How to Find the Rules for a Specific Card Game on pagat.com

Updated

To find the rules for a specific card game on pagat.com, start with the Alphabetical Index if you already know the game's name. If you only know what kind of game you want (by mechanism, objective, equipment, region, or number of players), use the Classified Index, Regional Index, or Player Number Index instead. All of these are linked directly from the site's home page under the "Card Game Rules" heading.

If you know the game's name

Open the Alphabetical Index. According to the site, it lists traditional games for two or more players and shows, for each entry, the number of players and the type of cards or tiles required. Scan or search the page for the name, then follow the link to that game's rules page.

This is the fastest route for a known title. For example, if you want Shithead, Swoop, Twenty-Nine, Gin Rummy, or Golf Rummy (Basic), these appear in the site's Most Popular Games list, which can save you a step.

If you don't know the exact name

Use the Classified Index. It organizes traditional games by:

  • Mechanism — how the game plays
  • Objective — what players are trying to achieve
  • Equipment used — the cards or tiles needed

The Classified Index also includes a section on children's games. This route suits someone who remembers a game's feel but not its title.

If you want to narrow by region or player count

Two further indexes help when the name is unknown but the context is clear:

Index Use it when you know… What it gives you
Regional Index the country or region where the game is played games arranged by country or region
Player Number Index how many people are playing listings of games suitable for that number of players, with recommended games for two, three, four, five, and six players

The Player Number Index is the practical choice for a game night with a fixed group size.

Other entry points worth knowing

The home page also links to themed collections that may match your request faster than a general index:

  • Gambling Games — Poker (rules, hand ranking, variations), Blackjack, Baccarat, and other casino card games
  • Domino Games — Western and Chinese dominoes, plus other tile games
  • Solitaire Games — one-player games with cards, dominoes, and other tiles
  • Proprietary Games — games requiring special commercially produced packs
  • Invented Games — reader-contributed games and variations

Verify you have the right page

Once you open a game's page, check that the stated number of players and the required cards or tiles match your situation. The Alphabetical Index already shows these details, so comparing them against the rules page is a quick way to confirm you've landed on the intended game rather than a same-named variant.

If a page seems wrong or incomplete, the site invites corrections by email to its editor, John McLeod, at [email protected]. The site has documented traditional card and domino game rules since 1995 and takes its name from the Pagat, the lowest trump in the Central European game of Tarock.