So each trip, we sit around and play cards at camp. We usually play hearts or cribbage, but those games are getting a little old. Does anyone have any suggestions for other, easy to learn games? It can't be too complicated or one of the four of us will get frustrated and quit.

It goes by different names, but our family calls it 'Oh Shoot!'

Pinochle? Euchre?

Or if you are willing to take a different deck, we enjoy a game called "Five Crowns". The word game equivalent is "Quiddler", and we pack both of those decks now for the cabin trips with our grandchildren. Our grandchildren are teenagers (well one is, and one is approaching) and very experienced gamers, so I am not suggesting "kiddie games."

500, kings in the corner, rummy

We play this sometimes. It's called Quiddler, the cards have letters and combinations of letters, you lay down when you have a word, then when you "go out" you get the points left in the other hands.

UNO!!! it can't much simpler than that!

I second, "Oh, Hell."

If you like Hearts, why not try playing Spades?

Euchre. Not bid euchre.

My crew always has Skipbo. The game 31 is fun to play, kings on the corner, slap jack, war. :) How about dice? There is a small (good for packing) game called phase 10.

~

Thanks for the advice! I think I'll bring an uno deck and refresh myself on the rules of rummy and spades. Great games, but it's been a few years, lol.

Rummy

I actually love flipping cards into a hat or small basket/bowl from a distance that makes it competitive with some success.

I love a game I've started playing on line. It's called royal. You play very much the same as 7 card stud except with a deck that has only 10 through Ace. Lots of great hands, and royal flushes do happen.

Another one here for taking Uno. Another dice game that is easy and small is Farkle.

The girls always bring UNO on our trips.

Gin rummy
Go fish
500 - we often play it with 2 people, each of whom play 2 hands, which makes things interesting
Cribbage
Poker/blackjack (for invisible money)

Up and Down the River: Minnesota rules

quote northallen: "Up and Down the River: Minnesota rules"

Minnesota rules? I know the game well, but what are these specific rules?

Cards against humanity would be good to play for a group at least 4 people in size, really its better with groups towards max size. The decks are big, though, so not really a lightweight item.

We've played Uno & I try to carry a deck of cards in the utility bucket.

Euchre

Kings in the Corner is good

We had a great game table at this spot on Moon Lake!

quote GreyOwl: "Euchre. Not bid euchre."

Bid euchre... that sounds like it might be what we call Dirty Clubs. Each person bids his/her hand in number of tricks they think they can take. The highest bidder names trump. Then people can stay or drop out of that hand. Anyone staying has to get one trick or they get set and lose five points. If a club is the turned up card, everyone has to stay regardless of their hand. That's why they call it Dirty Clubs.

Is that what you call Bid Euchre?

No 52-card pickup fans?

5 card Tonk is a great game.

We've always got the kids along so our go to's are Skip-bo and some version of UNO.

Texas Holdem, you can use rocks sticks acorns whatever is laying around as chips :-)

quote Basspro69: "Texas Holdem, you can use rocks sticks acorns whatever is laying around as chips :-)"

Bring a big box of match sticks and divide them up. When someone loses out they can buy their way back in with camp chores!

quote Jackfish: "

quote GreyOwl: "Euchre. Not bid euchre."

Bid euchre... that sounds like it might be what we call Dirty Clubs. Each person bids his/her hand in number of tricks they think they can take. The highest bidder names trump. Then people can stay or drop out of that hand. Anyone staying has to get one trick or they get set and lose five points. If a club is the turned up card, everyone has to stay regardless of their hand. That's why they call it Dirty Clubs.

Is that what you call Bid Euchre?"

Sticking my nose in....

That is what we call Dirty Clubs, too. What I call Bid Euchre is played with a 6-card hand. Haven't played since my grandpa passed, but I thought it was a great game. Way better than regular Euchre

mentirosa (i believe i've seen it called liar's dice in english)

super fun, specially when the loser has to take a sip of whiskey.

although, I've never seen the correct instructions online, except in spanish.

basically you roll 5 dice in a cup, only you look at them, then declare a poker hand.
the person who goes next, without looking at what is under the cup, can decide if you are lying or not, if he calls bullshit and shows the dice and you were telling the truth, he loses, otherwise if you were caught lying, you lose. if he doesn't call bullshit he has a choice to re-roll any number of dice either with the cup or without (you can leave some dice inside and roll in plain sight, or leave some dice in plain sight and roll some in secret) he has to declare a better hand or he loses, then the next player has to decide if he is lying or not... etc.

unlike having a poker face, trash talking, laughing, and lying are all basic strategy. and once you get experienced there are some nice setups you can do, like rolling 3 aces and declaring a pair of 9, for when you want the guy after the next one to really lose.

1 - 9
2 - 10
3 - J
4 - Q
5 - K
6 - A

or just use poker dice.

quote ogarza: "mentirosa (i believe i've seen it called liar's dice in english)

super fun, specially when the loser has to take a sip of whiskey.

although, I've never seen the correct instructions online, except in spanish.

basically you roll 5 dice in a cup, only you look at them, then declare a poker hand.
the person who goes next, without looking at what is under the cup, can decide if you are lying or not, if he calls bullshit and shows the dice and you were telling the truth, he loses, otherwise if you were caught lying, you lose. if he doesn't call bullshit he has a choice to re-roll any number of dice either with the cup or without (you can leave some dice inside and roll in plain sight, or leave some dice in plain sight and roll some in secret) he has to declare a better hand or he loses, then the next player has to decide if he is lying or not... etc.

unlike having a poker face, trash talking, laughing, and lying are all basic strategy. and once you get experienced there are some nice setups you can do, like rolling 3 aces and declaring a pair of 9, for when you want the guy after the next one to really lose.

1 - 9
2 - 10
3 - J
4 - Q
5 - K
6 - A

or just use poker dice."

I play that game also, except we put 3 chips (quarters, whatever) in front of each of us . Each time you lose you put one in the pot until you are out. Winner of the last one then takes all. I learned that game ~ 60 years ago from my parents and their crowd.

Depending on who you mean by "we", strip poker is fun...especially if the other person has never played or isn't quite up on the rules.

quote SaganagaJoe: "

quote northallen: "Up and Down the River: Minnesota rules"

Minnesota rules? I know the game well, but what are these specific rules? "

I've only learned recently; taught by another traveling soccer parent. She referred to MN v. North Dakota rules.
ND rules are that if you have trump you have to play trump first or if you don't have the suit that was lead. MN rules are friendlier, some would say nicer.

quote northallen: "

quote SaganagaJoe: "

quote northallen: "Up and Down the River: Minnesota rules"

Minnesota rules? I know the game well, but what are these specific rules? "

I've only learned recently; taught by another traveling soccer parent. She referred to MN v. North Dakota rules.
ND rules are that if you have trump you have to play trump first or if you don't have the suit that was lead. MN rules are friendlier, some would say nicer."

You got that right...only state around that didn't play Trump first! LOL!

quote nojobro: "Kings in the Corner is good


We had a great game table at this spot on Moon Lake!


"

Nola,
I have that same Sterno stove, (bottom right corner of picture)$4.95 at Walmart. That is all we used last week in Quetico for cooking. When it is closed it is about the size of 2 CD cases stacked on top of each other and just as light. Brought MSR Pocket Rocket as back-up but never needed it. Fill it with twigs and away you go.

Always cribbage!!!