy-based solitaire card game.

Here are some card games that have become very popular in the country.

1. Twenty-eight

One of the most popular card games in India today, twenty-eight is a complex trick-taking game played by four people in two teams. It uses 32 cards, and the players in each team communicate through a series of codes to strategize and win the most tricks for their team.

2. Solitaire

Solitaire is one of the card games that was popularized by the British in India. It is designed to be played by a single person. The cards are placed on the table face down in a certain pattern. They are flipped over by the player and sorted into foundations in sequence. Solitaire was one of the first card games to be made into a computer game, given its simplicity and single-player nature. These days, lovers of the solitaire game download it as a mobile app onto their smartphones and play it whenever and wherever they like. And now it can also be played with real people in the multiplayer format online. You can also win real cash prizes by beating real players in cash games online.

3. Rummy

One the oldest card games played in the country, rummy tests the analytical and mathematical skills of players. It’s played with a typical 52-card deck plus a printed Jokers per deck. An additional deck is used if there are more than two players (up to 6). It’s a pick-and-discard game that tasks players with creating sets and sequences from the cards in their hands.

4. Poker

Poker is one of the popular card games in India. Players bet based on the projected value of their hand and the opponent’s hand in this game. Poker is considered to be a game of both luck and skill, requiring players to know how to estimate the opponent’s hand, take informed risks and bluff.

5. Satte-pe-Satta

One of the easiest card games to learn, satte-pe-satta has only one goal: get rid of all the cards in your hand as soon as possible. The game has rules about which card can be discarded, depending on the card that was discarded by the previous player. Players can strategize and discard cards that block the opponent’s chance to discard cards.

Card games are only growing more popular in India as people look for more engaging ways to spend their time and have quality entertainment. From games played at royal courts to a source of entertainment for every household, card games have become a part of Indian culture and will continue to entertain people for generations. The only thing that has changed is that now most people play them on their smartphones and also win cash playing cards like solitaire online.