You may be able to scroll social media or binge watch TV shows for hours on end, but there’s nothing quite like the satisfaction of a good card game. A deck of cards and a bit of spare time is all you need to entertain a group of friends, family members of all ages, or even just yourself.
Whether you prefer a high-stakes game of Uno or something a little more mellow like Apples to Apples, we at Spilsbury know a night spent playing cards is a night well spent. That got us thinking, which card games are the most popular in the U.S.? Is America in agreement or is there controversy over the card game that reigns supreme? Wonder no more, we crunched the numbers—read on to find out!
Methodology
In order to determine the most popular card games across the country, we analyzed Google Trends search volume for 26 of the top card games from November 2020 through November 2021. We then compared the stats for each card game across states to uncover the top searched card game in every U.S. state and region.
The Most Popular Card Game in Every U.S. State
Turns out, the states can’t quite agree on the most popular card game overall. From coast to coast, there is little consistency among the card game that claimed victory in each state.
We’re not surprised to see that a local classic like Texas Hold ‘Em won out it’s very own Lone Star State. But Texans aren’t the only ones who are avid fans of the Poker variation—it also landed on top in Arizona, California, Indiana, and New Mexico.
While some states, like Florida, South Carolina, and Pennsylvania, love a classic game like Solitaire, other areas like, DC and Rhode Island, prefer a more modern take such as What Do You Meme? Maybe it’s because of DC’s younger population or maybe it’s because the nation’s capital area likes to be ahead of the trends. We’ll leave that up to you to decide!
From Go Fish to Golf, there’s not much of a trend in the category of card games that appeared on the list of America’s favorites. It’s clear that some players love card games that require little brain power while others are up for a steeper challenge. At the end of the day, you can’t go wrong with a deck of cards.
The Most Popular Card Game in Every U.S. Region
Diving deeper, not only do many U.S. states have their own opinion on the best card game, the broader regions also can’t agree. Each of the four regions has a different card game that came out on top.
In the Northeast and the West, Old Maid and Texas Hold ‘Em won the region, respectively. Both of these games are more flexible in the number of players that can participate, with the ideal headcount falling between two to 10 for each.
Spoons requires a bigger party as it works best with six or more players, though for Midwesterners hosting a crowd, you can include up to 13 guests as long as you have the spoons to accommodate.
Southerners opt for a complicated card game that’s best suited for those ages 13 and up. Spades is ideal for four players, but the rules can be altered to fit the needs of the group.
The Most Popular Card Game Overall
Overall, Spades claims the title of the most popular card game in the U.S., with 11 states boasting it. Close behind are Texas Hold ‘Em, War, Spoons, and Old Maid, each claiming victory in four or more states.
There are 14 more card games that round out the list of favorites around the country. That means the majority of the card games we analyzed are a crowd favorite in at least one state, with only 7 games not having any representation on the map.
Closing Thoughts
The moral of the story is, you really can’t go wrong with a deck of cards. So next time you’re bored at a gathering, you can now whip out your favorite deck and suggest playing your state’s favorite card game.
If you’re looking to spice up your game nights, Spilsbury offers a plethora of unique playing cards and other games to satisfy all your hosting and entertainment needs. No matter what game you end up playing, a deck of donut or pizza playing cards is sure to get the party started.