Big Two

Big Two turns the deck upside down. The three is the lowest card in the game and the two is the highest, which is where the name comes from, and suits break every tie in the order diamonds, clubs, hearts, spades. Thirteen cards go to each of four players, whoever holds the three of diamonds leads, and their first play has to contain it.

A turn is a shape rather than a card. You can put down a single, a pair, three of a kind, or five cards making a straight, a flush, a full house, four of a kind, or a straight flush. Whatever is on the table has to be answered with the same number of cards, beating it, or you pass. Once the other three have all passed, whoever played last starts again with anything they like.

The first player out of cards wins, and the game is mostly about what winning a trick costs you. Beating a lone four with your two takes the trick and throws away the card that beats everything, so the useful skill is finding the cheapest play that still wins. You play three computer opponents at three strengths, or deal a table to three friends over a link.