David ParlettPrice: About $15, roughly. The Complete Book of Solitaire and Patience GamesPoker For DummiesHoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games
Hoyle's Modern Encyclopedia of Card Games, by Walter B. GibsonPrice: About $15, roughly.
The A to Z encyclopedia
Games listed alphabetically, from All Fours to Zebra Poker, with cross-references for every variant and a glossary that doubles as an index. The place to look up a game you have only heard of.
“Explains the rules of all the most popular and timeless card games clearly and simply, using special symbols, charts, and drawings.” the publisher
- Good for
- Looking games up · Variants and other names
- Skip it if
- You want one clear book for beginners: the Dummies book is gentler.
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Our take
Walter B. Gibson's encyclopedia lists games alphabetically, from All Fours to Zebra Poker, with plenty of cross-references for variants and a glossary that doubles as an index. If you have ever heard of a game by a different name, this is where you find out it is the same game.
The rules are explained with symbols, charts and drawings alongside the text, so you can follow them at a table.
It pairs well with the Penguin book: Parlett for the world, Gibson for the clear A to Z.
Games it covers
All card games →- Rummy · 2 players
Gin Rummy
Two players, ten cards, knock when you are ready.
- Rummy · 4 players
Canasta
Two decks, four jokers, and melds that grow into canastas.
- Rummy · 2 to 6 players
Rummy
Draw, discard and lay down sets and runs.
- Trick-taking · 4 players
Euchre
A fast partnership game with 24 cards and two powerful jacks.
- Trick-taking · 3 to 7 players
Oh Hell
Bid exactly how many tricks you will take. Not one more, not one less.
Keep reading
- Story
A short history of playing cards
How a pack of painted paper travelled from China through Egypt to Europe, lost its cups and swords, gained a joker, and ended up in almost every home.
- Buying guide
Choosing a deck
Plastic or paper, poker or bridge size, how many decks you need, and the deck we recommend for each of our games.
- Reference
The glossary
Every card game word, in plain English.
Quick answers
- Can I learn a game from a book?
Yes, but it is easier with a guide first. Start with a Pips guide, then use a book to go deeper or to find new games.
- Which book first?
Card Games For Dummies if you are new, the Penguin Book of Card Games for the widest choice, Hoyle's when you need an answer.
- Why these ten?
They are the books we would put in a friend's hands, each for a different reader. If we would not recommend it, it is not here.
Also consider
Back to the shelf →David ParlettPrice: About $15, roughly. 
Albert H. Morehead and othersPrice: About $15, roughly.