Everybody loves free card games. Card games, as the name suggests, are games played with cards. They can both be played indoor and outdoor, in a playground, while you are traveling, and even while you are doing other activities like watching television. Card games are popular with people of all age groups and played all over the world. A pack of cards usually consist of 52 cards, a four-suit deck. However, in a game, the number of cards depends on the requirement of the game. Tarot cards consist of 78 or more cards.

Computer card games are also becoming increasingly popular. Some of the popular free computer card games include poker, solitaire, and bridge. Though card games are played for fun, yet they can also be played as a challenge to other players and have some rules of playing as well. Free card games on the Internet could do not necessarily mean that only one person can play them. Computer could act as the other player. In fact, online card games are becoming so popular these days that there are online tournaments which could even help you win cash with your card-playing skills.

History of Card Games

Free card games on the Internet are a recent development. They became popular when Microsoft included a version of Spider Solitaire in its Windows 3.0 software in 1990. However, the history of cards dates back to the ninth century. Given below is a dateline of the history of cards:

*Ancient Chinese people invented cards in ninth century

*Appeared around 1300 AD in Europe

*Spread fast around 1380s from Spain and Italy to France and Germany

*By 1534, there were about 35 different card games

*Around 1800s, the Americans began to use their own cards and also invented Joker

Cards are usually made of heavy paper, thin card or thin plastic and decorated with distinctive motifs. A game of cards begins either as an invitation from somebody or when certain changes are made in an existing game. The rules of the game may depend on the players who are playing the game.

Advantages

*Card games, like other games, promote interaction.

*They help develop practical skills and involve mental stimulation.

*They help one to enjoy the thrill of taking risks.

*They may even teach the kids some basic skills like spelling, visual identification, and increased memory.

Many websites these days have freeware computer card games which help you to easily download shareware programs or even software for a price for some advanced features. Once you have downloaded the free card games, you can launch the games on your personal computer and either play alone or play against the computer. So, enter the exciting world of free card games and enjoy to the hilt. Happy gaming!